Welcome to the ministry of First Reformed Church of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Our worship services are at 9 o'clock every Sunday morning. Now we join Pastor Hank Bone as he brings us God's Word. We turn our Bibles this morning to the book of 1 Peter, chapter 2, where we resume our study of this chapter. He sets forth up to this point. We're going to come to the verses 13 through 17 this morning. But he's been setting forth, Peter has been setting forth our identity as Christians. And he discusses that in terms of our being sojourners and pilgrims in this world. and how we are to be living stones built upon the living stone, our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, we are to be in the image of Christ, that we are being conformed to that image, and we're to be, in a sense, of the same stuff as Christ, as the Church is the building of Christ. But I begin our reading in verse 11, and I'm just going to simply read through verse 17 this morning. Peter there says, beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may buy your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors as to those who are sent by him, for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God, honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Let us pray. Our Almighty God and Heavenly Father, as we enter upon, having heard Your Word read, now looking to the sense of that Word, we pray that Your Spirit may work upon our minds and our hearts. Let Your Word come forth with clarity and simplicity. For these things we ask through Christ, who is the Word of God to us. Amen. Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Well, we are in a political campaign season. By this time, I'm sure, although it hasn't been, I think, as bad as it has been in past years, but we're probably starting to get tired of the political ads and campaign rhetoric and all of those things. I think the rhetoric has been worse. I don't think the ads have been as many, but we're in that campaign season. And it's a reminder to us that for several decades, the state of affairs in our country has developed and become very hostile in the realm of the politics of our country. More and more, it seems that the policies being enacted undermine our Christian values to the point there seems to be a certain hostility toward the church and faith in Christ. So the question arises, how are we to approach politics as a Christian? Politics focuses on the governance or the running of a country, but it also speaks to how any institution sets up its rules and laws by which it functions. The world's politics are designed to advance the agenda of those who have the power and authority while seeking to control the masses. A tyranny is a country where the rulers or political leaders take control of the personal freedom of the people and oppress the will through the use of the power of the government. Democracy. on the other hand, is the idea of the will of the people being the law of the land for the good of all people through elected officials. In a democracy, there is always a dangerous balance between the rights of the minority and the control of the majority in the preservation of personal rights and liberty. This is where the rule of law comes into play, guided by a constitution that is determinative in what kinds of laws are just and right and universally fundamental to a civilized society. And so we see that in our own constitution, that these rights, these fundamental rights, are God-given rights. So in what way does the Christian participate in the government or election process of the country, especially where the dominance of a two-party system takes up the process, controls the process? Well, the first thing the Christian must come to grips with is that their identity is not one of being a Democrat or a Republican, but that of being a Christian. In 1 Peter, the apostle has been setting forth principles that call the believer to stand fast in their Christian identity as pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are to see ourselves, according to 1 Peter 2.9, as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood a holy nation, God's own special people who have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light. And he proceeds on in verses 11 and 12, we are then called as sojourners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, so that they may glorify God in the day of visitation." So we're pilgrims and sojourners. We're called out of this darkness of the world into the marvelous light of God, but we're still in this world, a world shrouded in darkness. That's our position. That's our identity. It is the subject of living that Christian identity honorably in the world that Peter will address all the way now forward to the end of chapter three. So this is the practical stuff for Christian living. And he begins with a call to be a law-abiding citizen. The theme here is that the Christian submits to worldly authority because of his fear of God. And he does it unto the Lord, as unto the Lord. There's going to be three points. The principle of submission, the purpose of authority, and the proper use of Christian freedom. So first, the principle of submission. You see in verse 13, he says, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. You know, I mean, we need to be honest. One of the most difficult characteristics that a person that I am challenged with is the call to be submissive to the authority of others. The first sin was what? It was a failure to submit to the command of God. Children are in a constant battle with obeying their parents, which is foundational to order in the home. Parents are in the position of being the authority, and children are to be submissive to that. But parents are to be submissive to God's command to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And so they need to be consistent in terms of the order of the home. So the idea of submission is to bring yourself under control of someone or some truth. Submission is the activity of following the pattern of what is right and true because you believe it is right and true. You live by guiding principles. Or in the words of Jack Sparrow, you live by the code. For the Christian, we live by the word of God. In Matthew 4.4, Jesus answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." That's a short but so important principle. We don't live by our own thoughts. We don't live by the things we have, the world's not to control us, but rather the Christian in our identity we dwell upon, we strive for, we live after every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We seek to be biblical Christians. Your submission is not only for your benefit, but it is for the benefit of others. When we abide by laws and rules that are established for the ordering of society, everyone benefits. A country that lives in harmony promotes peace and the welfare of all. When that breaks down, what do we have? We have anarchy. We have people burning down stores and shooting people. The concept of liberty and freedom for all will only be successful in a country where the rule of law is universally kept by all, where justice is blind, and where the penalty fits the crime. The promotion of civil order is a God-given command to all in authority, whether to the king as supreme or to governors as those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for praise of those who do good. And of course, the governors would be all the way down to your police officers. The meaning of the word ordinance of man refers to those institutions created for the governance of the various aspects of society, from the President of the United States to the building inspector. Peter is saying that these institutions are God-ordained for the good of mankind and the world as a whole. So how, then, does the Christian approach submission to worldly leaders? The answer is, first, as those not as individuals, but for the sake of their office. You know, it's interesting. We ask ourselves, how are we to be in submission to worldly leaders? And yet, to what degree do we struggle to be in submission to our spiritual leaders? I think sometimes we elevate our public leaders above our church leaders, above our shepherds that Christ has given us. I think sometimes we elevate public education above the church education. And that's something you should think about, because they are at odds with each other in too many circumstances. Important. Necessary. They must coexist. We must promote them. They are vital to the order of society. But we must also understand priorities. How then does the Christian approach submission? to worldly leaders? And the answer is, first, not as individuals, but as for the sake of their office. We pray that God will give us godly rulers. But when they are not, and we should expect more than not that they will be ungodly, then we still seek to live peaceably with all men as much as is possible by following those laws not contrary to God's laws. You know, we need to understand that these men that God has raised up to be leaders in our community, for the good of the community, are not always godly men. In fact, often they are not. But it doesn't mean that everything they do is going to be hostile. But it does also mean it may well be. Should Christians be involved in politics? You know, that's a volatile debate that's gone on for generations. From the Civil War, should the denomination make a declaration against slavery? Divided the Presbyterian Church between the North and the South. One of our great theologians said the church shouldn't take a position. Even though he was against slavery, He understood this was a political cultural hot potato that perhaps the church shouldn't be involved in. And yet should the church back down at the very point where God's word speaks loudly about the need for men to be treated with respect to honor all men? The voice of the church should be heard. We pray for God to give us godly rulers, but when they are not, what do we do? There is a good deal of emphasis in this election coming up on freedom and liberty and rights, and particularly the rights of a woman to make her own decisions concerning her reproductive choices. What is absent in the banter is an emphasis on personal responsibility. And I don't care whether it's this issue or any issue. Whenever we speak about the freedom and the liberty we have, that freedom and liberty must be understood in terms of the responsibility that comes from it. The other thing that is absent in the banter is any mention of the life of the child that is conceived. As Christians, the Bible directs us to understand life begins at conception and is to be protected. Abortion is the willful and selfish taking of a life that breaks the sixth commandment. The issue of abortion is determinative of who we should support. Abortion is the single most significant issue that has led to the culture of death that has overwhelmed our country. And it's sad that we have a party that makes that their number one issue because they think they can win on the provision of abortion. But that's only a single issue among many where a departure from biblical thinking has had devastating impacts on our society. Simply follow the second table of the law and think about how authority has eroded because of a failure in each commandment. Honor your father and mother or honor ordinances. And what do we have? Defund the police. We have attacks really upon the very nature of our government. Thou shalt not kill, we have abortion. Thou shalt not commit adultery, we have the breakdown of the family in marriage. Thou shalt not steal, we have exorbitant taxation. You know, this country was founded on a war fought over taxation without representation. You know, and even though we elect people in, how many of us feel like we're really being represented when it comes to our taxation in our country? I mean, we're being taxed from every single thing, all the way down to buying a bag of peanuts. Everything keeps going up because of the actions of those we've elected. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Just look at the TV. Thou shalt not covet. Just look at how our government seeks to take things. Well, what is the purpose of authority? What is Peter talking about here in terms of being obedient to these institutions that God has raised up for the governance of society? If you look at verse 14, when we talk about the purpose of authority, you see the statement, for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. The purpose of authority is to enforce what is good and right. Paul talks about this in Romans chapter 13, the verses one through four. He says, let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God. This is my father's world. And the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil." Now, keep in mind, when is Paul writing this? He's writing this at the height of the Roman Caesar, who is out of control. Do you want to be unafraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good, but if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. And so, for the most part, this is true. Those who are criminals, those who are doing things that are against the law, that are wrong, that are hurtful, that are harmful, the government, in punishing those, does a good thing. Seeks to curtail evil in the world. Well, generally speaking, laws and rules are good things and for the benefit of society, but who defines what is good and right? Ultimately, it is the one who has absolute authority, and that is God. Our laws of society should flow from who we are as those created in the image of God, which is the image of righteousness and holiness. Sin, however, has corrupted the image of God in man so that righteousness and holiness come under attack. And we need to understand that, that by nature we are not holy, we are not righteous, we are sinners who stand before a God who is of perfection and who will hold us accountable. And we can't approach that God. There's no way that we can come to that God by anything that we do. And so we look to Christ. We look to God's word. We look to his promises. But we understand the starting point is who God is, understand who God is. And through understanding who God is, we then can understand who we are created in the image of that God. And we see how sin has corrupted that. In Isaiah 520. The prophet writes, woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. You see, sin has corrupted righteousness and holiness so that it comes under attack. And the world turns things around. This creates a dilemma where when the man-created laws come into conflict with God's law? And how is the Christian to respond to unjust laws, which are those that are contrary to the just God? That's what an unjust law is. An unjust law is a law that has been created that is contrary to what God has created, because God is just. The principle that we turn to when this happens is found in Acts 529. So when Peter speaks here, he's speaking out of personal experience. Because in 1 Peter 5.29, you may recall that Peter and the other apostles are commanded by the authorities that they were not to teach in Jesus' name anymore. And here's Peter's response. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him, God has exalted to his right hand to be prince and savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses to these things. And so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him. Now remember, we're in Jerusalem, and they're preaching Jesus, and Pentecost has already happened. The sermon has been preached. The spirit has been poured out. People are being added to the church, and the religious rulers, which are the political rulers as well, are seeking to suppress that by saying, no more talking about Jesus. And they said, no, we're gonna obey God first. You can't say that, you can't do that. The lesson we learn here is that God calls us to promote submission and obedience to government authorities through the authority of God. And how do we do this? First, in how we vote. We live in a country where we have the right to vote according to what we think is right and best consistent with God's command. So we vote out of our pilgrim identity, our Christian identity. Paul sets forth a calling in 1 Thessalonians 5.15. First Thessalonians 5.15. He says, see that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good, both for yourselves and for all. And then dropping down to verse 21, test all things, hold fast to what is good. That's the principle we focus by. What is true and right and just, and then we measure whatever it is that we have to consider by that scale, by that basis, by that rule. Often, in terms of political decisions, we don't have great choices. Sometimes it's a choice between evil and what is pragmatic or practical, or the lesser of two evils, people often say. Well, how do we use our freedom in Christ in making those choices, which brings us to our third point, the proper use of Christian freedom in this context. What does he say in verses 15 and 16? For this is the will of God. Now, whenever you see that, for this is the will of God, it should cause you to go, I need to pay attention to this. I need to know what the will of God is. For this is the will of God, that by doing good, you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. When you think of Christian freedom, you must first recognize that the only true freedom flows from the truth of God. You know, a very powerful verse, another very short verse, but a powerful verse. is found when Jesus says in John 8, 32, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Do you want to be free? Read your Bibles. Do you want to be free? Know what it means to be in Christ. It's not a government that sets you free. A government enslaves you. Beloved, everything must begin and end by pursuing submission to the will of God, which is another way of saying living out your faith biblically. In the context of our confession, it is the answer to the question of why must we do good works. First, we know there is the glory of God to be considered. That is that everything that you do is to be to the glory of God. And you do that by prioritizing your life in terms of what pleases God. So when you're going to do something, you say, is this going to please God? If it's not going to please God, then I shouldn't be pursuing that. The second thing. You do so as an expression of your Christian identity. And in so doing, you confirm that you are in Christ. And then thirdly is what Peter hits on here, that by doing good, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Or as the catechism says, you may win others to Christ. You may silence the ignorance of foolish men as they see that glory of God in and through you by the way you live, by the way you respond to things. In every step of life, the Christian represents Jesus in the world. You are to shine forth the love of God seeking to live peaceably. You are to obey the laws of the land until that requires you to disobey God. And then you obey God in such a way that it is apparent you are acting consistent with your Christian faith and willing to suffer the world's wrath for your obedience to God. Sometimes you don't get angry and start throwing Molotov cocktails. You simply say, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to follow your unjust law here. I'm going to continue to function in this way because that's what God calls me to do. And if that means my going to jail, then call me Bonhoeffer. It's that simple. Call me the Apostle Paul. Throw me in jail for following God. Don't fight it. You simply obey God. The use of Christian freedom must always be an expression of submission to and promotion of a love for God, as well as the love of God. Do you see where Peter said, do not use liberty as a cloak for vice? A cloak here is something that hides the true nature of the thing. In this case, it is vice or something evil. It's actually the word bad. It is pretending to be obedient to God, to hide your sinful and selfish actions. We see it a lot in mega ministers and mega ministry, where we hear the reports that come back. Men who call for contributions to support their ministries, and then they use the money to buy mansions and jet planes. A proper use of your Christian freedom and liberty always is done so with the good and spiritual promotion of others in view. To the brother or sister, it is an expression of love to build one up in their faith and their walk with the Lord. To the unbeliever, it is a pattern of what righteous living before God looks like. So Peter brings this application to an end with several summary phrases. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Honor again is repeated with emphasis. As a Christian, you should not look down on people. That is, you should show proper respect. That's what the word honor means, to respect people, to treat them kindly and have compassion on them, even when that is a challenging thing to do. Peter connects fearing God with honoring the king because they are tied to God as the one who ordains the office of the king and bears the sword as a servant of God. So in conclusion, as Christians, we have a calling to be light to the world. And for some, that may be a calling to pursue public service in an elected office or involvement in the political process, to bring our Christian values and perspectives into the order of our community. But a political agenda must never drive the church, even though the church must seek to shape the society and its leaders. Our calling is to bring the church into the world, not the world into the church. And in so doing, to understand this is our Father's world. And one day, one day, it will be ordered and restored in its complete submission to God our Father. Amen. Our Almighty God and Heavenly Father, as we consider your word and we find the instruction before us, as we see our connection to Christ, that we are built upon Christ himself and his righteousness and holiness, as we have in us restored that image of God which is righteous as a true holiness. So Father, we find its application in how we express that Christian identity. through the many aspects of our life, through all the aspects of our life, which are to seek to bring glory to your name. And so, Father, particularly in this area of Christian obedience to the institutions of society, we pray you might grant into us wisdom, foresight, as well as, Father, influence that we as the Church may be vocal in such a way that, in a loving way, compassionate way, we speak of the necessity of just laws. of order, which is after that which God has revealed. The Father, even the law of God, would become the guiding light and the principle and the foundation upon which our society functions. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.