Endure | Week 15
1 Peter 2:13-17
Dean Pollard
May 29, 2022
  • Whenever you submit to something, you are actually pursuing freedom

1 Peter 2:13–17 (ESV): Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

  • We must have this submissive and gentle, quiet posture.

  • Our posture when it comes to Government is to be one of submission

  • The Bible isn’t going to give us answers, it is going to tell us what our posture should be.

3 Postures We Need To Have Toward Government:

1) God ordained all government

1 Peter 2:13a (ESV): Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,

1 Peter 2:15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

Romans 13:1–2 (ESV): Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

2) God has freed you in the Gospel

1 Peter 2:16-17 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

  • Our freedom in the Gospel frees us to submit to the authority that God has set in place.

1 Peter 2:15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

  • How you respond to government shows how you are leaning into your freedom in Jesus

3) God alone deserves our worship and our trust

1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Matthew 22:21–22 (ESV): They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.