December 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading:

1 Peter 2:

²As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
³If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
⁴To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
⁵Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
⁶Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
⁷Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
⁸And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
⁹But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
¹⁰Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
¹¹Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
¹²Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
¹³Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
¹⁴Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
¹⁵For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
¹⁶As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
¹⁷Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
¹⁸Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
¹⁹For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
²⁰For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
²¹For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
²²Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
²³Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
²⁴Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
²⁵For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Devotional:

Peter was writing to Gentile Christians scattered throughout the ancient world, persecuted, aliens in a hostile empire. He wrote to show them how they might witness. As he put it, he wrote to show them how they might 'proclaim the excellencies' of God (2:9 NASB) and how they might by their behavior cause men to 'glorify God' (2:12 NASB).

How were they to do this? Verse 13 tells us one way: 'Submit!' They were to submit to the emperor. If servants, they were to submit to their masters. Their testimony was to be found in a mild spirit which would strive to imitate Christ's example. 'While being reviled, he did not revile in return; while suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously' (2:23 NASB).

We need to read and re-read the life of Jesus, to counteract our sinful distaste for submission— whether we are children who bristle at the requirements of parents, students who chafe at school rules, wives who resent their husbands' rightful headship, or citizens who flaunt civil regulations. In Christ we see God Himself, crucified on a tree He made, by men He made, to save sinners from the punishment they deserve. He did not come to be served. He came to serve, and 'to give his life a ransom for many' (Matthew 20:28).

To submit is to act as free men, who are bondslaves of God! Are we free? Or do we shudder at the very sound of the word submission? Let us look long upon Jesus, the suffering servant.