Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:16-17)
How is being a Christian simple? How is being a Christian hard?
In 1520, Martin Luther wrote a marvelous devotional commentary called The Freedom of the Christian that sought to capture, one the one hand, the simplicity of the Christian faith, and on the other hand, the depth of the Christian faith.
His theses:
A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.
A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.
The worst insult you could’ve said to Luther was that he was making up something new. He always wanted to be in line with the Word of God and with what Christians had confessed before him that was also in line with the Word of God.
So, does Luther line up?
Peter says it this way: Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16)
Paul says, 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. (1 Cor. 9).
Faith in Christ is what gives the Christian freedom. Simple, on one hand. Not so much on another, because our faith is constantly under attack by things like sin, suffering, and the world. The defense is God’s word which declares:
Live as people who free – your sins are not bound to you. They bound Jesus to the cross and He lives to lift them off you again. The Word of the Son of God sets you free. The blood sets you free.
Live as people who are free – suffering and sorrow is do not identify you. You confess what Jesus says, your sorrow will last only a little while. A few minutes, a few days, a few decades perhaps, but really, only a little while. And soon all your sorrow will be turned into joy. Soon!
Live as people who are free – not being of this world, though you do live in this world. You don’t look around this world, your bank account, your house, your family, your job and wonder if God loves you. You don’t despair when you watch the evening news. You don’t let your doctor or teacher or boss or anyone else define your identity.
Peter says right before today’s reading your identity. You are a child of God, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Jesus says He gives you a joy that no one can take from you.
That identity and freedom no government, no sickness, no sorrow, no person, no sin, no difficulties in life can take away.
A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. Paul says it this way: Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No one. Nothing. Subject to none. If it is God who justifies, who is to condemn? No one. Nothing. Subject to none.
And, in this freedom, we willingly submit ourselves to God and to others.
A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
In service to God and others, we honor everyone – all are made in the image of God and deserving of our respect and honor. We don’t look at someone’s age, race, pocketbook, position, intelligence, ability, or even if they’re nice to us and then ask, “Do you deserve honor. Respect. Life. Do you deserve my kindness and prayers? Honor everyone.
It is especially true for the Christian that if they are not nice to us, we honor them.
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles (those outside the Christian faith) honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12).
In service to God and others, we love the brotherhood. Peter calls you, the Christian, a sojourner and exile. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (1 Peter 2:11)
Like a sheep attacked by wolves, exiles, strangers living away from their home can feel quite lonely.
For this, Jesus gathers us together and gives a bit of foretaste that homecooking that waits for us as we love each other, as we are loved in the brotherhood and love the brotherhood.
Love the brotherhood with words that keep each other going in times of sorrow. “Hey, dear sister in Christ, we have a joy that no one now can take away from us. And this time of sorrow, Jesus promises it’s only a little while.”
Love the brotherhood as we all battle against sin, against those temptations we have welling up inside of us: Beloved, I urge you, as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (1 Peter 2:11)
Love the brotherhood by weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. By coming to church together. By singing they hymns and liturgy together. By praying. By visiting. By tithing to support a pastor to preach and visit faithfully not only to you, but to all the brotherhood in this congregation.
And in freedom, we fear God above all things and honor all those in authority. We don’t ask if the authorities deserve for us to submit ourselves under them. We ask if the God whom we fear calls us to submit to them. And He does:
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to the governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good (1 Peter 2:13).
A Christian has been freed by the blood of Jesus. And for Jesus’ sake, uses that freedom to serve and love other.
A Christian is perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. Jesus frees you. Not your love and service.
A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all. The Jesus who frees us calls us to love and serve.
Being a Christian is a simple journey. Jesus is Lord.
Being a Christian is hard. Everything else is competing against our faith in the Lord Jesus and love for the sake of the Lord Jesus.
Meanwhile, while we’re not yet home, while we’re still exiles here, our Lord provides us a taste of the home we long for.
It’s a meal that frees us, forgives us, declares us once again righteous for the sake of the blood of Christ.
It’s a meal that binds you to God in freedom and binds you to your neighbor in service. There’s nothing better than this taste of home.
O Lord, strengthen our faith toward You and love toward each other.