If you are a Christian, people are watching your life. Some are watching for an excuse to speak against your faith in Christ. Others may even test your sincerity. This is yet another reason to have a flourishing relationship with the Lord and to live godly.

Think for a moment about a sponge filled with water. If we push down with our finger even slightly, water runs out. We immediately know what fills the interior pockets of the sponge. The same is true of us. Others can tell what fills us on the inside by what comes out under pressure. Leadership Magazine

Transition

In our text, Peter gives a threefold challenge to the Christians of northern Turkey, as well as to us today, to live godly among unbelievers.

The first challenge is to…

Remember, You Are a New Creation (v.11)

Like Peter’s readers, if you are a true Christian, God has changed your life.

1. You are “dearly beloved” of God
   1. You are a priest and able to talk directly to God (v.4-10).
   2. God has a special love for you as His dear child.
2. You are a “stranger and pilgrim”.
   1. As a Christian, you are a stranger or non-citizen of this world. This world is not your home. Your citizenship is in heaven.
   2. You are a pilgrim or a foreigner. You are living temporarily among foreign people. Unsaved people around you are not your spiritual family.
   3. God has made you a new creation. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Do not be ashamed of your unique identity as a Christian. Be willing to be different to please the Lord.
      ² Many Christians are like chameleons – lizards with the unusual ability to change the colour of their skin. Such Christians live one way when with unbelievers and another way when with Christians. Let’s not be like chameleons!
      The second challenge is to…

Control Your Conduct (v.11-12)

1. You must “abstain from fleshly lusts” (v.11).
   Let’s dissect verse 11 like a student dissects a frog in biology class, taking it apart piece by piece.
   1. “Beseech” is to beg. The Holy Spirit had Peter appeal to our hearts rather than commanding us to obey.
   2. “Abstain” means to refrain. It is to hold yourself back or to refuse to do something. The Lord begs you to refrain. It is a choice that every Christian must make for himself.
   3. “Fleshly lusts” are desires that appeal to the flesh.
      1. The flesh is our old sinful nature. It is opposed to the Holy Spirit who now lives in us. The flesh is our enemy. (Galatians 5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
      2. Lusts or desires are the tempting cravings that we have for the things that appeal to our sinful flesh. Lusts are fed through your senses – sight, hearing, taste, and touch.
      3. Fleshly lusts are bad desires, motivated by our sinful flesh, for things that displease and dishonour the Lord. It may be an evil desire for alcohol, for cigarettes, for drugs, for immorality, for godless music, for pornography, for money, for pleasure or for anything else that appeals to your old nature.
   4. Which war against the soul describes a battle against your soul that Christ has redeemed. If saved, Satan cannot take your soul to hell with him, but wants to corrupt your walk with God. He wants to ruin your Christian testimony. He wants to destroy your marriage. He wants to pollute your mind. He wants to control you. The Christian life is not a happy “clappy” party but a hard fought battle.
2. You must have your conversation honest among the Gentiles (v.12)
   1. Your conversation is your manner of life, your conduct all day long, every day. It includes your attitudes, your habits, your words, your music, your entertainment, your home life, your marriage relationship, and your business dealings.
   2. “Honest” means good, commendable, praiseworthy, excellent, or honourable. This is physical or moral beauty.
   3. “Gentiles” refers to the multitude of people around us. In the context, it probably refers to the unbelieving world all around us.
      ☆ Therefore, as Christians, we must control our conduct. Saying “NO” to fleshly desires takes work and dependence on the Holy Spirit. Every day is another battle against lust, but if we will stay close to God and walk in harmony with the Holy Spirit, He will give us victory. (James 4:7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (Galatians 5:16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
      The third challenge is to…

Aim to Live So Unbelievers Will Glorify God (v.12)

1. Unbelievers often to speak evil of Christians.
   1. Millions since the time of Christ have faced persecution from those who spoke evil of them.
   2. The Lord tells us that living godly will bring persecution from unbelievers. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
   3. You will be slandered if…
      1. You don’t participate in “accepted” godless activities
      2. You rear your children according to the Bible
      3. You share the gospel with unbelievers
      4. You dress modestly (at home, church, beach, sports, town, activities)
2. Living right may impact others for good.
   1. As they watch your good works, this may cause them to glorify God on the day of visitation.
   2. Those who speak evil of us are watching or view carefully your good works. Our good works include our resisting fleshly lusts and our conversation or conduct.
      1. Like it or not, the unbelievers around you are watching your life very carefully. The way you live and the things you do are either drawing people to Christ or pointing them to hell.
      2. Peter may have been thinking of Jesus’ words when he wrote this. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
   3. The goal is that (in order that) unbelievers who watch carefully the good way you live may glorify God in the day of visitation. When is that?
      1. The Greek word for this verb visit means to go to see or inspect someone, generally in order to help them.
      2. With this in mind, the day of visitation likely refers to the time when God visits the heart of an unbeliever with Holy Spirit conviction. The Holy Spirit will use the godly testimony of saints in conjunction with the Word of God that he may repent and trust Christ, and thus glorify God.
         ² Kenneth Wuest adds, “The good works of Christians, their beautiful and separated lives, are used of God as one of the means of bringing lost sinners to the Lord Jesus.”

Conclusion

How are you living before the unbelievers around you? Are you trying to be a spiritual chameleon or do you strive to abstain from fleshly lusts that battle against your soul? Is your manner of life praise-worthy? Unbelievers are watching you. The way you live will either turn them from Christ or draw them to Christ.

If you are not positive you are a Christian, today is the best time to settle your doubt. Come and talk to me about it after the service.

Song: Have I Done My Best – 368
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Living Godly Among Unbelievers
28 June 2015 AM – 1 Peter 2:11-12 – 1Pe15 – Scott Childs