Seven Critical Challenges for Living in This World (A Study of I Peter 2): Living Right?

Some of you are aware that I’ve been engaged in a daily Bible reading program with my friend Frank in New Jersey for a couple of years or so. We choose a book of the Bible and read the same chapter each day for a week — then move on to the next chapter after that. Our procedure is quite simple and is explained here.

Well, I’ve started a small group of four men who are doing this kind of daily Bible reading and we’ve worked our way through Philippians and I Timothy, and are now going through I Peter. We drop each other a short email on Sunday about something we’ve learned in our reading together.

In reading through I Peter 2, I believe there are seven critical challenges that Peter gives us that are particularly relevant for us right now in our world. Here’s the fourth —

How we believers live our lives is critical in our witness for Christ! It is not enough that we behave ourselves before the family of God. We live in a world watching us, accusing us, challenging us.

Nowhere in the Bible are followers of the Lord commanded to go live in caves and isolate themselves from the pagans of this world. We are to “live among the pagans” (v. 12). That is, our lives are to be visible and either commendable or condemnable by those who aren’t yet in the family of God. The reason we are to live such good lives is not primarily that they would be ashamed of their groundless slander of us believers, but that they would “glorify God on the day he visits us.” And only those who have trusted Christ can properly glorify God, right? The way we conduct ourselves in this world can directly affect others’ coming to know Christ.

Today’s Challenge: What are pagans saying about your life? Do they notice that your values are different, your choices are praiseworthy, your behavior is worth imitating? If not, why not?