1 Peter 2:15-16

NASB	NLT	VOICE
15 For such is the will of God, that by doing right you silence the ignorance of foolish people.	15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.	15 You see, it is God’s will that by doing what is right and good you should hush the gabbing ignorance of the foolish.
16 Act as free people, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-servants of God.	16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.	16 Live as those who are free and not as those who use their freedom as a pretext for evil, but live as God’s servants.

Silencing the Ignorance

In the context of 1 Peter, Peter is addressing Christians who are facing persecution and suffering. God’s will is the core of our faith. We are called to align what we do with God’s desires. God wants us to do good, meaning that we are to be actively engaging in actions that are righteous and benevolent. For the people of the early church, Christians were often misunderstood and mis-aligned. Because of this, they would make sure their good deeds served as the greatest example to the truth of the Gospel. When we’re doing good, we need to quiet the ignorant. What does this mean? The term “silence” shows us putting to rest and challenging false accusations and misunderstandings. The term “ignorance” describes a lack of of knowledge or understanding about the Christian faith and its followers. The early Christians that Peter is preaching to were accused of going against the societal norms and were misunderstood by their government and their neighbors. By living a life that properly represents the teachings of God, we are quieting and correcting different false teachings and showing those who didn’t understand what it means to be a Christian, what it truly represents. Now, the ignorance is said to come from foolish people. Those people lack the spiritual insight and understanding, often shown by a rejection of God’s truth.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How have you seen your actions quiet those who speak ignorance around you?

Interacting with the Ignorant

Instead of retaliating against those who misunderstand what we believe, we are called to respond with good and right actions. People can look down on Christians because of how Christians have showcased themselves in a public eye. I’ve heard a lot of people claim Christians to be hypocritical, judgmental, bitter, and more. Christians can often use scripture to weaponize it against all people because of what it teaches. They incorporate a: “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it,” mindset and lose out on how the teachings work in our culture today. The Bible and all the different books within it were not written to us but were written for us.  When we face people who are using scripture to label something in our lifestyle, we need to have a dialogue about it. A kind, respectful, and friendly dialogue. It’ll be hard for us receiving it because we’ll want to match energies, but God calls us to respond with His goodness. To respond in the same love that He gives to us. Be open to hearing their perspective. They could be right, and our understanding can be wrong, right? Be open to agreeing to disagree. Sometimes, we won’t see eye to eye and that’s okay. What matters in that circumstance is how your relationship with God stands at the end of it all. What we can’t do is match their same harsher energy that they were giving you. The Bible doesn’t teach us to go an eye for an eye. The Bible teaches to turn the other cheek if they slap one. Now, that opens up a different rabbit hole discourse. The TLDR of it is this: when we receive judgment, hear it and move on. If it continues consistently or escalates rapidly, then seek proper help through ministerial leaders, mediators, or someone you trust to help you work through the situation. When we are able to have these uncomfortable conversations with people that we may not get along with, we are reflecting the goodness and kindness of Christ that He gifts to us.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How do you handle conflict? How have you seen God move in the middle of your conflicts?

Being Free to Serve God

Our freedom is not a license for us to live without guidance. It’s a call to live in the Spirit. The freedom is not political or social. It’s spiritual. Our freedom reflects our transformation through Christ and how we can live free from the bondage The early church would face temptations to exploit God’s love as an excuse for sinful behavior: “I can do this because God would love me regardless.” We need to make sure we live a life that avoids hypocrisy. We often (unintentionally or not) will say we believe, stand for, and support one thing, but our actions often reflect something else or something completely opposite. The cultural context of Peter’s time included different religious and philosophical groups that misinterpreted this freedom as moral license, which is what Peter is wanting to correct. The freedom is a call to be a servant of God. The term “servant” implies being one who is willing to submit to a master. To be free yet a servant is a foundational aspect to our identity. Believers are described as slaves to God, which is leads to holiness. The historical context of serving in the Roman Empire adds depth. There were many literal slaves in the Roman Empire, and Peter is comparing it to the voluntary and joyful submission to God’s will.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Hearing our freedom is a call to voluntarily and joyfully serve God, how do you utilize your freedom?

Free My Heart God

It’s crucial to be vigilant against using our freedom as a precursor to do evil. What this means is that we need to watch what we’re doing in the name of God if it’s not truly aligned with God’s will. A lot of people will say and do things, claiming it in God’s name but those things are worldly desires or God’s message misinterpreted to fit their inner goals and hopes. How we can make sure that we are using our freedom wisely with consistently self-examining our own desires. The end of Psalm 139 has a beautiful prayer that I often reflect on when it comes to examining my heart. Verses 23 and 24 say this: “Search me God, and know my heart; put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” God knows our heart first and foremost. God can test what our heart speaks the most and see what things that we are nervous about. If there are any things that are leading down the path that God did not design for us, He can remove them and then get us back on the path of everlasting life. Our freedom leads us to everlasting life, through our servitude to Him and learning how to use our freedom to be His hands and feet above everything.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What is one thing that you’re anxious about that you need to check in with God about?

PRAY Action

Praise God for the freedom that we have in have, being able to joyfully serve Him at all times.

Read James 1:25

Ask God to help you embrace your freedom. Pray for the strength to understand His word and how He calls you to serve Him.

You are an effective doer. You are more than your intelligence. The gifts and resources you have inside of you are greater than anything anyone can say.

Next slice of manna: Understanding Sanctification || John 17:17 || Manna for the Mind #300