Sermon on flesh found in 1 Peter 2

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-12

11 Beloved, I urge you has sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Title:

Opening Illustration: – Something about being in someplace new, someplace you’re not familiar with. 

 

Transitional Statement:

 

Take your copy of God’s Word and open with me to: 1 Peter 2:11-12

 

Read Passage/Prayer

 

Background: Written by Peter. One thing we cannot forget is the target audience: Christians. This isn’t an evangelistic letter, thought it, as all of Scripture can, be used to reach the lost, the original intention of this letter was an exhortation to already established Christians and Churches throughout the known world. 

Passions of the flesh wage war sermon notes

Verse 11: Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 

 

Beloved – Agape love. The people Peter is writing to are beloved by God, chosen as His elect (1 Peter 1:2). 

 

I – Peter is identifying himself here as he begins to address believers on how to conduct themselves in foreign lands, i.e. as sojourners and exiles.

 

 Urge – To earnestly support or encourage a response or action. Here, this is a purposeful exhortation to something intentionally

 

You as Sojourners and exiles – terms are interchangeable. Aliens in a foreign land, guests staying only temporarily. 

 

To abstain from the passions of the flesh – 

 

Which Wage War – Military terminology. The passions of the flesh are an army waging war against our individual souls. 

 

Against your soul – Your life. My life. The breath of life, “the immaterial part of a person which is the actuating cause of an individual life.” Genesis 2:7 – God gives us that breath of life. 

 

Verse 12: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

 

Keep your conduct – Maintain one’s way of life, ESPECIALLY one’s moral character. 

 

…honorable – Greek Kalos – Moral Excellence. 

 

Among the Gentiles – Gentiles – used to refer to non-Jews.

 

So that when they speak against you – Slander!

 

As evildoers – An evildoer is someone who intentionally does evil, i.e. a criminal. 

 

That they may see your good deeds – 

 

And glorify God – To praise, honor, and extol God

 

On the day of visitation – the day of judgment

 

Application:

 

Three things regarding how we live our lives as Christians amongst Gentiles, or non-believers

      1. Peter writes to abstain from passions of the flesh, i.e. resist temptation, just as Jesus did (Matthew 4:1-11). While we can’t live sinless lives like Jesus, we must strive to reflect that His righteousness, His perfection, is imputed to us (2 Cor. 5:21) to those that are around us. 
      1. Honorable conduct (Moral excellence) – Philippians 2:14-16, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Ruth 1:16-17
    1. That they may see our good deeds “and glorify God on the day of visitation.” I.e. see that there is something there and, because of it, be converted. See the difference open themselves to hear and respond to the gospel. 

 

Invitation:

 

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