Marching Orders For Strangers and Pilgrims

by Richard St.James

Marching Orders For Strangers and Pilgrims

1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.”

1. Keep Your Testimony
2. Submit Yourselves
3. Limit Your Liberty
4. Honor Others
5. Serve Others
6. Fear God
7. Love The Brethren

We [the true Christians] are just strangers passing through this old world. We are here only for a short time. We do not belong here! Yet, while we are here [sojourning], we need to obey our marching orders given implicitly by our LORD Jesus Christ.

1. Keep Your Testimony

Verse twelve: “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

Here [in this passage] is where our WORKS come into play. Are you ready for this? The Gentiles need to see your GOOD WORKS in order to glorify God “in the day of visitation”. Your “good works” should be part and parcel of your CONVERSATION. “What is this conversation” you say? Here it is. The “conversation” of a person … is the “walk” of a person. Have you not heard this said before? He doesn’t walk the talk! It means that a person’s words [or what he professes] do not match what he does [his works].

Now, may I remind you of something? We are to “walk the talk” just as the Apostle Paul by the Holy Ghost commanded us … in Colossians chapter one, verse ten: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;" [Colossians 1:10]. We are to walk worthy. [Remember, WORTHY is Lamb!]

From the very first moment that a person is re-born, or made alive, [or quickened] he or she is beginning a NEW LIFE. This new life involves walking in a new direction. Things are no longer the same for that person. Yea, this is what Second Corinthians chapter five verse seventeen is talking about … a NEW CREATURE. “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]

The believer in Jesus Christ has a new “conversation”! He has a new “walk”! The Bible is no longer the dead book to that person. All of a sudden the BOOK has become alive, and as a result, he or she displays a new walk or a new conversation “as it becometh the gospel of Christ.” This is in the book of the Philippians. “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" [Philippians 1:27].

2. Submit Yourselves

Verse thirteen and fourteen: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”

The Christian’s conversation [his walk] will show an attitude of submission to the governmental authority. How does this happen? The Spirit of God dwelling inside the believer produces a meekness of spirit that results in a deep respect for the laws and for the ordinances of a nation. Yea, it will get better than that! It will result in the believer even making intercession by prayer for those who are making and enforcing the very the laws and the ordinances for the whole nation. He will pray for all those in authority. The Bible tells us that this is so … in First Timothy chapter two, in verses one and two: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” [1 Timothy 2:1-2] In other words, a Christian will be the model citizen all the while he or she is sojourning here on the earth.

3. Limit Your Liberty

Verse fifteen: “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”

Verse fifteen here is complimented and buttressed by what the Spirit of God says in Galatians five in verse thirteen: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” [Galatians 5:13]

There is something else that we need to see here. The Christian’s conversation is to show an attitude of carefulness towards others. We are actively to CARE for each other in the body of Christ [which is the church]. This is what it says in First Corinthians chapter twelve verse twenty-five: “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” [1 Corinthians 12:25] Brother and sister, we need to LIMIT our liberty sometimes in order to not offend nor hurt another believer in Jesus Christ.

Now, remember what the BOOK says on this subject, my friend, in the whole chapter of Romans chapter fourteen. Then, in Romans chapter fifteen verses one and two, it sums up [chapter fourteen] with this: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” [Romans 15:1-2]

4. Honor Others

Part of verse seventeen: “Honour all men. … Honour the king.”

What makes the believer really standout in this day and age … is how respects and honors others around him. Remember it is really all about others. May I remind you that we are the ambassadors of Jesus Christ … to a lost and dying world according to Second Corinthians chapter five, verse twenty? “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,” [2 Corinthians 5:20]. Ambassadors honor those whom they are pleading with to get saved. The command to the true Christian is to DO the right thing to others. We are to respect them and to honor them wherever we possibly can.

The bottom line is this. While we are sojourning as strangers and pilgrims on this earth, we are to: “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” [Romans 13:7]

5. Serve Others

Verse eighteen: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.”

We all serve somebody, and as I have said it before, for the believer in Jesus Christ, it is all about others! It is NOT about us. Whether we are the literal servant to a master or an employee to a boss on the job, it does not matter, we need serve with a true heart and give them our best “as unto Christ”. “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;” [Ephesians 6:5-6]

The only caution I can place here, brethren, is that we are not serve men by serving men but we are to serve God while serving men. There is a difference here. Do you see it? First Corinthians chapter seven, verse twenty-three will clear it up. Ready? “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” [1 Corinthians 7:23] The way we serve men is “as unto Christ;” as it says in verse five, and again, we serve men “as the servants of Christ” as it says in verse six.

6. Fear God

Part of verse seventeen: “Fear God.”

The fear of God is a good thing. Why? This is because the fear of God is HEALTH to the believer of Jesus Christ. Proverbs says it this way. “It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” [Proverbs 3:8] This is one of the basic truths of life. The best thing for man is to have a good dose of the fear of God. In Ecclesiastes it says this: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” [Ecclesiastes 12:13]

7. Love The Brethren

Part of verse seventeen: “Love the brotherhood.”

We need this so much … because in the last days, the love of many has already waxed cold. This is at it was prophesied in your King James Bible in Matthew twenty-four in verse twelve: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” [Matthew 24:12] This is certainly true today. Do you not agree?

We need to love the brethren … our fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Take note, this is one the marks of a true believer in Jesus Christ. [1 John 3:14-15] “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Furthermore, we need to love the brethren … our fellow believers in Jesus Christ even to the point of being willing to die for them. Wow! Willing to die for them! Look at it. This located right here in the next verse [verse sixteen] “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” [1 John 3:16] What can I say more? I can say nothing but amen!

We are just strangers and pilgrims passing through this old world. We are here only for a short time. While we are here on this earth, we need to “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” These fleshly lusts will only hurt our “conversation” before the world. These freshly lusts will only take away from the glory of God “in the day of visitation.”

Suffering on the Tree

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The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1 Peter 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

1 Peter 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

1 Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

1 Peter 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

1 Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Marching Orders For Strangers and Pilgrims