In our previous post on 1 Peter, we stressed the importance of remembering that this world is not our home. Secondly, if we’re going to follow Christ in a hostile world, we must:
Expect Hostility From Unbelievers
Expect it. It will happen. Unbelievers will speak against you:
having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles (unbelievers), that when they speak against you as evildoers… (1 Peter 2:12)
Peter doesn’t say, “if” they speak against you, but “when” they speak against you as evildoers. It will happen. Don’t be surprised when unbelievers demean, disparage, and belittle you.
Seriously.
Stop being surprised by this and remember how many of us used to do the same thing. What else would we expect?
I think it’s helpful to look forward a couple chapters to Chapter 4 where Peter says something similar:
“For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.” (1 Peter 4:3-4)
When we become followers of Christ, we have changed. We no longer live like we used to live. Peter says that folks who don’t share our worldview will think it’s strange for us to live the way we do. Hence, they will “speak evil” of us.
Incidentally, we are not necessarily in God’s will when unbelievers speak against us as evildoers. For example, if we are arrogant Christians, unbelievers speak against us because we are arrogant.
If we do not respect our unbelieving supervisors and unbelieving co-workers, they will speak against us because we are being disrespectful.
So let us not go around all “high and mighty” because we were preaching at others in the break room and our boss told told us once again to tone it down. Don’t think, “Well, I’m just suffering for Christ.”
No, you’re not. The reason you’re being rebuked by your boss is because you are insubordinate and failing to follow his or her instructions.
So we’re not necessarily in God’s will when unbelievers speak against us as evildoers.
Peter says in the first part of verse 12 that our conduct is to be “honorable among the Gentiles (the unbelievers).” He’s talking about when unbelievers speak against us simply because we are Christians. Our behavior is not the problem. It is our Lord they are opposing.
Our behavior, on the other hand, is to be beyond reproach. This doesn’t mean we’re perfect. It means, rather, that unbelievers will know that we love the Lord and that we live for the Lord.
So note carefully what Peter goes on to say. It is while unbelievers are speaking against you, that they will also:
…by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12)
Our holy living, our consistently Christian behavior, has an evangelistic effect. It is by observing our good works that unbelievers are drawn to Christ. They will–last part of verse 12–“glorify God in the day of visitation.”
That phrase, “the day of visitation,” in this context conveys the sense of “the day God visits them with His grace;” the day God stoops down and “turns the light on” so that they may see the truth of the gospel. The day of visitation is the day when God calls a person out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
Unbelievers speak against Christians and, at the same time, may be drawn to Christ because of the consistent holiness of the very ones against whom they speak!
It was this way with Christ. People spoke against Him and at once were drawn to Him. The thief on the cross first railed against Christ and was–at the same time–drawn to Christ to believe in Him. Why? Because there was something different about Christ.
And there should also be something different about us.
We’ll talk more about that next time! For now:
What About You?
- If you are a Christian, how does knowing that you will encounter criticism and scorn equip you to better love those who don’t share your faith?
- Why do you think non-Christians often “act better” than Christians?
- If you’re not a Christian, read about following Christ here.
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