“Recognizing Strangers” – 1 PETER 2:10-16

Jesus, Paul, John and Peter all give us facets of the expected new nature of the Christian. These hallmark qualities are the very essence of life in the kingdom of God in Christ Jesus. Lost in darkness, people are alone in a crowd united only in sin and destiny.

Peter says at that time (while lost in darkness), we were not a people (2:10a). In the marvelous light of Christ we are transformed into a distinguishable people, adopted into a lineage of royal priests – the people of God (2:10b) – with a destiny altered by His mercy. With such lofty commendation from God through Peter, the sense is that Christians should be easily distinguishable from the crowd.

Should be.

When you are a stranger in a crowd mixed with other strangers together with those who belong there, you feel all alone if you cannot tell the difference. Interestingly, those who belong there are the ones who are able to recognize the strangers. Christian should stick out in the crowd because we do not live like the crowd (2:11-12). Imagine the world as a mud wrestling match. As long as everyone is filthy, no one cares. When someone clean comes on the scene defensiveness kicks in. The easiest way to cloak evil is to claim that evil is good and good is evil (2:12), and try to wrestle the clean guy down into the muck. The “natural” way is the mud.

How can we stay clean when mud is all around and others try to smear us with it?

The divine answer is to abstain from evil (2:11) live right (2:12-13). Once you grapple with the guys in the pit, you get mud on yourself. Stay out of the mud fight and engage in your divine purpose. Peter says it is God’s will that we defeat evil by simply doing good (2:15).

The greatest temptation for the Christian is to return to the mire (2:16).

Freedom from mud includes the blessing that Christ will keep washing the spattering of mud that gets on us as we sojourn around the mudpit. That freedom does not allow us to dive back in. As long as you are in the mud, there is no way to get clean until you leave the mud. Too many Christians rationalize that they are going to get a little dirty (they will not be sinless) so they might as well get really dirty (willful sin). This is using liberty as a cloak for evil (2:16b).

Remember, we are now a distinguishable people called for a special purpose. Only when we keep out of the mud fight can we strangers and sojourners recognize the other strangers. Instead of looking for excuses to sin, look up and find your brethren. The church is God’s gift to you to encourage you to stay clean together. We do not proclaim self … we proclaim Jesus. The first and forever primary proclamation is an excellent manner of life (2:12a). Both the filthy and the clean are watching.

Oh, and so is your Savior.