This is the call of the Christian, to live righteously in this world as we await the coming of our King and the fulfillment of all that is ours in Christ Jesus. Indeed, anyone who has crossed over from death to life through Jesus’ sacrifice knows he or she has become a new creature and belongs to a new kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:17), with new rules and regulations. That kingdom is the kingdom of light, of righteousness, of justice, hence the requirement to live righteously. Righteous living is simply living in a manner worthy of the Kingdom of God which is often contrary to the way we live our lives in this world. In fact, the bible tells us how at odds the kingdom of light is with the kingdom of darkness which feeds into our “flesh” or “sinful” habits. These habits were once normal for us but being an heir of God and co-heirs with Christ, we now consider such habits as distasteful to our new identity and to our new King. I have been camping in the book of 1 Peter lately and it is filled with encouragement on how to live righteously in this world. In this week’s post, I would like to highlight a few points that stood out to me during my study of the word.
First, righteousness is a non-negotiable in the Kingdom of God. This is logical and does not even need to be said but permit me to stress this point again. Far too many of us Christians tend to forget or dismiss the seriousness of God’s character who is holy, just, and blameless, to name a few. God’s expectation is that we would be Holy as He is Holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). However, many of us redeemed creatures have chosen to focus on God’s love and mercy as though God does not care about holiness in order to excuse our mishaps. The reality, as we see in scripture is that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). He does not excuse sin and will never excuse sin. Our actions have consequences whether good or bad. We are called to live righteously to honour our God; we are called to live righteously to showcase God’s attributes to the world, to be ambassadors of our new kingdom. To do this well, we have to be reminded of who God is, who we are and what hope He has called us to. This is precisely what Peter does in the first chapter by reminding his audience that they serve a God who is impartial and has redeemed them with the precious blood of Jesus, a lamb without blemish or defect. This redemption has been done through the imperishable seed of Christ which is the word of God (1 Peter 1:23-25) and brought along a new status. We were accredited Jesus’ righteous status which brings an eternal hope and are now called to live under this new identity of co-heir with Christ. As new creatures, we no longer live for ourselves, we have a bigger assignment: living for our King. This becomes what we do. Righteous breathes and lives righteousness.
Second, righteous living will require a fight. This will not be fluid nor will it be effortless, on the contrary, it will demand our all. Peter writes to tell his audience that it will be easy to miss Christ just as he was missed by many Jews who had the word of God with them. Indeed, having the word of God does not guarantee an understanding of it nor its obedience. Just like Jesus, the Son of God was rejected by his own, therefore expect to be rejected by the people who know you best and should know better. It is only those who have chosen to follow and rely on “the stone that was rejected” that will know who you are and align with your new values. As new creatures, our allegiance is to Jesus Christ therefore anything that contradicts him or tries to suppress his word is not to be welcomed or tolerated by us even if it is done in the nicest way. That means we should as Peter instructs us, prioritize: ridding ourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind; living in submission to the authorities, to our spouses, to one another; not being surprised at suffering for doing good. Peter spends a large portion of his letter hammering the point on suffering for doing good. Not only will this be difficult to do but it will also look unconventional, and your instinct will tell you to stop the suffering, or to seek justice, or to defend yourself, etc. but Peter reminds us that our calling is doing good irrespective of the cost associated with it because it is righteous living. Moreover, “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12) and the Lord Himself defends the cause of His own. That means, when we are suffering for doing good, we do not need to worry about the consequences and outcomes because our defender stands by, He hears our prayers and His eyes are on us. I find it so beautiful that the Lord’s eyes are on the righteous; they are never alone. He is mighty to save after all! Not only that, He has already assured our salvation and given us eternal life. Our hope, as Peter tells us is eternal therefore what are a few pains in this ephemeral world?
Third, righteous living draws people to the Lord. One main difference between living righteously and living for yourself is that living for yourself is all about you whereas living righteously is all about Christ. The focus is no longer your likes and dislikes, your preferences but it is all about what Jesus demands, you want to see him in everything you do. This selfless act then draws the attention of many who then question why you live the way you do, and you can in turn respond with gentleness that it is not you but Christ in you as Peter instructs us to “always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks the reason for the hope we have” (1 Peter 3:15). I find it incredible that the Lord would use living for Him as a way to draw others to Him. He must be at the centre, if He is not, everything fails. The world today is filled with people who are longing to know the King of kings, Jesus Christ but for whatever reasons are unable to see Him unless they see such countercultural actions. Like Paul, we too must seek to live our redeemed life in the body by faith in the son of God who loved us and gave himself up for us (Galatians 2:20). Living righteously serves the purpose of God who wants many to come to know Him and experience freedom from sin and bondage. Indeed, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37). I believe one of the reasons there are so few workers is because many are not fit to work, many are not living righteously, that is according to what pleases the Lord but instead live according to their own carnal desires.
How do you live righteously? By letting your life be governed by the rulership of the Holy Spirit through the word of God. The word of God, which is “living and active, sharper than any double edge sword, capable of judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105) and as we read it, we want to let the Holy Spirit convict us of our sin as we submit to its authority, being doers of it and not merely hearers (James 1:22). May the Lord help us to live righteously and to submit to His word even if it means suffering or estrangement. Amen.
A Word Aptly Spoken 