Living with Good Works 1 Peter 2:12

The “scattered” Christians were “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation” and “a peculiar people” according to Peter's letter to them. The had also “obtained mercy” and were “the people of God” because they were to share the “praises of him” who “called” them “out of darkness into his marvelous light”. They were to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war” “against their souls”, and in chapter two and verse twelve of his letter, Peter continued to share how they should live with “good works” where we read:

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.

The verse begins, “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles:” Peter began with the phrase, “Having your conversation” which means “manner of life, conduct, behavior and deportment” “honest” or “beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable and admirable” “among the Gentiles” who were “a multitude associated or living together, a company, troop, swarm, nation or people group considered pagans and not worshipping the true God”. Christians were to have exemplary behavior before people who were considered unbelievers and “pagans”.

The verse goes on to say, “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.” Peter added, “that whereas they speak against” or “criminate, traduce and slander” “you” which refers to the “scattered” Christians “as evildoers” or “malefactor, criminal or bad doer”, “they may” which means “think, suppose, be of opinion, praise, extol, magnify and celebrate” “by your good works” which means “better, honest, meet and goodly deeds, labor, employment and that which any one is occupied”“which they” which refers to “the pagan unbelievers” “shall behold” or “oversee, look upon, view attentively and watch” “glorify” which means “honor, have glory, magnify, make glorious and full of glory” “God” who is “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “in the day” which literally is “used of the natural day or interval between sunrise and sunset as distinguished from and contrasted with the night” and speaks “of the last day of this present age, the day Christ will return from heaven, raise the dead, hold the final judgment, and perfect his kingdom” “of visitation” which refers to “investigation, inspection, oversight, office, charge and the office of an elder”. When “the day of visitation” comes, people will remember the “good works” Christians have done, and they will “glorify God” who have seen them.

When we consider Peter's words, we begin to understand the importance of having “good works” in our lives. Though others may accuse us of being “evildoers”, we are to continue doing “good” things as a testimony of our relationship with Jesus Christ. There will be a “day of visitation” when God Almighty brings all things into judgment, and those who have seen our “good works” will only be able to “glorify God” because of them.

Next time Peter tells the “scattered” Christians to “submit” themselves “to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.