Doing Right

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God, when he comes to judge.

For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:9-17

Do you realize that when you say you are a Christian, people start to examine you closely. They watch you. People observe your life. To be good representatives of Jesus Christ, Peter teaches us that we are to be submissive to authority, to live an honorable life, to do good works, to honor all people, and to fear God.

The testimony of our lives can give us opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. So we might want to ask ourselves what people see in us.

Do others see Jesus in you?

Our Daily Bread – February 9, 2009