God takes a complex social system and defines it in one statement.

1 – The mandate for submission (vs. 18)

We are to be submissive. In the time of this letter there were many slaves. The Romans used their POWs as slaves. They had no legal rights. They were things not people. They had no court of appeal. They had the same rights as an ox! It appears that most Christians at this time were slaves. There were not many that were noble or rich.

There was some thinking that with freedom in Christ came freedom from slavery. They were spiritually equal but not physically equal. They may have wanted to escape or revolt. Jesus, Peter or Paul was not concerned about social rights. They were only interested in the spiritual dimension. It was equal! The command to slaves is to be submissive to their masters – Christian or not. They are to do it with all respect. We are all to fear God. He has set up social order. The employer/employee relationship has been set up by God.

The submission is to those who are unreasonable, hard and unbending. The answer is to submit. In the days of the New Testament you couldn’t get another job. You would be a runaway slave. Paul sent a runaway slave back to his owner. The system stands regardless of your boss. God will take care of your boss. God condemns the oppression of slaves. See Ephesians 6:5ff. We are to serve our master (boss) as we serve Christ. We are to do it with submission.

2 – The motive for submission (vs. 19)

God expects us to submit in the right spirit. Are you a griping complaining employee? Do you just do good when the boss is watching? We are doing it for the will of God. Why should we?

• The Lord will pay you back.
• It will silence the critics and perhaps lead them to Jesus.
• We will rebuke their bad behaviour. It is profound when we respond in a godly way to ungodly treatment.

God has put you there and we are to set a godly and submissive attitude because you hold God in awe. We are to be loyal and conscientious. We do not have a secular job. We have a mission field and a calling to evangelise in our work, actions and speech. Serve your employer as you serve Christ. This act finds grace with God. This pleases God. It is worthy of gratitude and thanks to God. It brings consciousness of God. God is not pleased when we walk out, picket or strike. God is looking for submission. God’s presence will change others. We are to accept and trust God. God is pleased when you suffer with patience unfairness and you don’t deserve it.

3 – The model of submission

Jesus is the model for our submission. He was reviled, persecuted and suffered. Did he retaliate? He meekly committed Himself to God. He suffered to set the model on how to live. Jesus left footsteps in the ground for others to follow. He had far more rights than we and yet he gave it up to submit his life to the will of God.

Categories: 1 Peter