Evildoers

9 You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 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. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:9-12

Strange, isn't it, that those who do evil prosper—and the righteous end up being the “bad guys” of society? Just raising objections to abortion, homosexual behavior, or sexual promiscuity makes us look like close relatives of Attila the Hun.

It's important to note that Peter reminded us that we would be slandered as “evildoers” (1 Peter 2:12). Because early Christians called their celebrations of the Lord's Table “love feasts,” rumors abounded that they were involved in sexual orgies. And because those feasts involved celebrating communion (remembering the broken body and shed blood of Jesus), the Christians were said to have cannibalistic tendencies.

The early Christians were also known as destroyers of families, since those who struck an allegiance with Jesus often broke with the pagan traditions of their kin. Most seriously, they were a threat to the cohesiveness and continuity of the Roman Empire, as they expressed allegiance to the God of the universe rather than to Caesar. For all of this and more, Christians were often portrayed as the evil element of society.

There is a sense in which we can identify with being labeled as evildoers in our culture. When we hold society accountable for righteousness and articulate what is right and wrong from God's point of view, we are increasingly seen as a threat to actual agendas. Agendas like abortion and gay rights are viewed as part of a progressive society that has finally unshackled itself from the chains of a restricted, puritanical past.

Yet no matter what people say about us or how they portray us, Peter instructed us to live in such a way that they can't avoid noticing the outcome of righteousness in our lives—our good deeds. When the consequences of their sin leaves them broken and without hope, they will notice the stability and peace in our lives, which just may give us the opportunity to tell them that it is Jesus who has made the difference. —Joe Stowell www.rbc.org

seeking: Father, how have I been encouraged as I have considered your goodness to me today? What have you revealed about the work of Jesus in my life?

responding: Is my life full of “good deeds"? Do unbelievers notice? Why or why not? • How is God's goodness reflected in my relationships?

Father, allow me to see people through your eyes. Teach me to reach out in love and show your peaceful, holy heart to everyone I meet. May you be glorified in all I do.

following: Jesus is revealed in our loving, righteous acts.

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