Scripture to Read: 1 Peter 2:13-15
We learned yesterday that our lives are to be a living example to the lost people in our lives. God continues to challenge us as He tells us in 1 Peter 2:13-15, Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. So, God reminds us that our lives are not our own, and that we belong to Him. Because we belong to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are to glorify Him by willingly submitting to every human authority in our lives. To clarify, in case you were wondering, God does not want us doing anything contrary to His Word. So, if any authority asks us to do something contrary to God’s Word, we submit to God first. But even if an authority is ungodly, like a king or any other official that God has placed in power, we are to obey them so that we honor our God through our obedience. Even though there are times we may struggle with knowing God’s will, when it comes to submitting to the authorities He has placed over us, God wants there to be no doubt that His will is to obey them. We honor God by submitting to the authorities over us, and our obedient lives silence ignorant people who make foolish charges against us.
Challenge & Application
1. When you consider the authorities currently in your life, how are you willingly submitting to their authority in order to honor God?
2. How is God using the current authorities in your life to mold and shape you to be more like our Lord Jesus Christ?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!