Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, 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 2:11-12
In 1 peter 1:13- 17 peter exhorted people to be holy and not to conform themselves to the passions of the world because God is a true Judge who shall judge the world according to their conduct. Here too peter gives us more reasons why we need to conduct ourselves honourable among gentiles. We must constantly remind ourselves of who we are which apostle peter mentioned in previous verses. Peter begins by saying that we are beloved children of God and God’s love for us is more than enough to motivate us to live a life that worthy in the sight of God.
Peter’s readers need to reorient their self-understanding with respect to the society in which they live. Peter advises his readers to engage their society as resident aliens and foreigners. He is calling his readers to recognize that they are living in an alien place that has different values and practices than those appropriate for the people of God’s holy nation.
Peter exhorts Christians to live in right relationship with their society.
His opening exhortation is twofold, stated first in the negative (“abstain from carnal desires”) and then in the positive (“maintain a good way of life”; we are living in an evil world where the salvation of soul is less spoken subject rather many speak about how to enjoy this life in its fulness. So here it’s all about I and my achievements and the word will continue to do evil means to fulfil their desires. Peter reminds us that it’s not going to be a pleasant journey; We have to fight with passions within ourselves and also evil that exists outside the world will speak against us and will question us about our moral grounds and ethics on which we live. Jesus said you will be persecuted because of me.
But when face evil peter says we cannot react the way they did to us. Our conduct must be honourable, because the world is watching us. We are witnesses of Christ to the lost around us. Peter says people must see our good deeds even when we face evil from the world. we do not witness only with our lips; we must back up our “talk” with our “walk”. Jesus said “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”.
Dear friend can I say somethings this is not easy but it’s not impossible, as Paul says We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Because we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Jesus is going to appear and there is a day that all will see him and the reward we would receive from him.