Three Reasons for Ethical Living
Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live
your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 1 Peter 1:17
Why does it matter how we live?
1. The Love of God
Peter tells us that we should live our lives as holy. Holiness is
a much deeper concept that just ethical, but I am going to stick with ethical
living because it is a concept we do understand.
He says live your lives with respect and awe for God who plays no favorites.
We are all familiar with the figure of blind justice. The female figure
holds a balance scale in one hand and sword in the other, but the most important
feature is that she is blindfolded Justice is supposed to be impartial, determined
on the basis of truth, which the scales represent. It is an easy concept to
understand. Ask any elementary school teacher and she will tell you children
have a very acute understanding of the concept of impartiality and fairness.
Remember the ministry of John the Baptist.
He was at the Jordan river baptizing Jews who came to him to hear his preaching.
His message to them, which Jesus picked up was simple: "Repent for the
kingdom of God is near."
Prophetic calls of God from the beginning of scripture to the end always
have this as a central theme: repent, God is at hand.
But what John encountered was an attitude that said, "we are God's chosen,
we are Abraham's children". We don't need to be baptized. Who are you to tell
us to repent?
John's reply was "don't count on your heritage to save you. God can raise
up children of Abraham from these stones."
We are believers in Christ. But that does not excuse us of needing to repent
and live ethically.
Peter says don't count on any special status to get you by. Live with respect
and reverence for God.
Let love for God constrain you is the way Paul would express it.
Peter uses an interesting illustration.
He says consider yourself as visitors.
There is an old hymn that says
This world is not my home I'm just passing
through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore 1.
His point is that we should not make our allegiance with the values and
morals of this world.
Our world and our time are about consumerism. One of the great temptations
of our time is to allow this attitude to creep into our relationship with
God--what has God done for me lately?
Another problem the people in Peter's time faced was growing disillusionment
with the fact the kingdom was not coming as quickly as they anticipated.
Where were the promises of Christ?
Where was world peace and justice and God's better kingdom?
Why was Caesar and other despots allowed to practice their tyranny with
impunity?
We don't belong here. We are citizens of a better place and need to remember
the fact.
There will be justice. This world is headed for destruction along with
everything in it.
Do not hitch yourself to a wagon headed over a cliff.
Remember you have an allegiance to the Jesus who was killed by this world's
rulers.
2. For the Love of Christ Jesus
This is his second reason to live better--out of love for Jesus
who gave his life for us.
He reminds us that we are ransomed not with silver of gold, but through
something much more precious--the blood of Christ.
The consumer mentality of our age would say, great--I deserve. I deserve
the best.
Everything we see on TV tells us so.
Don't settle for slow internet, for high interest payments or for laundry
detergents that don't bring you joy.
Don't settle for a religious community that does not cater to us in return.
It's all about us.
No, says the gospel, it is not all about us.
It is about the God who made enormous sacrifice for us.
Is Jesus worth our loyalty and sacrifice?
Are the little responsibilities a church might ask, worthy of the sacrifice
made on our behalf?
Is Jesus worth it?
At a Christmas party with Valerie's company, I was asking one her her colleagues
why he came to Canada, and Victoria in particular. He and his wife are from
Mexico City. I was curious about what brought them here.
He told me that one day he was out driving around the streets of Mexico
and some gangsters managed to hijack him and throw him into the trunk of
his car. They drove him out of town and were going to kill him and steal
his car.
But they saw his name on the automobile registration--Ponce de Leon--the
name of the president of Mexico at that time.
He was the young man's uncle.
The thieves decided it was too risky to kill Raphael and just stole his
car instead.
His uncle's name saved his life.
The name of Jesus saves our life.
Is love of that name enough to move us to gratitude and live a life worthy
of that name?
I doubt very much that our friend Raphael thought about dishonoring his
uncle's name after it saved his life.
3. For the fellowship of your brothers
and sisters.
Anyone who has played sports knows how important it is for your
team mates to know you did your best.
Someone in the stands may or may not notice, but your team mates will know.
In professional sports teams meet a day or so after their last game and
review the game films.
Mistakes are captured for all your friends to see.
You miss a pass, or blow and assignment and you let everyone down.
Peter says the same. We are not in this alone.
Don't blow it and bring dishonor on everyone else on your team.
Peter says that obeying the truth of Christ not only purifies you but is
a way of showing sincere love for your brothers and sisters who are counting
on you.
Living ethically:
Is the greatness of God worth it?
Is the love of Christ who died for you worth it?
Is love for others who count on you worth it?
I have a verse in my Bible underlined to remind me of exactly this.
It is proverbs 27:11
It says:
Be wise
my son, and bring joy to my heart;
then I can answer anyone who treats me
with contempt.
When I am leafing through the Bible looking for a particular passage, I
often see it and it reminds me of what is at stake.
God's honor is on the line with us.
What we do with His great sacrifice either brings honor or contempt to
Jesus.
I do not want to bring contempt on one who did so much for me.
I don't suppose any of us would.
That is why it is so important how we live.
1. Carl Smith, This World is Not My Home
Preached April 6, 2008
Dr. Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian Church
Victoria, British Columbia
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