Living Free
1 Peter 2:16-17
Pastor Jerry Koller

“What does it mean to be free?” This is a complex question. It does not mean a lack of rules or regulations.

Verse 16 begins with a directive as to how we should live or act. Those in Christ, God’s elect, those whom He has chosen, are to live or act as free people; as free men.

Verse 16 has three parts. The first part gives us a directive on how we should live. The last part also gives us a directive in regard to how we should live. The middle part also gives a directive, but it does so from a negative perspective, from a prohibition.

· The first part of verse 16 could literally be translated as free, or as free people.
· The first part of the verse has to be understood in light of the last part.

The word free has multiple meanings.
· free, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by an obligation
· one who is not a slave in a civil sense
· in an ethical sense: free from the yoke of the Mosaic Law
· In this context, the word free has to do with one who ceases to be a slave because they have been freed.

The question can be asked, from what have they been freed? It seems as though the answer would be from slavery. However, the last part of this verse says we are to live as servants or as slaves of God.

The Apostle Paul addresses this freedom/slavery issue in chapter 6 of his letter to the saints at Rome.

The word slave and slaves in verses 16-18 come from the same word group as the one in the last part of 1 Peter 2:16.

We are told do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil.

Keep in mind the immediate context of this passage. Three verses earlier, Peter command the church to Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, (vs. 13)

We are to submit to those in authority over us because of the Lord, because He tells us to do so. This principle continues in verse 17.

There are four expectations mentioned in verse 17: Respect. Love. Fear. Honor.

1. We are to Show proper respect to everyone.
· The word respect, at the beginning of this verse, and the word honor—at the end of this verse, come from the same word group
· Everyone is a word that refers to the whole—everyone as a whole.

2. We are to Love the brotherhood.
· Loving one another is a key ingredient in unity, something that was important to Jesus.
· Loving the saints volitionally and in a self-sacrificing way will help them live in a world that is opposed to the kingdom of God.

3. The saints are expected to fear God.
· Fear was addressed in 1:17:

· Peter uses the same word for fear in both verses.
· In this context, fear is not an emotion. It is an objective understanding of someone or something.
· It includes being apprehensive or uneasy.

Jesus didn’t shy away from talking about fear.

In this new year, may we never use the freedom we have as a cover-up for sin. May we avoid sin in all its shapes and forms for sin never brings honor and glory to God.

In this new year, let’s be committed to fulfilling God’s expectations for us as revealed in today’s Scripture.
· May we show proper respect to every person who has been created in the image of God.
· May it begin in our families and in our churches.
· May it spread to our places of employment.
· May it invade the halls of government.

In this new year, let us be committed to loving the brethren.

In this new year, may we fulfill the expectation to honor the king, the emperor.
· This would be a reference to our political leaders. From the President to congressional members, from State to local officials, we are to honor them as God expects. God does not give us the right to slander them—publicly or privately.
· If you feel you have to respond to them in some way, why not pray them?

Finally, in this new year, may we develop a greater understanding of what it means to fear God.

PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE CHURCH OFFICE BEING CLOSED, THIS LIST WAS LAST UPDATED ON 12/14/2022.

· Caroline Bocock received a really bad concussion on 11/5 while playing soccer. Doctors are concerned because she is still vomiting, dizzy, and having constant headaches. She has an neurological appointment scheduled to determine if they can get some of the symptoms under control. Please pray for healing, wisdom for the doctors, and that the Lyme’s Disease hasn’t been triggered. Old symptoms are surfacing, but can’t determine if they are concussion symptoms vs. Lyme’s symptoms because they are the same symptoms for both.
· Ben Harris (Allie Wilson's dad) is recovering from a successful heart procedure.
· Walter Hatfield is scheduled for hernia surgery on 12/20 and will be off from work for two weeks as he recovers.
· Annette Koller is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
· Bruce & Vasha Ferguson and their family upon the loss of Vasha’s sister, Deborah Kirby, on 11/28.
· Keith Buckley is recovering from injuries due to a fall off a ladder.
· Nolan Marshall (son of Dan & Tracy) is struggling with major tantrums and other behavioral issues. Please pray for the doctors to have wisdom in choosing medication and treatments, and that the tantrums do not escalate worse than what they are. He had an evaluation at a brain specialty clinic on 12/6 ; the parental follow-up meeting is on 1/6. Also pray for patience and safety for him, his parents and his brother Riley as they try to work through situations.
· Carl Oisten (Sue Richmond's brother) is in the NCU at Borgess Hospital, for breathing issues.
· Shannon French (son of Curt & Patty Bales) continues eye drop treatment for an infection. It looks the damaged part is creating new cells and hopefully healing.
· Joyce Bocock finished radiation on the large tumor in her spine. She is handling the medication for the endocrine therapy well.
· Pete Danapilis is home recovering from a successful back surgery.
· Linda Newell is recovering from surgery to have a rotator cuff repaired.
· Vincent Bryant (Miriam Bryant’s son) is recovering from a broken ankle.
· Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.

First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com