Sermon Study - 1 Peter 2:11-12
Sermon Study for “The Witness of Holiness” from 1 Peter 2:11-12. You can listen to the sermon here.
Sermon Review
This week, we come to the second section of Peter’s letter. In this section, Peter addresses a pressing question facing the churches of Asia Minor – how should Christians relate to the world, to the surrounding culture, especially when that surrounding culture was at times quite hostile? That is the pressing question of this section of 1 Peter.
Beginning in 2:11, Peter offers his answer on this question. His readers also lived in a hostile culture. In the first and second century Roman Empire, Christians were considered troublemakers, mischievous, and at times dangerous. Many Roman officials thought that Christians were actually rebels and traitors! Since Christians wouldn’t worship Caesar as god, that made Christians a threat to the empire! Peter writes in that context to answer our pressing question.
In these two verses, Peter gives us his overall vision for Christian living in a hostile culture. So, think of these two verses as the heading, the introduction to the entire section. In verses 11-12, Peter focuses on Christian character, and on how that character functions as a witness within the surrounding culture.
For Further Study
In our message, we talked about how cultivating Christian character is like war. The passions of the flesh wage war against our souls. Read the following passages in order to gain a better understanding of this warfare:
- Colossians 3:1-17
- Romans 8:1-17
Using the passages listed above, answer the following questions:
- How does the gospel inform and empower our fight against sin?
- How would you explain to another believer what it looks like to fight sin? Again, use the passages listed above, and try to be as specific as possible from the biblical texts.
For Personal Reflection
In our message, we talked about the need for distinct Christian character. What is an area in your life where God is calling you to pursue distinctly Christian character? What are the steps you need to take in order to grow in that area?
Think about any relationships you currently have with non-Christians. What are some ways you can exhibit Christian character that might witness to Christ in those relationships? Pray and ask God to give you opportunity to witness to Christ in those relationships.
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