FOUR-FOLD FORMULA FOR CHRISTIAN ACTIVITY I PETER 2:17

I Peter2:17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. In four short admonitions Peter gives a rather comprehensive summary of what a Christian life ought to be. Someone has said it is a “Four-Fold Formula For Christian Activity.”

Honor All People Honor—High regard or great respect given or received; Other Scriptures that use this word. Matthew 15:4Matthew 19:19Ephesians 6:2 Honor your mother and father John 5:23 “That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. I Timothy 5: 3 Honor widows who are really widows. We should honor all people because we are all made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. James 3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. James 2:8-9 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself,'' you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

The Christian should not despise someone based on their outward condition, Or their inward condition. Jesus was friends with publicans and sinners. I am not big on “political correctness.” If we would follow Peter’s admonition “political correctness” would not be needed. We should treat all people with consideration, respect, and the dignity that is due every human being. Romans 13:7 Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Love The Brotherhood Peter mentions this over and over in this letter. I Peter 1:222:173:84:85:14 John wrote about love. I John 4:11; Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 3:10 Paul wrote about love. Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. I Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The word brotherhood means: A group of fellow believers. Those with the same common interestsaimsbonds Blest Be The Tie That Binds. This brotherly love is a continuous love. Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. Without love for one another the church will fall apart. Peter is the only New Testament writer that uses the word “brotherhood” He uses it again 5:9

Fear God Fear—Respectful dread; awe; reverence Not dread of terror but fear of offending or causing pain through misconduct. This may be true in part I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. Our fear should change to love. Fear wears off Love never ends

However I also believe there should be a sense of terror and awe. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 10:31; 12:29 II Corinthians 5:11 Knowing, therefore, the terror (fear) of the Lord, we persuade men; Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. When I stand before the “Great I Am” there is sure to be a sense of fear.

Honor The King Honor is the same word used with “Honor all people”. Christians are to honor the heads of civil government. I Peter 2:13-15 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Paul also talks about this in Romans 13.

Christians should be the most honest of all people and this includes paying taxes. Do we only honor the heads of state when they are right? When they're dong God’s will? When Peter wrote this letter there was more than likely a homosexual in office. Proverbs 24:21 My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not disobey either of them;

There is another King we should honor. Jesus Christ HAVE YOU HONORED HIM BY MAKING HIM THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE?

Given by David Hamlin on pm Hollister, Missouri church of Christ