Christians in a Pagan Land

Christians in a Pagan Land

Jubilate – 4/26/2026

1 Peter 2:11–20

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Epistle lesson from the First Epistle of St. Peter in the second chapter with special emphasis on verses eleven and twelve which read as follows:

“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 honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Beloved in the Lord, St. Peter addresses Christians who are, in his words, “sojourners and exiles.” You live here, in this world, but you do not ultimately belong to it. Your citizenship is elsewhere. Your being is not determined by the shifting standards of culture, reputation, or public approval, but by Christ and His saving work. No matter what comes in this life, your ultimate status, identity, and place are guaranteed by Christ, your Savior. Even though this is the case, it is precisely because you live among neighbors, employers, authorities, and even adversaries that we must ask a central question: how then shall you live?

St. Peter gives us an answer that is not vague. It is concrete, demanding, and at times uncomfortable. He gives a twofold charge that defines the shape of the Christian life in this world. Our lives here are both inwardly at war and outwardly honorable.

The Twofold Charge of the Christian

First, Peter says: “Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” This is not mild language; it describes an inner war between the New Man, in the image of Christ, and the Old Man, in the image of Adam. In other words, the Christian life does not peacefully coexist with sin. Within each Christian is a daily, ongoing, relentless conflict. Your sinful nature does not retire when you are brought to faith. It wages war against your soul, seeking to corrupt your desires, distort your thinking, and ultimately separate you from God by turning you to unbelief. Your Old Adam, your sinful self, is going to die and he desperately wants to drag all of you with him.

This conflict is exactly what we confess in the Small Catechism, in the fourth part of Baptism. What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires. This is a brief, but apt, description of the Christian life. Our greatest struggle in this world is not with things outside of us, but with the sin and temptation that we have within.

And so each day the Christian rises as one who has died and been raised with Christ. And each day, the Christian must put to death those sinful things that belong to the old nature. This is not a once-in-a-lifetime conflict. It is not something to be taken up when convenient. It is the daily reality of our lives.

In practical terms this means we must say no to ungodly things. Impulses, habits, thoughts, and anything else that violate the Ten Commandments must be resisted. There is no place for greed, hatred, lust, or envy among us. No matter how much the world tells us otherwise or celebrates these things, we Christians cannot be part of this. Sin is not only a mistake, but also an enemy that needs to be fought against. And when we fail in this struggle, we must above all remember that we have a gracious God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

There is a great relief concerning this fight; it is not fought in your own strength. It flows from your Baptism into Christ. The struggle is not that you are striving to improve yourself to become something that you are presently not, instead, you are striving to live as what you already are in Christ by faith. In other words, our fight against sin is not the cause of God’s mercy towards us, but the result of being redeemed in Christ.

Second, Peter says: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable.” The other side of the Christian’s life is outwardly focused. Inwardly, we struggle to subdue our sin and to resist sin. Outwardly, we are to serve our neighbors and communities such that even those who oppose us and who oppose our Christ may see your good works and glorify God. Christians do not, indeed cannot, live lives withdrawn from the world. We live visibly within it.

More specifically, you are called to be good citizens, faithful workers, honest neighbors, and trustworthy people. You are to act with integrity, patience, humility, and kindness, even toward those who misunderstand you or who set themselves against you. Peter even goes as far as to say that Christians are to be subject to governing authorities, to honor them, and to endure unjust suffering from them when necessary.

The Cost of Faithfulness

      Within this biblical mandate arises an uncomfortable tension. We are to live in a manner that is esteemed as honorable by the world, but not at the cost of obedience to God. There is a limit to Christian obedience to the world and authorities therein. When the world demands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands, the Christian does not comply. Respect for authority does not allow compromise. Honor cannot be an excuse for idolatry. You remain courteous to all, even your enemies, but you cannot yield. You must  remain respectful, but you are not to disobey God. This reality can be difficult to navigate and can cause friction. There is certainly room for misunderstandings and missteps.

   Take, for example, the recent conviction of Lutheran, Finnish Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen, who was convicted of hate speech in her native country for publishing a pamphlet against homosexual marriages and relationships. Or Robert Barnes, who was executed in 1540 in England for holding to the Biblical teaching of the Lutheran Church.

The Apostle Peter is very realistic about this. He does not promise that such a life will be rewarded with praise or success. In fact, he assumes the opposite. As Jesus Himself said, following Him requires us to carry our own cross of suffering. And so faithfulness may cost you reputation. You may be slandered against as a wrongdoer while only doing right. It may cost you advancement, relationships, or opportunities. In some cases, it may cost you financial security or even personal freedom. St. Peter speaks of servants enduring unjust suffering. And while our social context may differ from those who originally heard this letter, the principle remains: doing good does not guarantee favorable outcomes in this world.

This is one of the great disappointments of the sinful flesh about the Christian religion. We often assume that if we do what is right, things should go well for us. But Peter says that this is not always the case; sometimes doing what is right leads to suffering. And when it does, that suffering is not meaningless. It is, in fact, commendable before God.  

That is a hard teaching. It forces us to confront what we really believe about the purpose of our lives.

Why Do We Live This Difficult Path?

So why? Why fight this internal battle? Why strive to live honorably before a world that may not appreciate it? Why endure cost, loss, or suffering? St. Peter’s answer is clear: because of Christ and His salvation; he says: “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.”

      The reason He is a fitting example is not because He merely gets behavior right. No, Peter wants us to look to Christ because He is our suffering Savior. He committed no sin, yet He bore your sins in His body on the tree. He endured injustice, mockery, and death to earn for you blessed salvation and everlasting life.

When men came to arrest Jesus, He did not retaliate. He did not threaten. He

entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly. He submitted Himself to their abuse. And by His wounds, you are healed. This is the foundation of the Christian life. Your life as a Christian is not founded on your effort, your discipline, or your moral improvement. Your salvation rests entirely on Christ crucified and risen for you. The Lord’s mission to be your Savior has changed everything in this life. You are made new in Him by faith and Baptism. Your sins are not merely ignored, they have been entirely blotted out and taken away in Christ and His Word.

     Consequently, You do not fight sin in order to be saved. No, you fight sin because you are saved. You do not live honorably in order to earn God’s favor; you live honorably because you already have His favor in Christ. The reason here is simple: you are no longer defined by your sin, but by His righteousness. You are no longer slaves to your passions, but servants of God. You are no longer merely citizens of this world, but heirs of an eternal kingdom.

And so your life has already begun to reflect that reality. It is imperfect, yes. It continues to have struggles. But even though it may struggle, your life has already borne and will continue to bear the fruit of faith that are good works before God. The Christian life is not about constructing a false image of righteousness based in your efforts, but in the promise of Holy Spirit-worked conformity to Christ Himself.

Conclusion

    Beloved Saints of the Lord, heirs of His salvation, you are sojourners and exiles in this world. You may live here in this age of sin, death, and hardship, but you belong to Christ. And so you are called to the twofold life of the Christian. Built on the solid foundation of faith in Christ, you are to fight seriously and persistently each day against your sin. And in this world you are to live an honorable life of service. This will not always be easy; Jesus never promised that the narrow path of salvation would be. It instead may be costly. At times, it will feel like loss.

But you never walk this path alone, and you are most certainly not walking it in vain. Christ has redeemed you. Christ sustains you. And He has set His Spirit to comfort and produce good in you until He brings you home. Until that day, your life bears witness, not to your own strength, but to His mercy.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] 1 Peter 2:11-12 English Standard Version. All further quotations are from the ESV.