Jesus was a paradox. A paradox exists when the truth appears to contradict itself. In many matters, Jesus was a paradox. The specific paradox that underlies this lesson: Jesus was God's perfect servant, but Jesus was also free. Both statements about Jesus are true. Yet, how could he be God's servant (slave) and at the same moment be free?
Perhaps this paradox can be seen prior to Jesus' execution. As God's servant, Jesus committed himself to die on the cross because it was God's will. Yet, he wanted his disciples and the arresting soldiers to realize that human force did not "capture" him (Matthew 26:53). Jesus surrendered himself. Had Jesus requested help, twelve legions of angels would have defended him. A Roman legion was 6,000 men. God would send him 72,000 angels upon request. As Jesus said, "No one takes my life from me. I lay it down on my own initiative" (John 10:17,18). God's perfect servant surrendered to execution, but he was free.
Enormous differences exist between Jesus and us. One of those differences is seen in this paradox. Jesus was free, but Jesus made himself God's servant. He was never captured by evil. He did not need God to ransom him from his mistakes and failures.
We were not free. We were captured by evil. Our own mistakes and failures imprisoned us to evil. The Christian was a slave to evil. The Christian is free only by an act of God. God's grace expressed through His forgiveness frees us.
In one matter concerning freedom, we are like Jesus. Jesus had to decide how to use his freedom. As Christians, we have to decide how to use our freedom. Jesus did not use freedom to escape God's will. He used freedom to do God's will. God freed us to enable us to do His will. Only the deceived Christian tries to use freedom to escape servitude. That deceit destroys his or her freedom. God did not free us to indulge ourselves. God freed us to serve.
1 Peter 2:11-17
Peter addressed them as aliens and strangers. An alien has a home but cannot return to it. For example, many Jews living throughout the Roman empire considered Jerusalem their home, but they could not return to Jerusalem to live. A stranger had no home. He belonged nowhere. He just moved from place to place. The people to whom Peter wrote became aliens (sojourners) or strangers (pilgrims) because they placed their faith in Jesus.
They were to abstain [to refuse involvement in] fleshly lust. Fleshly lusts in this context are strong physical desires for evil.
Fleshly lusts wage war against the soul. Strong physical desires for evil attack [with the intent of destroying] the spiritual within the person.
They were to maintain excellent behavior. It was excellent behavior because it was godly behavior. Those who did not belong to God might not consider their behavior excellent. These people likely would not understand their excellent behavior (read 1 Peter 3:14-16 and 4:12-19). The Christian was committed to this excellent behavior because it was godly behavior. The reason for the Christian maintaining excellent behavior was not based on the immediate response or reaction of the person or persons who did not belong to God.
The immediate reaction of the ungodly people would be to slander Christians by claiming that they did evil. Note that the ungodly initially attacked good behavior as evil doing.
In time, the good deeds produced by good behavior would influence these people to glorify God. The influence would be so powerful that they would become godly people who were prepared for Jesus' return.
He wanted them to submit to governmental authority.
In their situation and circumstance it was God's will that they silence the ignorance of foolish men by doing right.
They were to act as free men.
They were not to use their freedom to cover their evil. The opportunity to act as free people was not to be used to hide ungodliness.
They were to use their freedom to make themselves God's slaves. They voluntarily were the slaves of God.
By having freedom they were able to serve and to obey God. The concern and the focus of their freedom was accomplishing God's work and purposes. They were free to do more for God, not less for God.
They were to honor all men. Many people make it very difficult for us to look at them with respect. We do not honor people because they are honorable. We honor people because they are God's creation. We honor people because we serve the God who sends sun and rain to the just and the unjust. We treat everyone with respect.
They were to love fellow Christians. Often Christians are not lovable people. We seek to love those who are in Christ because they are in Christ. The grace of the same God who saved us saved them. In love, Christ died for us when we were unlovable. We serve the God who loves the unlovable.
They were to fear God. The "fear" used here is to reverence, to hold in awe. It is not the fear of terror.
They were to hold the head of the kingdom or empire in honor.
Galatians 5:13-15
They were called to freedom.
They were not to use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. The objective of spiritual freedom is to accomplish God's purposes. It is not to achieve material or physical ambitions. They were free to serve God without restriction.
They should use their freedom to serve each other in love.
The one word is "love."
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Love for your fellow man will naturally comply with all the other commands that focused on relationships with people. When we love our fellow man, we will not commit adultery, murder, steal, or be ruled by greed. Those things cannot occur without the unloving abuse of someone. Love does not perform any evil against another person. In Paul's words, "Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law." Remember, God's greatest law is to love Him without reservation or restriction. God's second greatest law is to love your neighbor as yourself.
When Christians bite and devour each other they consume each other. Christians who hate Christians are Satan's most destructive force. When Christians selfishly use freedom in Christ to vindicate self and to oppose other believers, they destroy people for whom Christ died.
It is bad.
The turmoil and destruction produced when Christians attack and seek to hurt each other destroys the rule of God, discredits our God and our Savior, and destroys Christian credibility in those who oppose God.
Why did God provide us release from evil through propitiation, atonement, redemption, and forgiveness? In propitiation, Jesus took our place to pay the consequences for our evil. In atonement, Jesus' blood satisfied justice for our injustices. In redemption, God used Jesus to buy us back from Satan and evil. In forgiveness, God used Jesus' blood to destroy our sins. Why? God did all this to free us and to allow us to live in freedom.
Did God give us freedom so we could live selfishly in any way we wished? No. God gave us freedom so that (a) we could fashion our behavior on God's purity and (b) we could treat other people in ways not possible when we were enslaved to evil. God freed us so that our behavior would be guided by love. God freed us so that we could serve people in love. God freed us to love with His love. God freed us to love with the love that guided and controlled Jesus.
Suggestion: the typical American concept of freedom focuses on (a) irresponsible conduct, (b) indulgent personal behavior, and (c) the ultra selfishness produced by an addiction to "my rights." God's concept of freedom: you are free to be unselfish. You are free to love. AND you define unselfishness and love by the unselfishness and love that are a part of God. Help your class members see the difference between the two concepts of freedom.
Link to Student Guide Quarter 2, Lesson 10