If you’ve ever heard me talk about it, you know that one of the things which I think has weakened the North American church has been a generation of seeker friendly church.

In the name of trying to remove barriers for unbelievers, I wonder how much we also succeeded in toning down the offense of the cross. That many came to Jesus not only because His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Mt. 11:30), but because, as it was presented, His cross was also portrayed as comfortable, and His call compatible with our goals for life. As someone has said, “What you win them with you will need to keep them with” and so, it becomes a pretty hard push to transition people who believed in Jesus in order to fulfill themselves to then buy into the fact that to follow Jesus they must die to themselves (Mt. 16:24, Rom. 6:6, Eph. 4:22). After all, who really knew they were signing up for that?

Why has this come to mind this morning? Something that I’m chewing on in 1Peter.

For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

(1Peter 2:15-16 CSB)

Free people or God’s slaves. Which is it?

You’d think that being exiles and living as strangers in a hostile land would cut you a bit of slack in also trying to live as the people of God with a holy calling to be holy as God is holy. Evidently not.

So far in Peter’s first epistle, there’s just as much “to do” as there is “to know.” While being reminded of the nature of their salvation and the surety of their hope is vital for keepin’ on keepin’ on as they suffer grief in various trials, so too, it would seem, is being exhorted to live out the life they were born again to live out. And so, says Peter, “Wanna know what God’s will is? It’s doing good. For by your conduct you’ll answer the world’s criticism.”

What’s the conduct in question in particular here? “Submit to every human authority . . . whether to the emperor (aka crazy, anti-Christian Nero) . . . or to governors” (2:13-14). And how come? “Because of the Lord.” Because it’s God’s will.

So, why submit? Because you can. You are free people. Citizens of a different land. Looking for rest, ultimately, in a different city. Storing up treasure in a different place. Living for an inheritance valued by a different economy. Not only freed from the bondage of sin, but freed from the tappings of this world. Free people. Free to submit. That’s who we are.

Why submit? Because we must. Because we are also God’s slaves. Freed to be bond servants. Freed not to live for ourselves — for “you are not your own, you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body” (1Cor. 6:19b-20). Freed to serve our Redeemer. Freed to obey our Master. Freed to live in subjection to our King. And if that means submit, then submit we must.

Hmm . . .

So, is the way of the cross the way of flourishing or of hardship? Yes. In Christ am I to live or to die? Yes. In doing life on a day-to-day basis am I to walk as slave or free? Yes.

Only by His grace. Always for His glory.