1 Peter 2:15
For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Verse 16. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness: but as the servants of God.
This continues the same reason of the same Christian duty: if they will obey the Lord, then they must obey civil powers, for that is his will, and they will not deny that their obligation to him, for they are his servants. Verse 16. The words indeed are more general than the former, but they relate chiefly in this place to the particular in hand, so that neither in that kind nor in any other they dishonor their profession, and abuse their liberty, mistaking it as an exemption from those duties to which it does more straitly tie them. So then here the point of civil obedience and all other good conduct among men is recommended to Christians, as conforming to the will of God, and the most effectual clearing of their profession, and very agreeable to their Christian liberty.
The will of God] This is the strongest and most binding reason that can be used to a Christian mind that has resigned itself to be governed by that rule, to have the will of God for its law. Whatever is required of it upon that warrant, it cannot refuse; although it cross a man's own humor, or the interest of his private advantage, yet if his heart be subjected to the will of God, he will not stand with him in anything. One word from God, I will have it so, silences all, and carries it against all opposition.
It were a great point if we could be persuaded to esteem duly of this; it were indeed all, it would make light and easy work in those things that go so hardly on with us, though we are daily exhorted to them. Is it the will of God that I should live soberly? Then though my own corrupt will and my companions be against it, yet it must be so. Does he will that I forbear cursing and oaths, though my custom is for it? Yet I must offer violence to my custom, and set against the stream of all their customs that are round about me, to obey his will, who wills all things justly and holily. Will he have my charity not only liberal in giving but in forgiving, and real and hearty in both? Will he have me bless them that curse me, and do good to them that hate me, and love my enemies? Though the world count it a hard task, and my own corrupt heart possibly find it so; yet it shall be done, and not as upon unpleasant necessity, but willingly and cheerfully, and with the more delight because it is difficult. For so it proves my obedience the more, and my love to him whose will it is. Though my enemies deserve not my love, yet he that bids me love them does, and if he will have this the touchstone to try the uprightness of my love to him, shall it fail there? No, his will commands me so absolutely, and he himself is so lovely, that there can be no body so unlovely in themselves, or to me, but I can love them upon his command and for his sake.
But that it may be thus, there must be a renewed frame of mind, by which a man may renounce the world, and the forms of it, and himself, and his own sinful heart, and its way, to study and follow the only good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). To move most under that line, not willingly declining to any hand, to have our whole minds taken up in searching it, and our whole heart in embracing it. Be you not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is, says the Apostle (Ephesians 5:17), being about to exhort to particular duties as our Apostle here is doing.
This is the task of a Christian to understand his Lord's will, and with a practical understanding, that he may walk in all well pleasing to God. Thus the Apostle likewise exhorts the Thessalonians earnestly (1 Thessalonians 4:1) and adds verse 3: This is the will of God, even our sanctification. And then proceeds particularly against uncleanness and deceit, etc.
Let this then be your endeavor to have your wills crucified to whatever is sinful, indeed to will outward indifferent things with a kind of indifference — the most things that men are so stiff in are not worth an earnest willing. In a word, it were the only happy and truly spiritual temper to have our will quite rooted out, and the will of God placed in its stead, to have no other will but his, that it might constantly — indeed, so to speak, identically — follow it in all things. This is the will of God, therefore it is mine.
That with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.] The duties of the second Table, or well doing towards men, are more sensible to men void of religion than these things that have immediate relation to God. Therefore (and so in other Epistles) the Apostle is here particular in these for the vindicating of religion to them that are without. Ignorance usually is loud and prattling, making a mighty noise, and so has need of a muzzle to silence it. They that were ready to speak evil of it are called witless or foolish men — there was perverseness in their ignorance as the word imports. And generally all kinds of evil speakings and uncharitable censurings do argue a foolish worthless mind from which they proceed, and yet they are the usual diversion of the greatest part, and take up very much of men's conversation and discourse, which is an evidence of the baseness and perverseness of their minds. For whereas those that have most real goodness delight most to observe what is good and commendable in others, and to pass by their blemishes, it is the true character of vile unworthy persons — as contemptible flies sit upon sores — to skip over all the good that is in men, and fasten upon their infirmities.
But especially does it discover ignorance and folly to turn the failings of men to the disadvantage of religion — none can be such enemies to it but they that know it not, and see not the beauty that is in it. However, the way to silence them we see is by well-doing; that silences them more than whole volumes of apologies. When a Christian walks unreprovably, his enemies have nowhere to fasten their teeth on him, but are forced to gnaw their own malignant tongues. As it secures the godly thus to stop the lying mouths of foolish men, so it is as painful to them to be so stopped, as muzzling is to beasts, and punishes their malice.
And this is a wise Christian's way, instead of impatient fretting at the mistakes or willful miscensures of men, to keep still on in their calm temper of mind and upright course of life, and silent innocency, as a wind it breaks the waves into foam that roar about it.
As free] This the Apostle adds, lest any should so far mistake the nature of their Christian liberty as to dream of an exemption from obedience either to God or to men for his sake, and according to his appointment.
Their freedom he grants, but would have them understand aright, what it is. I cannot here insist at large on the spiritual freedom of Christians, nor is it here needful, being mentioned only for the clearing of it in this point, but free they are, and they only that are partakers of this liberty. If the Son make you free you shall be free indeed, the rest are slaves to Satan and the world, and their own lusts, as the Israelites in Egypt, working in the clay, under hard taskmasters.
Much discourse and much ink has been spilled upon the debate of free will, but truly all the liberty it has, till the Son and his Spirit free it, is that miserable freedom the Apostle speaks of (Romans 6:20). While you were servants to sin, you were free from righteousness.
And as we are naturally subject to the vile drudgery of sin, so we are condemned to the proper wages of sin, which the Apostle there tells us, is death, according to the just sentence of the law. But our Lord Christ was anointed for this purpose to set us free, both to work and to publish liberty, to proclaim liberty to captives and the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound, having paid our complete ransom, he sends his word as the message, and his Spirit to perform it effectually to set us free, to let us know it, and to bring us out of prison. He was bound and scourged as a slave or malefactor to purchase us this liberty, therefore ought it be our special care, first to have part in it, and then to be like it, and stand fast in it in all points.
But that we deceive not ourselves as too many do, that have no portion in this liberty, we ought to know, that it is not to inordinate walking and licentiousness, as our liberty, that we are called: but from them, as our thralldom, not called from obedience, but to it. Therefore beware that you shuffle in nothing under this specious name of liberty that belongs not to it, make it not a cloak of maliciousness — it is too precious a garment for so base a use. Liberty is indeed Christ's livery that he gives to all his followers: but the suitable living of it is not wickedness, and disobedience of any kind, but obedience and holiness; you are called to be the servants of God, and that is your dignity and your liberty.
The Apostles of this Gospel of liberty, gloried in this title, the servants of Jesus Christ, David before that Psalm of praise for his victories and exaltations being now settled on his throne, prefixes that as more honor than all these — a Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord. To kings and subjects and all, it is only happiness to be his subjects, it is the glory of the angels to be his ministering spirits. The more we attain the faculty of serving him cheerfully and diligently the more still we find of this spiritual liberty, and have the more joy in it. As it is the most honorable, it is likewise the most comfortable, and most gainful service, and they that once know it, will never change it for any other in the world. Oh that we could live as his servants employing all our industry to do him service in the condition and place wherein he has set us, whatever it is, and as faithful servants, more careful of his affairs than of our own, accounting it our main business to seek the advancement of his glory. Happy is the servant whom the Master when he comes shall find so doing.
