EXILES: Conduct Among the Gentiles

Gary Sager

TEXT - 1 Peter 2:11-12 “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. Our Identity

• 1 Peter 2:11a “I urge you as sojourners and exiles.” because of our identity as “sojourners and exiles.”

• Philippians 3:20

2. Our Souls

• 1 Peter 2:11b “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

• James 1:14-15 (Sin leads to death)

3. Our Witness

• 1 Peter 2:12 - “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.”

• Keep our conduct honorable for the sake of our witness.

• Despite our best efforts, some will accuse us of doing evil.

• However, they will nevertheless see our good deeds.

• Matthew 5:16

• It’s about us actually devoting ourselves to “good deeds.”

• The “good deeds” eventually prove persuasive even among many of those who, at one time, accused us of being evildoers.

Four Principles for Obtaining Victory

1. Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16).

2. Flee from temptation.

3. Feed godly desires within your heart (Starve the ungodly ones).

4. Cultivate affections for Jesus.

Become captivated by Jesus and sin loses its appeal.