Sermon Cloud

I Peter 2:13-17

The key word of our text today is “submission” (v. 13) and it means simply to “subject oneself to” or to “come in under” another’s authority. It is a military word that denotes one’s understanding of their place in the chain of command. Peter was careful to point out that we are to live in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ and to every authority instituted among men. As believer’s we voluntarily submit to Christ and to those established authorities for the purpose of experiencing freedom as men (v. 16) and advertising God’s virtues (vv. 9, 12, 15). The central thought here is that of a Christian who does not seek his own interests but rather assumes a “voluntary ordination” of himself to God and to others. A true believer submits himself to authority because he is, first of all, submitted to Christ and then he uses his freedom as a tool to proclaim God’s praise (v. 9), an example to others that glorifies God (v. 11) and a means of silencing foolish critics (v. 15).