That They Might See Your Good Deeds

Look at verses 11 and 12 with me just a moment before we begin and notice the central concern of the apostle Peter in these two verses. He wants to promote the practice of Christian holiness. That’s his burden in verses 11 and 12. He tells us first negatively, verse 11, “abstain from the passions of the flesh.” And then positively in verse 12, he wants our conduct to be “honorable among the Gentiles” and he wants us to do “good deeds.” So you see both negatively and positively his concern is for a life of Christian holiness. That’s the central concern of these two verses and as we consider it together, I want you to notice that Peter uses not quite two metaphors but two themes to structure his discussion. And so in verse 11 he’s going to tell us that the pursuit of holiness is war. The pursuit of holiness is war. Then in verse 12 he’s going to say the pursuit of holiness is also witness. It is war and it is witness.