In verse 12 Peter is saying that if we have an excellent manner of life among the nations, they will eventually glorify God concerning us in the day of visitation. In this verse Peter seems to be telling the saints, “The opposers now speak evil against you. But if you live a life that is excellent among them, a life that is beautiful in quality and excellent in manner, they will observe your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation. As they look upon you, they will realize that you are under the visitation of God. Eventually, the outcome will be a glory to God, for the opposers will glorify God in the day of visitation.”
I can testify that throughout the years I have seen Peter’s word fulfilled many times. Because they saw God’s visitation of the saints, a good number of opposers regretted what they had done and repented. The saints were under God’s loving care in the day of His visitation. Even though these saints were evil spoken of, they lived a marvelous, excellent life under God’s gracious care. Therefore, God visited them again and again. Their excellent manner of life and God’s visitation eventually caused the opposers to repent and give glory to God.
Some of the young people in the Lord’s recovery have been opposed by their parents. Several years ago, the parents of a particular young person may have opposed him strongly. They wondered why he spent so much time attending the meetings of the church and of the ministry. However, gradually they began to see a change, a transformation, in his manner of life. Although they did not have the word to describe it, they were witnessing the Lord’s transforming work in their son. Eventually, they came to realize that he was a person under God’s care, a person under God’s visitation.
Not long ago, a number of saints testified to this effect in a meeting. They said that in the past they were opposed by their parents and, in some cases, even persecuted by them. But gradually, over a period of time, the attitude of their parents began to change. When the young people went home to visit the family, their parents continued to oppose them. But they also were carefully observing their children. Little by little, there was less opposition and more observation. Eventually, the parents had a complete change in attitude, and in some cases, they also came into the church life. They observed the excellent manner of life of their children, and they glorified God in the day of visitation.
In verses 13 and 14 Peter says, “Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme, or to governors as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and praise of those who do good.” What does the word “institution” mean? Literally, the Greek word means creation, as in Colossians 1:15. It refers to anything made, as a creature, building, regulation, ordinance. The King James Version and the American Standard Version render this Greek word as “ordinance.” Darby and the New American Standard Version translate it as “institution.” In this verse the word institution means a regulation, an ordinance, an established principle. It is difficult to find a proper English equivalent of the Greek word.
In verse 13 “institution” means the making of regulations or ordinances much like the enacting of laws by the legislature. According to the context, “every human institution” includes “a king as supreme” and also “governors as sent by him.” Here Peter is telling the believers that for the Lord’s sake, that is, for the expression and glorification of the Lord (v. 12), we should be subject to all human institutions.
In verse 15 Peter goes on to say, “Because so is the will of God, by doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” The foolish men in verse 15 are the evil speakers mentioned in verse 12.
In verse 16 Peter says, “As free, and not having freedom as a cloak for evil, but as slaves of God.” We should never use freedom as an excuse to do evil. We should not say, “Are we not free? We are not under the bondage of the law; we are under grace. This means that we are free.” Yes, we are free, but we should not use our freedom as an excuse to behave in a careless manner. On the contrary, we should use our freedom as slaves of God. Peter’s word here is similar to that of Paul in his Epistles. Although we are freed from the law of Moses, we are still under the law of Christ. As those under the law of Christ, we should be slaves of God. On the one hand, we are free; on the other hand, we are slaves of God under His control.