We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His children.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. 1 Peter 2:9

While delivering a well-publicized speech, a respected leader and statesman got the attention of his nation by declaring that most of his country’s honorable Members of Parliament (MPs) were quitedishonorable. Citing lifestyles of corruption, pompous attitudes, unsavory language, and other vices, he rebuked the MPs and urged them to reform. As expected, his comments didn’t go well with them and they dispatched counter-criticisms his way.

We may not be public officials in positions of leadership, but we who follow Christ are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). As such, our Lord calls us to lifestyles that honor Him.

The disciple Peter had some practical advice on how to do this. He urged us to “abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul” (v. 11). Although he didn’t use the word honorable, he was calling us to behavior worthy of Christ.  

As the apostle Paul phrased it in his letter to the Philippians, “Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8). Indeed, these are the characteristics of behavior that honor our Lord. 

Lord, when we are honest with You, we understand how often we fall far short of honorable behavior. We know how much we need You. By Your Spirit, help us replace any selfish thoughts, words, and actions with things that please You and draw others to You.

活出天父儿女的样式，就是尊荣上帝的名。

惟有你们是被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国度，是属上帝的子民。-彼得前书2章9节

在一场公开演说中，一位备受尊重的领袖及政治家谈到该国许多国会议员的生活糜烂。他的这些言论，引发政府的高度关切。他还提到，这些国会议员贪污受贿、态度傲慢以及言语粗俗等等。他公开谴责这些国会议员，盼望他们能有所改变。可惜，他的意见并未获得采纳，反而遭到这些国会议员的强烈抨击。

我们身为基督徒，虽然不是政府高官，却是“被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国度，是属上帝的子民” (彼得前书2章9节) 。故此，上帝呼召我们，行事为人要尊荣祂的名。

使徒彼得提出了实际的建议，他劝我们“要禁戒肉体的私欲，这私欲是与灵魂争战的”(11节) ，要我们待人处世都与基督的名相称。

使徒保罗在腓立比书，也提到“凡是真实的、可敬的、公义的、清洁的、可爱的、有美名的，若有什么德行，若有什么称赞，这些事你们都要思念”(腓立比书4章8节) 。的确，这些特质都能尊荣主的圣名。

主啊，我们向祢坦诚，
我们常无法使祢得着荣耀。我们需要祢藉着圣灵，
除去我们自私的想法、话语和行为，
并让我们行事为人讨祢喜悦，并引导他人来亲近祢。

1 Peter 2:9-12New International Version (NIV)

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

整理：于姊妹