What is the 'good life' for Christians?

What does the good life look like? What sort of good life can turn the heart of unbelievers towards God?

We are “foreigners and exiles” in this world – what sort of life shows that we belong to the age to come, the kingdom of Jesus? In this dark world, what can we do to shine the wonderful light of mercy we have discovered in Christ?

You might think these questions should be the subject of deep thought by the missionaries and cultural apologists of our day. Denominational committees, seeking a fresh strategy for our ever-changing times, discussing these questions to give us a brand new vision of contextualised kingdom life.

Scripture's answer

Peter has urged the hearers of his letter to “live such good lives…” (1 Peter 2v9-12). Now he answers these questions as he addresses citizens, slaves, wives, husbands, and then “all of you” in the fellowship of the church (1 Peter 2v11-3v12). But are we ready for these apostolic answers?

The world-changing good life contains these four elements:

1. Submitting. Citizens are to submit to human authorities. Slaves are told to submit to masters. Wives should submit to husbands. Immediately many of us feel nervous about these words! However we understand the exact application, no reader can doubt that Peter calls his readers to a life of submission.
2. Slaving. In this “good life” section of his letter, slaves have the most words written to them. It is to slaves that Peter gives descriptions of the life to which Christ has called us. Slaves are being addressed when Peter speaks of the wonder of the great exchange of the cross (2v24). The slaves are models of Christian living for everyone – “live as God’s slaves” is his exhortation to every believer (2v16).
3. Suffering. The theme of suffering runs through the whole letter. The slaves – and by implication all of us – are given an example by Jesus Himself of suffering for doing good. Suffering is our calling.
4. Surrendering. I will freely admit that I was very keen to find a fourth verb beginning with s! But this element is also clear in the passage. We surrender our rights and plans and priorities. We surrender our freedom and instead obey God’s purposes (2v16). Husbands surrender any thought of superiority (3v7). We all surrender the desire to repay evil with evil (3v9).

Submitting. Slaving. Suffering. Surrendering. This is the good life. Our flesh and self recoils in horror! Can such weakness be more effective than a multi-million pound five-year strategy? Are we not meant to go into the world as gospel-conquerors, converting the nations with our cleverly contextualised creed?

Following Christ's example

Jesus conquered sin, evil and death by the weakness of suffering and submitting to violent authorities. He came into the world to be a slave of all, and He surrendered His life. Nothing more powerful has ever happened. This "weakness" is the strength of God. Jesus is God’s Good News and this way of life is the Good Life.

Do you want to change the world? Are you praying that the light of the gospel drives back the diabolical darkness of unbelief? Learn to submit. Be a slave. Follow Christ through suffering. Surrender your will to the way of the Cross.