Build this House – part 4
BUILD THIS HOUSE PT .4
Submission is Freedom
1Pe 2:24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.
1Pe 2:25 For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
- Build the house by being a watchman, not just a worshiper.
Your life is your witness—and when people see integrity under pressure, it opens the door for them to glorify God.
- Build the house by submitting to God’s structure, not man’s corruption
1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul.
1Pe 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy]
1Pe 2:16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover or pretext for evil, but [use it and live] as bond-servants of God.
1Pe 2:17 Show respect for all people [treat them honorably], love the brotherhood [of believers], fear God, honor the king.
Pro 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Submission doesn’t mean slavery to unjust people. It means yielding to God’s order, even when you live under human systems.
- I can live under it and not agree with it.
- Taking food from the poor
- Assault on citizens
- Refusing basic healthcare
- Firing folks because of the color of their skin
- Reducing medicare, Medicaid, snap
- Locking up homeless people
Live free but controlled by God’s Word
Respect all people
Love the brotherhood
Fear God
Honor authority
- You don’t obey to be accepted—you obey because you’re already free in Christ.
- Your submission is spiritual warfare—it silences ignorance and glorifies God.
- You honor leaders, even broken ones, not because they’re righteous—but because God is sovereign.
1Pe 2:18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all [proper] respect, not only to those who are good and kind, but also to those who are unreasonable.
1Pe 2:19 For this finds favor, if a person endures the sorrow of suffering unjustly because of an awareness of [the will of] God.
1Pe 2:20 After all, what kind of credit is there if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you endure it patiently? But if when you do what is right and patiently bear [undeserved] suffering, this finds favor with God.
This verse is deeply triggering, especially for Black believers.
For centuries, colonizers twisted this Scripture to justify American slavery—ripping it from its context to silence and subjugate.
- Peter is not affirming slavery—he’s speaking to believers who were already enslaved under Roman oppression.
- Roman slavery was unjust, but not race-based like chattel slavery in America.
- Peter isn’t saying slavery is God’s design—he’s offering wisdom for surviving under unjust power, with integrity and faith.
- Build the house by enduring injustice with dignity—not endorsing it.
“This finds favor with God—if someone endures grief from suffering unjustly because of being mindful of God.”
God doesn’t ignore injustice. He sees you. And when you suffer because of righteousness, heaven takes notice.
1Pe 2:21 For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps.
1Pe 2:22 HE COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT EVER FOUND IN HIS MOUTH. [Isa 53:9]
1Pe 2:23 While being reviled and insulted, He did not revile orinsult in return; while suffering, He made no threats [of vengeance], but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges fairly.
Follow the Blueprint
Jesus is our model—not just in miracles, but in meekness.
- He was insulted, but He didn’t insult back.
- He suffered injustice but never used it as an excuse to sin.
- He didn’t just survive the system—He overcame it through submission to God.
Build the house by following Christ’s humility.
This is not a call to silence in the face of evil—this is a call to rise above it with integrity and faith.
Jesus Didn’t Stay Silent – And Neither Should We
Peter teaches us to suffer well. But Jesus shows us that suffering and silence are not always the same thing.
Speak Against Injustice
Jesus spoke out consistently:
- He rebuked religious hypocrisy: “You’ve neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness…” (Matt. 23:23)
- He defended the oppressed: “Let him without sin cast the first stone…” (John 8:7)
- He flipped tables in the temple to confront exploitation (Matt. 21:13)
Jesus submitted to the Father—but He resisted the systems that oppressed and exploited people.
- Build the house by speaking truth—not staying silent.
Our freedom in Christ empowers us to stand against injustice—with wisdom, with grace, and with courage.
1Pe 2:24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.
1Pe 2:25 For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls
- Build to walk in Healing
Jesus didn’t just suffer for our sins—He healed our wounds.
- You are no longer a slave to systems, shame, or your past.
- You’re no longer wandering—you’ve been brought back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your soul.
Build the house by living healed.
Your scars don’t define you—His scars do.
And by His wounds, you are free, whole, and called.