Question: Ever heard folks discuss their longing to know ‘God’s will’ for their lives? Of course. There’s a lot of talk, talk, talk about that.

The Apostle Peter spoke to the issue of God’s will, too, but his life evidenced his doctrine. He made his theology visible.

You will remember that Peter’s theme (one of them, anyway) was perseverance amidst persecution. In the second chapter of his first letter, this is what he penned under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit:

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. (1 Pt 2:15)

Did you catch it? By “doing good,” Christians will “put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” It’s hard to sabotage a life that is clearly marked by Christ’s indwelling presence.

In other words, Peter tells us that Christians are to make their theology visible by the way we live.

Foolish people talk, talk, talk. That’s why Scripture has so much to say about the tongue:

• “For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words” (Eccl 5:3).
• “A fool multiplies words” (Eccl 10:14a).

Encouragement: As I read books on Peter’s life and ministry, I love him more and more. Why? We love to beat up on Peter for his times of impetuousness, impatience, and acting too hastily. But Peter, like the rest of us, was a work in progress.

Yet, he was God’s chosen apostle for his time. He went on to bear faithful witness.

He wrote of the will of God for Christians is that we are to “do good” so as to “put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”

We’re to make our theology visible via our lives. Paul called it a “living sacrifice” in Romans 12. It’s the same principle in Peter’s writing.