Peter sums up his exhortation on how to live among ungodly men by saying, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17).
It takes a great deal of effort to honor the unjust. We need the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to show honor to the rude and ignorant. It helps to remember God created that individual. He or she may be far from what God designed them to be, but they were nevertheless created in the image of God.
Loving the brotherhood can also be difficult when someone does or says something that causes us pain. The only way to sustain such high standards is by continually living in the conscious presence of God.
That may be why Peter added the admonishing to fear God. Recognizing our own unworthiness when compared to the righteousness of God stimulates our ability to forgive and accept others in their unworthiness.
Finally to honor the king or president is to recognize that God set up the lines of authority. He is the One who sets up kings and presidents. He is also the one who destroys them. Therefore to show honor to the king or president is to honor God (Romans 13:17).
