I knew a Christian who worked in a factory. Some days during his lunch hour in the cafeteria, he would stand on one of the long tables and start preaching repentance to all his coworkers. I knew another man who thought that Christians should talk in a soft voice. He went from speaking softly, to whispering and eventually stopped speaking altogether. These kinds of behavior are not what Peter is encouraging when he says we are a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9).
We are peculiar because we do not follow the ways of the world. We do not live according to fleshly lusts. We are constantly doing good works. We look for ways to glorify God (1 Peter 2:11-12). We obey the laws and those who have authority over us (1 Peter 2:13-16).
Peculiar behavior similar to my former friends is not a redeeming factor but distorts the truth and turns people away from God. Honest and righteous behavior may make people uncomfortable and they may even become angry with us. But their responses reflect God’s conviction, not our powers of persuasion.
