II Peter 3:11-13 Doing right

This week, we are moving on to the next few verses of II Peter 3:

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. (II Peter 3:11-13)

.....live godly and holy lives .....
He's not asking much, is he? (Grin)
I went to a high school that was a prep school for a Christian college (on the same campus, too!). The founder of the college was an evangelist and preacher, and many of his sayings and quotes were on placards in the classrooms and hallways.
One that has stuck with me until this day is this: "Do right till the stars fall."
I think this is what Peter is talking about in verse 11. We ought to live lives of holiness and godliness, he says.
Lives of holiness? Our conduct is in view here. Paul tells us in Hebrews:

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

Holiness refers to separation. We are "set apart" by God and we belong to Him. We are not aloof and cold -- separation means we are in the world but not "of" the world, right? Our thoughts, attitudes, actions, and speech are to bear witness to the fact that we are believers.
Lives of godliness? Our reverence for God is in view there. Our devotion to Him.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  (Romans 12:1)

I guess if we were to condense those two, lives of both holiness and godliness, we would get pretty much the same thing as in these two words: do right.
What's the believer's motivation for doing right?
Some people do right out of fear of punishment. In ancient Greece, Aristotle said, "Wicked men obey from fear; good men, from love."
Paul echoed that when he said:

and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Hebrews 2:15)

However, if we obey God solely from a sense of fear, we will never know the true joy of obedience.

Delight yourself in the Lord;And He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, the all-consuming passion of our lives will be to please Him. Obedience will come naturally, and joy will result from that!

Unfortunately, some will do right from fear, and some from pride.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." (Matthew 6:1-2) 

Jesus was telling us to do right for God's glory -- not for our own.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

When we look at the concept of doing right, sometimes people will ask, "is it OK to do something wrong in order to have a chance to do something right?"
In other words, does the end justify the means?
In a word, no!
In Romans 3:8, we see that Paul was falsely accused of teaching this:

And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? (Romans 3:8a)

We cannot do what God has said is wrong, no matter what positive effect we think will happen, nor can we do wrong because we've reasoned it out and it makes sense to us. It would be a lengthy passage to post here, but I hope you will take a moment and turn to I Samuel 13:6-14 and read.

Saul leaped ahead of God when Samuel wasn't there (when Saul thought he should be). When Samuel arrived, Saul explained that he, not a priest, had offered sacrifices to God in order to prepare for a battle with the Philistines. Samuel told him that he had not kept the commandments of God, so the kingdom would be led by another man. Samuel's words ring out to us today:

                 Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrificesAs in obeying the voice of the Lord?Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,And to heed than the fat of rams." (I Samuel 15:22)

To do right means to do all that we know is right. Not to pick and choose the parts of God's Word that we prefer.

“Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 12:28)

Sometimes it's hard to do right. It may be costly. It may cost us friends. It may cost us a job or a promotion. No matter who applies the pressure, a Christian must do right.

My son, if sinners entice you,Do not consent. (Proverbs 1:10)

In our world today, people do as in the days of Noah. They do what's right in their own eyes. We must do right regardless of what other people say; we must not "go with the flow" of the world.

For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. (I Peter 3:17)

Lord, help us to live in obedience to you, for you redeemed us and intercede for us in heaven!