Text: 1 Peter 3:8-14
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
Basic Outline --
Introduction: The ease of cynicism
Despite Persecution:
I. Maintain Christian Conduct (8-9)
A. Unity (8)
B. Compassion (8)
C. Brotherly Love (8)
D. Tenderheartedness (8)
E. Courtesy (8)
F. Blessing, not Cursing (9)
II. Live with Common Sense (10-12)
A. Honestly (10)
B. Seeking Good (11)
1. Turning away from evil (11)
2. Doing good (11)
C. Peaceably (11)
D. Knowing God's Attention (12)
III. Fear God (13-14)
A. EVEN IF you are persecuted, what really matters? (13-14)
B. We will stand before God in the end (14)
Application
Introduction
The Ease of Cynicism
When you're beaten around time and time again, your body forms scars. It can be the same way emotionally -- we can form these scars that help us superficially cope with reality. Have you ever had a friend or coworker who has frustrated you so much that you started to respond to them harshly or with a gut feeling of anger or spite? It's very easy to get in a rut of cynicism and desired vengeance, isn't it?
What would the world say?
- Do good to those who do good to you… (essentially only 'bless those who bless you')
- Do to others as they do to you… (as a means of vengeance)
And yet as Christians, we are called to love our neighbor -- a very broad statement from Jesus -- and to treat others the way you want to be treated (i.e. well)! We are to bless even those who curse us! Whether it's doing something kind for someone who is mean to us, or whether it is leaving a waiter a good tip despite bad service or what have you, we are called to bless and NOT scar over in our conscience as we react.
Our text is 1 Peter 3:8-14, where Peter addresses believers who have been in a society that could potentially wear them down by means of hateful persecution. Believers are not to lash back or retaliate with cursing. God is the one who is the ultimate Judge, and He will defend your cause as you are faithful to Him.
Peter tells his audience that Despite Persecution, we need to live as Christians in the midst of a corrupt culture by…
- Maintaining Christian Conduct
- Living with Common Sense
- Fearing God
Before we go more in-depth, let's open in prayer.
Opening Prayer
(8-9)
Maintain Christian Conduct
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
Unity
Compassion
Love
Tenderheartedness
Courtesy
Bless those who curse you
Result of the obedience to this calling?
- Blessing (from God)
Compare with the Early Church -- what were the results of the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of the new believers?
Acts 2:42-47
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Post-conversion -- Fruit of the Holy Spirit in the Early Church:
A. Devotion (2:42)
i. To Apostles' teaching
ii. To Fellowship
iii. To Breaking of Bread
iv. To Prayers
B. Awe (2:33)
i. Wonders
ii. Signs
C. Unity (2:44)
i. Believers function as a Spiritual Family
ii. People still strived to be 'all together in one place' well after Pentecost
D. Generosity (2:45)
i. "Communism" that worked (though not a Marxist version of it!)
ii. Greed is not an element
E. Daily worship and Intimate Fellowship (2:46)
F. Gladness/Joy (2:46)
G. Peace (with Unity, 2:47)
Part of growing in your walk with the Lord involves seeing the Holy Spirit bring about development in your life. These are good areas to analyze -- are you growing in virtue? Which fruit of the Spirit are you seeing? Where can you pray for more growth? Much growth also comes from sticking to the Lord as you go through trials. As you maintain your conduct out of love for Jesus, you will grow.
Peter goes back to an Old Testament passage to highlight some common sense aspects of living a Christian life in the midst of a society of persecution in verses 10-12 --
(10-12)
Live with Common Sense
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."
Peter alludes to Psalm 34:12-16 in these verses
Psalm 34:12-16
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
HONESTLY
Keep your tongue from evil
Keep your lips from speaking deceit
This can be lying, gossip, slandering, flattery, hateful speech, etc.
Power in words
- Life and death are in the power of the tongue
Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Which have you been speaking?
Here, Peter tells us to keep pure and honest in our speech.
SEEKING GOOD
In behaving well through persecution, holding to what is good is important. If we are persecuted, we entrust ourselves to the true Judge of all, who will vindicate us in the end. But if we lie, gossip, slander, flatter, tear down, etc., what do we have to show for ourselves when things backfire on us, even here in this life?
PEACEABLY
What does Paul say about keeping peace?
Romans 12:17-21
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
KNOWING GOD'S ATTENTION
Just as both Paul and Peter refer to (as in the prior passage), we are to live in a way that is pleasing to God, regardless of how frustrated or slighted we might feel. From verses 13-14, we see that we need to fear God instead of man.
(13-14)
Fear God
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
Appeal to Common sense -- essentially who in their right mind would harm you for doing good things?
Peter is saying that it is better to do the good in society's eyes, even from the standpoint of intelligent living.
EVEN IF...
However, Christians would be persecuted in that time, and Peter leaves the opening for the possibility of it to happen, even after doing what is good in the sight of society.
Peter alludes to the quote from Isaiah:
Isaiah 8:12-13
12 "Do not say, 'A conspiracy,' Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
13 The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.
We aren't to fear men. We are to fear God. In all we do, we need to keep this in mind!
We all have a deep need to belong. This is one reason God ordained relationships as well as communities. Church should be a community and gathering of believers. It is not a building or a lifeless institution -- it is a coming together of Saints redeemed by the Blood of Jesus!
The need to belong can be satisfied in healthy ways, but People-pleasing can become a sinful endeavor if it becomes an idol of ours to be liked by others, or if following what people want is completely contrary to what GOD wants.
WE WILL ULTIMATELY STAND BEFORE GOD
One thing is definitely true -- man can do some horrible things in this life. However, when we stand before God and await eternity, whose Judgment really matters? We need to live in a way that pleases God, regardless of how people may react to it!
The Psalms are rich with this same theology, and it echos Peter's call for us to focus on honoring God in spite of whatever persecution comes out way:
Psalm 118:6 - The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 27:1 - A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 56:4 - In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:9 - When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.
Psalm 56:11 - In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
May we not faint in the midst of a culture that despises the way of repentance!
Application
Despite whatever goes against you in your walk with the Lord:
- Maintain Christian Conduct
What spiritual fruit have you been bearing in your walk with the Lord? Are you being faithful in living a life honoring to the Lord? Can others look at your life and see blamelessness?
Are you showing the fruits Peter tells us to produce? Unity, Compassion, Brotherly Love, Tenderheartedness, Courtesy, and Blessing? If not, pursue those in your behavior and pray for God's grace in those areas.
- Live Wisely (with common sense)
Live in a way that is most difficult for others to criticize in a legitimate way. Live honestly, seek to do righteous things, pursue peace and do not return evil for evil. Even if people persecute you, stand firm. Have thick spiritual skin, but be aware of when you're actually at fault whenever it's true!
- Fear God
We don't stand before mere men at Judgment Day. We ultimately stand before God. Even if you're persecuted or ridiculed for believing in Jesus, live accountable to God. He will recompense for our life's work in an everlasting way. Do you fear man too much? Do you try to please people too much? Keep your focus on honoring God!
So with those points in mind, take action! Improvement can only come when you walk in obedience to God and are strengthened by His power as you go. Let's pray for this very thing now as we close in prayer.
Closing Prayer
Bibliography
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
