1 PETER 3: 8-12 [Renewing Hope Series]
CULTIVATING CHRISTIAN LOVE
[Psalm 34 / Romans 12:17-21]
In this summation section before us, the Bible delineates how Christians ought to live so that they will be enabled to love the life they live (v.10) (CIT). In order to love the life we live Peter gives us a pattern for Christian conduct. These graces of beauty and duty are to concern every Christian and be exercised by every Christian.
Love and its virtues are a recurring theme in Peter’s letters. Development of virtues enable us to inherit blessings and find life and peace. These virtues keep us useful and productive in our Christian walk, and they keep us in fellowship with God and His people. They open up to the life of blessing which God desires for us to enjoy.
I. INCREASING IN VIRTUE, 8.
II. INHERITING BLESSINGS, 9.
III. ENACTING LIFE, GOODNESS AND PEACE, 10-12.
Verse eight lists five selected virtues found in Christian love. “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;”
Peter’s summation exhortations are for all the recipients of this letter. Thus everyone is warned to follow these instructions. When heeded these admonition form an ideal Christian and if demonstrated in the fellowship, an ideal church.
First, the church is to strive for harmony (ὁμος- together & φρήν -understand or understand together) by pursing the same goals. The Greek text is literally be like-minded with one another indicating a unity of mind. Unity does not mean total uniformity, it means cooperation in the midst of diversity. God has given His people a variety of gifts, talents, backgrounds, personalities, and differences of opinion will exist. Even thought opinions are different the members of the body are expected to work together in unity. Christians are to be govern by the purpose of Christ so that differences do not divide but rather enrich the church. Christians may differ on how things are done but they must agree on what is to be done and why.
A man criticized D.L. Moody about his methods of evangelism. Moody replied. “I’m always ready for improvement. What are your methods?” The man confessed that he did little evangelism. Moody said, “Then I’ll stick to my own.” Whatever methods we use we must seek to glorify Christ, win the lost, and build the church up in Christ Jesus. Some methods are not scriptural but there is plenty of room for variety in the church.
A second evidence of love is compassion, a genuine “feeling for and with” the needs of others, being responsive to the needs of others. Our English word sympathy (συμπαθες) comes from this word. We must have a mutual interest in both the joys and trials of other (Rom. 12:15).
On any given Sunday there are a number of people in our worship service who are hurting and who need our sympathy and compassion. The ministry of reaching out in love to those dear people needs to be a part of our worship experience. And, of course, it needs to be a vital part of our personal ministry within the body of Christ.
In my opinion, that is why SMALL GROUPS are so important within the life of a church family. They provide the atmosphere of love and trust which encourages the participants to share personal needs and to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2)
Then the command that we have a genuine love for the brethren (φιλάδελοι) is repeated (1:27). Christian love is seeing and treating each other as brothers and sisters. What ever differences we have the lack of love for one another should not be one (Jn. 13:34; 1 Thess. 3:12; 4:9; 2 Thess. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:22, 2:17; 3:8, 4:8; 1 Jn. 3:23). If we love Jesus and are becoming one with Him, we will love the brethren.
The fourth virtue is tenderness of heart toward others. Tenderness of heart [eúsplanchnos] indicates being affectionately sensitive and caring toward others. In the cruel Roman world this was not seen as a virtue and it is easily robbed in our day. We are deluged with so much bad news that it is easy for us to become insulated and unfeeling. But our hearts need to be broken with the things that break the heart of our Lord. We need to cultivate a tender heart that can be moved by the suffering which another person endures.
The fifth virtue we are to cultivate is to be humble in spirit [ταπεινό - humble & φρήν -understand; understanding one’s falleness]. The humble person can put others ahead of him or her self. Humility is a virtue Jesus taught when He washed His disciples feet (Jn. 13:4-17). Jesus was willing to be the servant of all. Those believers with these five qualities assist the Church become what God intends it to be.
The development of these qualities did not come natural for Peter. In His early days with Jesus he was loud, aggressive and strong-willed (Mk 8:31-33; Jn 13:6-9). The Holy Spirit changed Peter, molding his strong personality as God taught Him compassion, love, tenderness, and humility. He can do the same for anyone who will let Him.
[Oswald Chambers reminds us in My Utmost For His Highest: "In the spiritual life, beware of walking according to natural affinities. Everyone has natural affinities; some people we like and others we do not like. We must never let those likes and dislikes rule in our Christian life. If we 'walk in the light,' as God is in the light, God will give us communion with people for whom we have no natural affinity."
It is natural to have likes and dislikes. But when we seek to honor the Lord in our relationships, compassion, love, humility, and kindness are the God-ordered, supernatural steps in dealing with incompatibility.]
II. INHERITING BLESSINGS, 9.
These Christian virtues can empower us to return good for evil as verse nine commands. “do not repay [not returning] evil with evil or insult with insult.”
Are Christians virtuous only toward those who treat them fairly? No, they also demonstrate their love toward people who abuse and insult them. The natural inclination is to strike back when struck but Spirit-filled Christians follow the teachings of Christ. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt. 5:44; Lk. 6:27).
The verb tense indicates believers were trying to settle injuries and insults on their own terms. Peter tells them to stop retaliating. Repaying evil for evil and insult for insult has no place in the Christian’s life.
In our fallen world, it is often deemed acceptable to tear people down verbally or to get back at them if we feel hurt. In God’s kingdom, revenge is unacceptable behavior, as is insulting a person, no matter how indirectly it is done. Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. Learn to forgive them. Instead of reacting angrily to these people, pray for them.
[Rather than retaliate faithful believers are to bless their opponents rather than to repay them in kind. “But giving a blessing instead” is the command of Scripture. By doing so they imitate God and prove themselves His children.] As Christians we can live on one of three levels. We can return evil for good, which is the satanic level. We can return good for good and evil for evil, which is the human level, or we can return good for evil, which is the divine level. Jesus is the perfect example of the good for evil approach (1 Pet. 2:21-23). God’s children do not operate on the basis of justice but on the basis of mercy because, this is how God presently deals with us.
“This admonition must have meant much to Peter himself, because he once tried to fight Christ’s enemies with a sword (Lk. 22:47-53). When Saul was unconverted rabbi, he used every means possible to oppose the church; but when he became a Christian, Paul never used human weapons to fight God’s battles (Rom. 12:17-21; 2 Cor. 10:1-6). When Peter and the Apostles were persecuted, they depended on prayer and God’s power, not on their own wisdom or strength (see Acts 4:23ff).” [Wiersbe, Warren. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Vol 2. 1989. Victor Books. Wheaton IL. p 412.]
Ralph Waldo Emerson keenly observed “In every man there is something of which I may learn of him, and in that he is my teacher.
This is true even of our worst critics. They may be prejudiced and often miss the mark by overstating their case. Their scathing remarks may arouse a natural antagonism. Yet they may contain more than a grain of truth. If nothing else, their criticism should remind us that perhaps our actions and motives do not appear as pure and worthy to others as we think they are.
We all have a natural tendency to want to retaliate when someone questions our motives and actions. But the Scriptures tell us to respond differently (Mt.5:38-48; Rom.12:17-21). We are instructed to pray for those who criticize us, and we are to bless them, not only because it's right but also because we may learn something from them that will help us become better persons.
Adverse remarks could be a blessing in disguise if you take positive attitude and derive from them a new understanding of your own shortcomings.
Instead of retaliation we are commanded in the second part of verse 9 to extend the blessing and forgiveness God first gave us. “but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”
Great personal wrong by word or deed should not hinder us from blessing another. Blessing them indicates to seek their highest good. [“Blessing” (eulogountes) indicates pronounce good (word) upon someone.] What we say and do is to advance God perfect purpose and plan for them. We are to commend in them what can be discerned as praise worthy, and to pray for their true blessedness. We can speak good of those who speak evil of us.
The reason we can bless others is because we were called for the very purpose of inheriting a blessing. God has not only blessed us, He has called us to bless others because we have been made a blesser and a blessing. The Bible asks those tempted to retaliate to remember their calling. We are called to a better world and to a noble heritage. The vilest reproaches of men will be more than made up for when we come into possession of our inheritance. Those that revile and curse us for Christ’s sake only add to this future inheritance of glory in heaven (Mt. 5:10-12).
God says we “inherit a blessing” when we treat our enemies with love and mercy. By blessing them we open the door here and now for the blessing of God’s greater grace upon us for we reap what we sow.
“Persecution can be a time of spiritual enrichment. The saints and martyrs in church history all bear witness to this fact.” [Wiersbe, 412.] We who belong to Christ and are possessed by Him should bring blessing wherever we go and through whatever we do.
III. FINDING LIFE AND PEACE, 10-12.
Peter reminds us next of the fact that when we bring blessings to others, we are blessed ourselves. The goodness of God is a blessing to everyone. To substantiate his teachings Peter pulls from his treasure house of Scripture and quotes from Psalm 34 in verses 12-16a. A second incentive for exercising Christian graces and upholding our duty to be holy is given in verse 10. “For, “Let him who means to love life and see good days Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking DECEIT.”
Life is difficult and too often those who have given up the pursuit of worldly pleasure it can seem full of problems and tribulations. But good days of sweet communion with God are ours to be grasped. There are four conditions that God would have His people fulfill in order to experience the good days that His sustaining, sweet, realized companionship bring.
First, we must deliberately decide to love life. This is an act of the will. It is an attitude of faith that sees the best in people and situations. It is the opposite of a critical and pessimistic attitude. We can decide to endure life and make it a burden, to escape life as though we were running from a battle, or to enjoy life because we know God is in control. Peter is not suggesting some kind of unrealistic psychological gymnastics that refuses to face facts, rather he is urging his readers by faith to take a positive approach to life and make the most of every situation.
Many of the original recipients of his letter were experiencing hardship and misery. He asks them through the Psalmist to love life. Life is a gift from God and so are good days. Christians whose hearts are attuned to God and His Word can participate in the fullness of life here on earth and afterward with Christ in eternity. Therefore we who experience the Lord’s special love should love life.
Second, we must control our tongues. Note the expression evil which in the quotation refers to the spoken word. The tongue is a world of evil (Jas. 3:6) that without proper restraint corrupts and destroys both speaker and listener. “Many of the problems of life are caused by the wrong words, spoken in the wrong spirit. Every Christian should read James 3 regularly and daily pray Psalm 141:3. “Set a guard O Lord over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” [Wiesbe, p. 412].
A Christian must also keep his lips from speaking deceit. Christians must not deviate from integrity and truthfulness in speech. To use the gift of speech deceptively casts doubts upon what they are saying in ever day situations and ultimately upon what they say about Christ. When a Christian frees his heart from all falsehood and deceit, he can follow Christ’s example and love life, and enjoy good days here on earth.
In the first part of verse 11 we find the another prerequisite for living a good life in God’s Presence. “He must turn away from evil and do good;”
The third precondition for loving life and enjoying good days is we must do good and hate evil. Both the positive and negative are needed. The avoiding of evil because we despise and loathe it occurs before one can do eternal good to any extent. The inclination to any evil taints the good one attempts to do and therefore must be shunned.
[I heard a humorous story about a little girl who was making angry faces at A BULLDOG. Her mother noticed and asked her to stop. The little girl said, “But Mom, he started it!”
In one sense, the girl was right. A bulldog naturally looks tough and mean. But the girl gained nothing by competing with him in making faces.
So too, the person who thinks he must return every angry look he sees, or repay any hurtful deed that is directed toward him, will have a never-ending and profitless job. In fact, in the end he is the one who will suffer the most.
As heirs of the grace of God, we should be gracious in our attitude toward others. The spirit of the world says, "Get even with those who mistreat you." The Spirit of Christ says, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you" (Mt. 5:44).
If you want to know how spiritual you are, ask yourself, "What is my attitude toward those who mistreat me? Am I kind, considerate, and loving in my words and actions toward them?"
To live like Christ is not natural; it's supernatural. Only as we yield to the Holy Spirit can we ever hope to exhibit the life of Christ. [Henry G. Bosch. Our Daily Bread. Radio Bible Class]. He who throws mud gets dirty hands.]
Finally, we must seek and pursue peace which is found in the later half of verse 11. “He must seek peace and pursue it.”
Together with David (Ps. 34:4) Peter exhorts us to “seek peace and pursue it.” Because peace is fragile and elusive, we can never take it for granted but must actively pursue freedom from strife and discord. The New Testament repeatedly encourages us to live in peace with all men (Rom. 12:18, 14:19; 2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Thess. 5:13; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 12:14). Jesus Himself pronounced the benediction “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Mt. 5:9). Peace is pursued by returning a blessing (3:9) when an insult is given.
Too often we see peace as merely the absence of conflict, and we think of peacemaking as a passive role. But an effective peacemaker actively pursues peace. He or she builds good relationships, knowing that peace is a by-product of our commitment to Christ and to the fellowship. The peacemaker anticipates problems and deals with them before they occur. When conflicts arise, he or she brings them into the open and deals with them before they grow unmanageable. Making peace can be harder work than waging war, but it results not in death but in life and contentment [Life Application Bible. Zondervan. p. 2262] .
How do you react to hostile criticism? If it causes us to strike back angrily at our critics, we need to learn from Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758).
Regarded by scholars as an insightful philosopher, Edwards was vindictively attacked by the ruling body of his church in Northampton, Massachusetts. They felt he was wrong to teach that a person needed to be born again before taking part in the Lord’s Table.
Although he was dismissed from his church, Edwards still maintained a loving and forgiving attitude. One supportive member wrote of him, “I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance. . . , But he appeared like a man of God, whose happiness was out of the reach of his enemies.”
Edwards was simply copying the example of the Lord Jesus. When the Savior was insulted, He did not repay with an insult. When He was falsely denounced, He remained silent, "as a sheep before its shearers is silent" (Isa. 53:7),.
Do you have an inner peace even when criticized? As you ask the Holy Spirit for His help. you can, as Edwards did, respond in a Christlike way to false accusations or gossip. Then the worst criticism of you can bring out the best in you.
Verse 12 now gives us godly encouragement for seeking to adhere to these four prerequisites that enable the believer to love life and enjoy good days. “For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
The blessing that encourages and motives believers to walk in the way of love is that we have the gracious providence of God watching over us for our good. God sees the people who do what is right (or righteous) and furnishes us with everything necessary for our daily benefit (Deut. 11:12), defending us from hazards that cannot be used for our eternal good (2 Chron. 16:9), rendering ineffective all opposition against us while in His service (Ezra 5:5), and supporting us in and delivering us from our trouble in His time (Ps. 33:18). Nothing escapes His view nor is beyond the control of His hand. No one should think He does not care, for He cares beyond earthly calculation.
Another blessing for believers who walk in the way of holiness is that God is attentive to their prayers. When the righteous pray to Him, He hears their prayers. Although for wise reasons He may not immediately send His answer, even after repeated and persistent prayers, yet our requests always have a favorable acceptance before Him (Prov. 15:8; Song 2:14), and during His delay He is preparing a good answer (Ps. 10:17; Isa. 30:18-19; 1 Jn. 5:14). He answers not to gratify our lusts (Jas. 4:3) but for His glory and for building our faith and fortitude. God’s favor rest upon all who fear Him (Ps. 33:18).
Note the contrast in the next phrase in verse 12, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. As God sees the works of righteous believers so He sees those of people who practice evil. Though God may not instantly or quickly judge, do not think that God over-looks their evil indulgence. He is against them and He will fulfill His eternal purpose to punish those who make provoking Him the constant course of their life.
In CLOSING,
It is both the duty and necessity of God’s people to encourage themselves in the responsibilities of love by reflecting upon the good days of sweet fellowship God promises us in His Word. This is especially needed if your enemies are taking advantage of you. You need to take hold of the blessed assurance that God hears your prayers and is watching over you for your eternal good. His eyes are on His people and His ears receptive to their prayers. Trust God to provide and protect and let Him defeat you enemies (Rom. 12:17-21).
Peter quoted these statements from Psalm 34 and it would be profitable for you to read the entire Psalm. It describes what God means by good days. They are not necessarily days free from problems. A good day for the believer who loves life is not one in which he is pampered and sheltered but one in which he experiences God’s help and blessings because of life’s problems and trials. It is a day in which he glorifies the Lord (34:1-3), experiences answers to prayer (34:4-7), tastes the goodness of God (34:8), and senses God’s nearness (34:18).
The next time you think you are having a bad day and hating it, read Psalm 34. You may discover that it can be a good day in which to glorify God.
