TEXT: 1 Peter 3:8-12 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
"Finally..." v.8
What Peter has been doing since Chapter 1 - is telling the Elect (God's chosen people) who are foreigners in this world (Strangers, Aliens, Exiles), how to live among various groups of people. (How to live for Heaven in a world that's gone to Hell)
Peter was calling Christians to live above the muck... to be a light in the darkness... to be God's priesthood of believers who live to help people escape the darkness so they walk in the Light... in fellowship with God.
In 2:13–17 he addressed Christians as CITIZENS (in exile) and told us how to relate to GOVERNING AUTHORITIES (even corrupt governing authorities).
In 2:18–25 he spoke to SERVANTS (slaves) and told them how to relate to their MASTERS (Bosses) (even harsh masters).
In 3:1–6 he spoke to Christian WIVES (married to unbelieving husbands) and showed them how they should be with their husbands (especially to their UNBELIEVING HUSBANDS).
In 3:7 he spoke to HUSBANDS about living wisely and considerately with their WIVES.
And now, v. 8 sums it all up. "Finally, ALL OF YOU, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."
THIS is how the Church should be. THIS is how Christians should live.
5 TRAITS OF A CHRISTIAN
1. Be HARMONIOUS "...live in harmony with one another"
Note: The fact that Peter instructs us to do this - means it's not natural. It's not easy. We must be intentional.
We all have different gifts... different tastes... different habits. The Church is beautifully diverse.
But the church SHOULD BE harmonious (Like a symphony), BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST is our Conductor.
2. Be SYMPATHEITIC
Feel what others feel. Be sensitive to their needs... their struggles... their fears... their emotions.
Q. “Do I really understand their perspective? What hurt is behind it?
Ill - POLITICS: Why do certain political messages resonate so deeply with them?”
I’m not saying you have to agree with them, but sympathy means you at least try to see things through their eyes.
Q. If you are on the opposite side of some other believer with some issue, can you state their opinion in a way that would fairly represent their view?
I’m not saying that you agree... but I am saying they’re human, and they need Jesus. We can’t minister to one another if we never take the time to understand where they are coming from.
3. Be FAMILY "...love as brothers"
NOT strangers. NOT insignificant. NOT mere acquaintances.
Be a family. Be there for one another. Do life together. Make memories with one another.
4. Be COMPASSIONATE
This is NOT about your conduct - but about your heart (your insides...Your innards).
The literal translation in the Greek is to "feel generous in your belly" (if that's helpful).
It is the exact opposite of hypocrisy (that ACTS compassionate). Don't act compassionate. Don't fake it. BE compassionate.
5. Be HUMBLE
One of the chief causes of disunity is a bunch of people thinking they’re right about everything. ‘Often wrong, never in doubt.’
If I were to look back 5 years - I can see I was wrong - ALOT! Maybe that should evoke some humility.
Christians should be HUMBLE. We are all unworthy sinners, saved by grace, redeemed and bought with his blood, we live to serve Christ.
We are honored to serve Christ... to be his humble servants. And part of our service to Christ is to humbly serve one another.
Let us be humble.
ALL of these traits are about our souls (our insides) - not our conduct (not how we act).
MORE...
1 Peter 3:9 says, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
Then it goes on: (v.10-12) For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (Psalm 34:12-16)
CONTRAST: The Culture of Hell:
1. Repays evil for evil.
2. Return insult for insult (slander, defamation, mockery, lying, destroy a reputation)
3. Tongue that speaks evil and deceit (lying, fraud, deceitful, crafty)
4. Do evil against God (defiant... disobedient... rebellious)
The Culture of Heaven:
1. Unity & harmony
2. Sympathy – seeking to understand... wanting to help
3. Brotherly love – caring vs using
4. Compassionate
5. Humble – willing to listen & learn
6. Endure evil (deeds). Endures insults (words) – Respond to God, not them.
7. Does good & blesses others.
You are NOT to RETALIATE. (Not to return evil for evil)
You ARE to BLESS. "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing" (1 Peter 3:9)
To this YOU WERE CALLED. "...because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9)
Christians are CALLED to: (If we want to see good days… if we want to enjoy life…v.10)
1. Keep tongue from evil
2. Keep lips from deceit
3. Seek peace (and pursue it)
4. Be righteous (in a world of unrighteousness
5. BE A BLESSING!!!!
CASE STUDY: ABRAHAM (To what was Abraham called?)
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. - Genesis 12:1-2
Notice the last 5 words: “You will be a blessing”
1) Abraham was blessed! "Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way." (Genesis 24:1)
2) AND Abraham was a blessing!
- His servants were blessed by association with Abraham (Genesis 24:35)
- His neighbors were blessed by association with Abraham (Genesis 21:22)
- His neighbors saw “plainly” that Abraham was blessed by God (Genesis 26:22)
- Sodom & Gomorrah were blessed because of Abraham (Genesis 14)
- Abraham’s son, Isaac was blessed (Genesis 25:11; 26:12-14)
- Rebekah was blessed (Genesis 25:21)
God told Abraham "...you will be a blessing." And he was!
CASE STUDY: ISAAC
Read Genesis 26:12-15
"Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
15 So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham,
the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth."
Isaac was foreigner in the land of Canaan. He was different. He spoke differently. He acted differently.
He faced opposition. His efforts were frustrated by the hostility of those around him.
Q. What do you do? (as people who live for the LORD) ...when opposition come?
What do yo do when the ungodly try to shut you down?
...when detractors try to thwart or discredit what God wants to do through you?
v. 15 So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth." (That's evil!)
Q. What would you do? A. Stop up their wells?)
NOTE: v. 1 "Now there was a famine in the land." These are days of drought and famine. Water is very scarce, so these wells are very important!
Genesis 26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.” (NOTE: He said this AFTER he stopped up Isaac's wells)
Q. What is Isaac to do?
Genesis 26:17-18 - So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.
Instead of fighting, Isaac simply moves on and reopens the wells his father had dug years before.
(TS) Then he goes on to dig another well. (1)
Genesis 26:19 - Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there (Literally, a well of living water)
Genesis 26:20 - But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek (which means contention or dispute), because they disputed with him. (Evil! They stole Isaac’s wells)
Genesis 26:21 - Then they dug another well (2), but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah (which means enmity or opposition).
Genesis 26:22 - He moved on from there and dug another well (3), and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth (which means room), saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”
Isaac doesn’t fight back. He just moves on and digs another well until the Philistines finally give up and let him have his space.
That’s what Isaac did. And that’s what we need to do.
1) We don’t have to fight back or get frustrated.
Just pick up a shovel and dig another well.
- even when the resources are scarce,
- even when the critics oppose,
- even when the enemy tries to shut you down,
2) And don't give up. By faith just keep on going.
To this you were called. That you may inherit a blessing (from God). And that you may BE a blessing (Be the culture of heaven in a culture of Hell).
Genesis 26:23-24 - From there he went up to Beersheba. That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”
So what did Isaac do?
Genesis 26:25 - Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. (4)
1) He built an altar
2) He pitched his tent
3) He dug another well
He worshipped. He dwelt. He dug.
Isaac remembered what God has said.
Isaac remembered God’s commitment to him,
And that helped him in his commitment to God.
When opposition comes, Be like Isaac!
Worship the Lord, pitch a tent for a little while, and dig a well. (be a blessing!)
Genesis 26:26-29 - Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?” They answered, “We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace.
The Philistines recognized God was the source of Isaac’s blessing (Genesis 26:18-29).
So... what did Isaac do? (He dug another well. NO!)
Genesis 26:30-31 - Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. (He blessed his enemies). Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.
v. 32 - That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” He called it Shibah (which means "oath"), and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba (or "well of the oath").
Isaac blessed his enemies (Genesis 26:30-31).
Isaac was blessed by God (Genesis 26:32).
Isaac’s opponents recognized God’s blessing on his life. They realize that they are not fighting Isaac; they are fighting God, so they stop fighting and leave him in peace.
And that kind of thing can happen to us, if we don’t quit, if we keep trusting God and don’t give up. TO THIS YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED!
Let’s not waste our time wallowing in self-pity... or arguing with people who oppose us... or trying to get even.
Let’s just keep on doing what we know God wants us to do.
Let us... (v.8) "...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."
Let us NOT (v.9) "...repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
When somebody throws dirt in your well, DON'T RETALIATE. DON'T SUCCUMB to the culture of Hell. Just trust God and dig another well.
It is God's will that you do not become influenced by the world (DON’T DO AS THEY DO) - But that you influence the world for God.
CASE STUDY: JACOB
Laban’s business was blessed through Jacob (Genesis 30:27, 30)
CASE STUDY: JOSEPH
Potiphar was blessed through Joseph (Genesis 39:5)
Potiphar understood that the source of the blessing was God working through Joseph (Genesis 39:3)
Pharaoh and all of Egypt was blessed through Joseph (Genesis 47:7-10)
“People of all the earth” were blessed as they came to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 41:57)
The people acknowledged how blessed they were telling Joseph, “You have saved our lives” (Genesis 47:25)
WRAP UP
The promise of the blessing in Genesis 12:1-3 is repeated in Genesis 18:18. But notice what Genesis 18:19 adds: “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct HIS CHILDREN and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just.” (Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, you & I)
a) We are the children of Abraham. (...we too, are descendent of Abraham, if we belong to Christ - Galatians 3:29)
b) All nations will be blessed THROUGH US! (To this we have been called!)
c) The source of the blessing comes from God, for all nations, and will be passed on by Abraham’s children who do what is just and right.
The promise is again repeated in Genesis 22 with another notable addition: “…through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed…”
“Offspring” is collective singular, which means, it could be talking about One seed or many seeds.
Ultimately, Jesus is the prophetic fulfillment of these verses. He is Abraham’s descendent. He is the Savior of the world. He is the ultimate blessing.
But - we too, are descendent of Abraham, if we belong to Christ (Galatians 3:29). And we have the privilege and responsibility to live for Christ, to be righteous and just, to bless all nations, and introduce them to the ultimate blessing of knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior so they can share in the full inheritance of the blessing.
My prayer is that
1) we are blessed,
2) we bless others,
3) they recognize that they are blessed as a result of God working through us so that He will one day be glorified by all the nations.
CLOSE:
Christian. if you want to know your calling in life (if you want to love life and see good days v.10),
Then here it is in 2 verses:
1 Peter 2:21 ENDURE. "TO THIS YOU WERE CALLED, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."
1 Peter 3:9 BLESS. "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because TO THIS YOU WERE CALLED so that you may inherit a blessing."
