Submission One to Another
1 Peter 3:8-12
We have all been greatly challenged this year with three big events in 2020 that we have had to draw a line in the sand on where we stand, and then most importantly, how we’re going to react.
1). A human rights upheaval of protests
2). A political nightmare of the Presidential election that the only real thing that seems to have happened is (We the People) have lost all confidence in the entire election process.
3). The effects and repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic
A). Loss of loved one’s or family illness
B). K-12 school or college education challenges to keep our children learning in the best environment for them
C). Food/staples hoarding and panic buying
D). Medical appointments/procedures/hospitalizations
E). What is essential to the authorities and what is essential to us
F). What type of gathering of people are you willing to be a part of
G). Working from home
H). Employment challenges/loss/economic impact
I). Social Isolation
J). Increased anxiety/stress/worry
K). Family/parenting/routine scheduling craziness
L). Depression
M). Spousal and child abuse
Okay – that’s enough…
With everything coming unraveled, there has never been a more need for us as believers to get along and God’s people to come back together, spouses to come back together as one flesh that have been divided by the pressure and bombardment of parenting challenges and ever-changing rollercoaster conditions.
We the People… God’s people need to be the salt of the earth, to be a light on a hill or most importantly a light in today’s dark valley.
We can’t just say that it is getting darker every day. The only reason it is dark is because there is an absence of light. So, who wants to enjoy life and see many days ahead?
Okay, great. Since the New Year is right around the corner, we are going to review the power that is in submission one to another that will radically change your relationships starting at home and then with those you know and love.
There are three general themes woven through the book of 1 Peter.
1). Salvation
2). Submission
3). Suffering
Peter spent significant time (twenty plus verses) in 1 Peter covering the topic of submission. Now that we are saved, aside from suffering, (yes, that’s what I said – suffering), learning submission one to another will bring life-changing transformation to our lives right in the middle of everyone else fighting, arguing, and verbally battering one another relationally.
So, if you are buckled in, let’s get started.
Submission – “accepting or yielding to a superior force or simply the will of another person.” Almost everything in the news is focused on submission to a superior force right now, perfectly designed to push us into a corner, to divide us, and keep us on the defense – wearing us down, then throwing us a stimulus bone to fix all our problems. We can all fall into the trap of treating one another the way we have been treated, really easily.
So, let’s look at some key elements or attitudes of the heart that make submission possible for us.
1). We must respect one another
2). Humble ourselves voluntarily
3). Love or learn to love one another
4). Accepting a person for who they are instead of who you want them to be
5). Willing to yield to the will of others
6). Meekness… known as power under constraint, it’s when you have the ability or even have the right to, but you choose not to.
Let’s just quickly look at the topics 1 Peter covers on submission.
Submission to those in authority
1 Peter 2:17
17 Respect everyone and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God and respect the king.
Submission in the workplace
1 Peter 2:18 (NLT)
18 You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you, not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.
Jesus’ example of submission
1 Peter 2:23 (NLT)
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
Submission in the marriage relationship
1 Peter 3:1 (NLT)
1 In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over.
1 Peter 3:7 (NLT)
7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wives with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
Now we can start our text for today.
1 Peter 3:8 (NLT)
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude.
Let’s unpack this verse.
Verse 8a finally is Peter circling back on the previous verses. Submission to those in authority, submission to those in the workplace. Example of Jesus’ submission, submission of the wife to the husband, submission of the husband to the wife.
Verse 8b all of you Peter is saying, just in case I missed anyone, this includes you.
Verse 8c should be of one mind this is not look like, dress like, talk like robots.
1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT)
16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
Because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, we have the ability to know the mind of Christ. There are many things in life that only God can resolve, repair, remove, reconcile. Do you agree? You can probably recall one in your mind right now.
Then there are the things that are in our court that we need to take ownership of. But we are not alone and without hope because the Holy Spirit that lives inside us when we ask will give us what we need to correctly handle that specific need for that moment.
Remember the acronym WWJD? What Would Jesus Do? In our one another personal relationships, just think if we could take a moment to ask ourselves
a). How would Jesus respond to that comment?
b). What would Jesus say?
c). What would Jesus not say right now?
The term be of one mind is understanding what the God-directed goal is (the mind of Christ). It is to embrace your role in it. Fully submit to the overall plan. And it means to fill your role to the task. Put your role into practice.
If we were to talk about it like a football team, it would be like this. There’s the Center who hikes the ball. His job is really important. You have the guards and the tackles. You have the tight ends and the wide receivers. You have the full-back and the halfback. And you have the quarterback. They all have the same uniform on.
But when the quarterback gets everybody in a huddle and he calls the play, then each player must embrace their role in it. They reenact the play in their mind and say, this is what I need to do. This is where I need to go, this is where I need to be. This is my job.
And then they have to take ownership and fully submit to that plan. They can’t be saying, aw man, this is not going to work. How can this guy call this play? He must not be seeing what’s going on over there! No! We have to fully embrace the overall plan.
Then they have to take the role to the task, take the role, and fulfill the action. You have to put it to action.
Another great word to describe this is harmonious. We could say that we, as a body of believers, should be like a good choir. Each one sings with his own voice. Some sing different parts, but everyone sings to the same music and in harmony with one another.
Verse 8d sympathize with each other. With the context of submission in mind, sympathize speaks of a fully heartfelt consideration for other ideas, circumstances, and opinions without demanding our own, completely open to change or direction as long as the mind of Christ is still the goal… suffering with one another.
Philippians 2:4-5 (NLT)
4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Verse 8e love each other. Remember that this was the measure Jesus gave to the world to identify his true disciples.
John 13:34-35 (NLT)
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
Jesus did not command us to like our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are commanded to love them. Once you start loving them, you will start liking them. I know some people are easier to love from a distance, but ask God to give you a love for them. Let’s review what it means when we tell someone you love them.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
7 Love never gives us, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Back to our text.
Verse 8f be tenderhearted is another quality of submission by taking a kind, gentle, tender, caring role as a choice. This is not a weakness but a powerful strength by willingly taking on the weight and condition of one another (politely).
Romans 12:15 (NLT)
15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.
Galatians 6:2 (NLT)
2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
What does this look like?
1). Shoulder their weakness
2). Help restore them back to usefulness
3). See the need and empower them to act
4). Encourage the heart
Verse 8g keep a humble attitude. The word keep here speaks to continue, stay in this position, even retain possession, remain. Humble attitude this is the key to submission (humility) not having an over-exaggerated view of yourself that usually also incorporates negative inferior thoughts of others.
God truly forgives but sometimes we need to remind ourselves where we have come from to keep us in a humble state of mind.
God always gives us opportunities to humble ourselves when we need it, but if we ignore his gentle requests to surrender voluntarily, he will humble us in a different fashion using his perfect choice of people and circumstances.
Psalm 25:9 (NLT)
9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.
Isaiah 29:19 (NLT)
19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Zephaniah 2:3 (NLT)
3 Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly…
Back to our text.
1 Peter 3:9 (NLT)
9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.
Verse 9a don’t repay evil for evil. Whether you realize it or not, you have drawn a line in the sand with people protesting, poison of politics, propaganda that goes with a pandemic. The question is, how are you going to respond to the world’s evil?
In the church and in the home No dispute, argument, or personality conflict among believers should linger. Even if one Christian gets out of line, the loving response of other Christians should keep the problem small and short-lived. The natural response to hostility is retaliation. This is what the terrible ethnic conflicts all over the world are all about – one group wrongs another and dedicates the rest of its existence to repaying that wrong. Only the love of Jesus for our enemies can break the terrible cycle.
Jesus reminded us, that it is no great credit if we love those who love us in return, the real test of love is to demonstrate compassion to our enemies.
Matthew 5:44-47 (NLT)
44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.
47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
Verse 9b don’t retaliate to make a similar attack or response, to hit or strike back.
When I was a young man, a teenager, I had three or four guy friends that I used to hang around with. We fished and hunted and rode dirt bikes and did a bunch of stuff – most of it was wrong, but we had a lot of good fun and should have got caught doing a lot of different things. But we had this little thing we had together where we would give each other a Charlie horse. I don’t know if you guys remember that. You position your knuckles in a certain way, and then you would slug your buddy in the arm or leg and give them a dead arm or a dead leg.
The thing about this Charlie horse was they got their chance to do it back to you. And so, depending on how hard you hit them, or the way you hit them, is what you basically would get back. But we read the following in Romans 12:19.
Romans 12:19 (NLT)
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.
Verse 9c insult for insult This phrase insult for insult is the true test when you have been insulted by someone not to fire back by default insults are fueled by disrespect. In the medical field, a great picture of an insult is a movement of a bone that cause tissue or organ damage.
Verse 9d instead Put off destructive behavior, immediately replace it – by surrendering to what God has called you to do – (as soon as you realize it and as often as you need to).
Verse 9e pay them back with a blessing
Romans 12:20-21 (NKJV)
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.
Verse 9f that is what God called you to do
Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Verse 9g He will bless you for it Don’t be confused with the false idea that when everything is going your way that is when God is blessing you, this phrase in verse (Verse 9 He will bless you) is oh happy we are, and it’s because God is happy with us. His applause from heaven brings us an internal joy/satisfaction because the Maker of Heaven and Earth is happy with us.
So, if you have been waiting for the New Year’s part of the message, here it is.
This is a quote from Psalm 34:12-16.
1 Peter 3:10(NLT)
10 For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.
Verse 10a if you want to enjoy life Yes… I want to be happy. Everyone wants to enjoy life and be happy, right?
Verse 10b see many happy days Yes… I want to look younger and live longer please tell me more. The merchandise market is relentlessly pushing on us ways to make us feel happy, fulfilled, and complete. It also pushes products that claim to make us live longer and to look and feel younger.
Here, our text does not give a very sophisticated answer. If we want to enjoy life and have many days of life, it’s free, but it won’t be easy.
Verse 10c keep your tongue Cease, stop, quit, restrain your tongue. The language also speaks of even getting to the place where we no longer are stirred by the enticements to have a loose tongue. Wow! Would that be liberating in itself, or what, to longer be incised to have a loose tongue?!
Verse 10d from speaking evil Out of all the evil that can be done in the world, speaking evil is one thing that all of us have fallen into over and over. Sadly enough, it is also the most instantaneous and effortless response. Speaking evil also fits well with our culture’s need of instant self-gratification. Speaking evil can also do so much damage (sometimes permanent damage).
James 3:6 (NLT)
6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
Verse 10e your lips It is described as a pouring place.
Matthew 15:8 (NLT)
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Verse 10f from telling lies
Proverbs 25:18 (NLT)
18 Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
1 Peter 3:11 (NLT)
11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
Verse 11a turn away This means voluntarily go out of the way, to turn oneself aside (I am choosing not to go that way any longer).
Verse 11b from evil Anything that is destructive to you or another person. Anything that can cause harm in your mind, in your heart, or your actions.
Verse 11c do good Just simply ask yourself these questions before you act. Will this be something I will regret later in life? Will this disqualify me from being further used by God in this set of circumstances?
Verse 11d search for peace This person is searching for peace which makes them a “peacemaker.” The initiator of the peacemaker process. This person takes the chance of rejection and humiliation. But always has the greatest reward in the peace process. The peacemaker is the first to show love by venerably becoming transparent to make peace with another.
God initiated peace with us
Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
8 But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We looked at the role of the peacemaker, now we will look briefly at the peacekeeper.
Verse 11e work to maintain it This is the “peacekeeper,” the person who senses or sees a moment of peace and then supernaturally keeps peace intact or defuses the bomb so that no further injury is brought on by them or others, he works to maintain the peace.
Romans 12:18 (NKJV)
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
This verse in Romans only speaks of our part in the peacemaking process. It has absolutely no bearing on how the “another” person responds (as much as it depends upon you).
1 Peter 3:12 (NLT)
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Verse 12a the eyes of the Lord God has perfect vision and never misses one thing. Both good and bad, his ways are always good. Of course, God seeing everything has two sides of the coin – what we want him to see and what we don’t. But he sees it all perfectly.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT)
9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
Back to our text.
Verse 12b watch over God’s terms of how, when, and why are very difficult to understand sometimes, but his ways are always for the greater good. His timing (the when) is always perfect.
Verse 12c those who do right Doing what God calls us to do the way God wants us to do it. Doing good is often difficult because as a general rule, evil is rewarded immediately and the reward of doing good is often delayed.
Psalm 34:19 (NLT)
19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
Verse 12d his ears God’s hearing is perfect. He hears every word we speak, both encouraging, full of mercy, gracious words, and the ones that tear down, cause pain, and injure.
Verse 12e open to their prayers but the Lord turns his face against those who do evil Here is a quick reminder. Just because God doesn’t immediately answer your prayers or the way you expect him to, it doesn’t mean he does not hear your prayers. But, on the other hand, nothing will hinder our prayer life more than problems in our marriage relationship.
In closing, the hope and good news for today, is if we do our part to do what’s right in our marriages, parenting, or in the workplace or the church, verse 12 promises:
1). The Lord will watch over us
2). His ears hear everything being said to us
3). The Lord will protect you
4). He will turn against anyone who does evil.
1). A human rights upheaval of protests
2). A political nightmare of the Presidential election that the only real thing that seems to have happened is (We the People) have lost all confidence in the entire election process.
3). The effects and repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic
A). Loss of loved one’s or family illness
B). K-12 school or college education challenges to keep our children learning in the best environment for them
C). Food/staples hoarding and panic buying
D). Medical appointments/procedures/hospitalizations
E). What is essential to the authorities and what is essential to us
F). What type of gathering of people are you willing to be a part of
G). Working from home
H). Employment challenges/loss/economic impact
I). Social Isolation
J). Increased anxiety/stress/worry
K). Family/parenting/routine scheduling craziness
L). Depression
M). Spousal and child abuse
Okay – that’s enough…
With everything coming unraveled, there has never been a more need for us as believers to get along and God’s people to come back together, spouses to come back together as one flesh that have been divided by the pressure and bombardment of parenting challenges and ever-changing rollercoaster conditions.
We the People… God’s people need to be the salt of the earth, to be a light on a hill or most importantly a light in today’s dark valley.
We can’t just say that it is getting darker every day. The only reason it is dark is because there is an absence of light. So, who wants to enjoy life and see many days ahead?
Okay, great. Since the New Year is right around the corner, we are going to review the power that is in submission one to another that will radically change your relationships starting at home and then with those you know and love.
There are three general themes woven through the book of 1 Peter.
1). Salvation
2). Submission
3). Suffering
Peter spent significant time (twenty plus verses) in 1 Peter covering the topic of submission. Now that we are saved, aside from suffering, (yes, that’s what I said – suffering), learning submission one to another will bring life-changing transformation to our lives right in the middle of everyone else fighting, arguing, and verbally battering one another relationally.
So, if you are buckled in, let’s get started.
Submission – “accepting or yielding to a superior force or simply the will of another person.” Almost everything in the news is focused on submission to a superior force right now, perfectly designed to push us into a corner, to divide us, and keep us on the defense – wearing us down, then throwing us a stimulus bone to fix all our problems. We can all fall into the trap of treating one another the way we have been treated, really easily.
So, let’s look at some key elements or attitudes of the heart that make submission possible for us.
1). We must respect one another
2). Humble ourselves voluntarily
3). Love or learn to love one another
4). Accepting a person for who they are instead of who you want them to be
5). Willing to yield to the will of others
6). Meekness… known as power under constraint, it’s when you have the ability or even have the right to, but you choose not to.
Let’s just quickly look at the topics 1 Peter covers on submission.
Submission to those in authority
1 Peter 2:17
17 Respect everyone and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God and respect the king.
Submission in the workplace
1 Peter 2:18 (NLT)
18 You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you, not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.
Jesus’ example of submission
1 Peter 2:23 (NLT)
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
Submission in the marriage relationship
1 Peter 3:1 (NLT)
1 In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over.
1 Peter 3:7 (NLT)
7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wives with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
Now we can start our text for today.
1 Peter 3:8 (NLT)
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude.
Let’s unpack this verse.
Verse 8a finally is Peter circling back on the previous verses. Submission to those in authority, submission to those in the workplace. Example of Jesus’ submission, submission of the wife to the husband, submission of the husband to the wife.
Verse 8b all of you Peter is saying, just in case I missed anyone, this includes you.
Verse 8c should be of one mind this is not look like, dress like, talk like robots.
1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT)
16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
Because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, we have the ability to know the mind of Christ. There are many things in life that only God can resolve, repair, remove, reconcile. Do you agree? You can probably recall one in your mind right now.
Then there are the things that are in our court that we need to take ownership of. But we are not alone and without hope because the Holy Spirit that lives inside us when we ask will give us what we need to correctly handle that specific need for that moment.
Remember the acronym WWJD? What Would Jesus Do? In our one another personal relationships, just think if we could take a moment to ask ourselves
a). How would Jesus respond to that comment?
b). What would Jesus say?
c). What would Jesus not say right now?
The term be of one mind is understanding what the God-directed goal is (the mind of Christ). It is to embrace your role in it. Fully submit to the overall plan. And it means to fill your role to the task. Put your role into practice.
If we were to talk about it like a football team, it would be like this. There’s the Center who hikes the ball. His job is really important. You have the guards and the tackles. You have the tight ends and the wide receivers. You have the full-back and the halfback. And you have the quarterback. They all have the same uniform on.
But when the quarterback gets everybody in a huddle and he calls the play, then each player must embrace their role in it. They reenact the play in their mind and say, this is what I need to do. This is where I need to go, this is where I need to be. This is my job.
And then they have to take ownership and fully submit to that plan. They can’t be saying, aw man, this is not going to work. How can this guy call this play? He must not be seeing what’s going on over there! No! We have to fully embrace the overall plan.
Then they have to take the role to the task, take the role, and fulfill the action. You have to put it to action.
Another great word to describe this is harmonious. We could say that we, as a body of believers, should be like a good choir. Each one sings with his own voice. Some sing different parts, but everyone sings to the same music and in harmony with one another.
Verse 8d sympathize with each other. With the context of submission in mind, sympathize speaks of a fully heartfelt consideration for other ideas, circumstances, and opinions without demanding our own, completely open to change or direction as long as the mind of Christ is still the goal… suffering with one another.
Philippians 2:4-5 (NLT)
4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Verse 8e love each other. Remember that this was the measure Jesus gave to the world to identify his true disciples.
John 13:34-35 (NLT)
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
Jesus did not command us to like our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are commanded to love them. Once you start loving them, you will start liking them. I know some people are easier to love from a distance, but ask God to give you a love for them. Let’s review what it means when we tell someone you love them.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
7 Love never gives us, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Back to our text.
Verse 8f be tenderhearted is another quality of submission by taking a kind, gentle, tender, caring role as a choice. This is not a weakness but a powerful strength by willingly taking on the weight and condition of one another (politely).
Romans 12:15 (NLT)
15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.
Galatians 6:2 (NLT)
2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
What does this look like?
1). Shoulder their weakness
2). Help restore them back to usefulness
3). See the need and empower them to act
4). Encourage the heart
Verse 8g keep a humble attitude. The word keep here speaks to continue, stay in this position, even retain possession, remain. Humble attitude this is the key to submission (humility) not having an over-exaggerated view of yourself that usually also incorporates negative inferior thoughts of others.
God truly forgives but sometimes we need to remind ourselves where we have come from to keep us in a humble state of mind.
God always gives us opportunities to humble ourselves when we need it, but if we ignore his gentle requests to surrender voluntarily, he will humble us in a different fashion using his perfect choice of people and circumstances.
Psalm 25:9 (NLT)
9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.
Isaiah 29:19 (NLT)
19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Zephaniah 2:3 (NLT)
3 Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly…
Back to our text.
1 Peter 3:9 (NLT)
9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.
Verse 9a don’t repay evil for evil. Whether you realize it or not, you have drawn a line in the sand with people protesting, poison of politics, propaganda that goes with a pandemic. The question is, how are you going to respond to the world’s evil?
In the church and in the home No dispute, argument, or personality conflict among believers should linger. Even if one Christian gets out of line, the loving response of other Christians should keep the problem small and short-lived. The natural response to hostility is retaliation. This is what the terrible ethnic conflicts all over the world are all about – one group wrongs another and dedicates the rest of its existence to repaying that wrong. Only the love of Jesus for our enemies can break the terrible cycle.
Jesus reminded us, that it is no great credit if we love those who love us in return, the real test of love is to demonstrate compassion to our enemies.
Matthew 5:44-47 (NLT)
44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.
47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
Verse 9b don’t retaliate to make a similar attack or response, to hit or strike back.
When I was a young man, a teenager, I had three or four guy friends that I used to hang around with. We fished and hunted and rode dirt bikes and did a bunch of stuff – most of it was wrong, but we had a lot of good fun and should have got caught doing a lot of different things. But we had this little thing we had together where we would give each other a Charlie horse. I don’t know if you guys remember that. You position your knuckles in a certain way, and then you would slug your buddy in the arm or leg and give them a dead arm or a dead leg.
The thing about this Charlie horse was they got their chance to do it back to you. And so, depending on how hard you hit them, or the way you hit them, is what you basically would get back. But we read the following in Romans 12:19.
Romans 12:19 (NLT)
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.
Verse 9c insult for insult This phrase insult for insult is the true test when you have been insulted by someone not to fire back by default insults are fueled by disrespect. In the medical field, a great picture of an insult is a movement of a bone that cause tissue or organ damage.
Verse 9d instead Put off destructive behavior, immediately replace it – by surrendering to what God has called you to do – (as soon as you realize it and as often as you need to).
Verse 9e pay them back with a blessing
Romans 12:20-21 (NKJV)
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.
Verse 9f that is what God called you to do
Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Verse 9g He will bless you for it Don’t be confused with the false idea that when everything is going your way that is when God is blessing you, this phrase in verse (Verse 9 He will bless you) is oh happy we are, and it’s because God is happy with us. His applause from heaven brings us an internal joy/satisfaction because the Maker of Heaven and Earth is happy with us.
So, if you have been waiting for the New Year’s part of the message, here it is.
This is a quote from Psalm 34:12-16.
1 Peter 3:10(NLT)
10 For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.
Verse 10a if you want to enjoy life Yes… I want to be happy. Everyone wants to enjoy life and be happy, right?
Verse 10b see many happy days Yes… I want to look younger and live longer please tell me more. The merchandise market is relentlessly pushing on us ways to make us feel happy, fulfilled, and complete. It also pushes products that claim to make us live longer and to look and feel younger.
Here, our text does not give a very sophisticated answer. If we want to enjoy life and have many days of life, it’s free, but it won’t be easy.
Verse 10c keep your tongue Cease, stop, quit, restrain your tongue. The language also speaks of even getting to the place where we no longer are stirred by the enticements to have a loose tongue. Wow! Would that be liberating in itself, or what, to longer be incised to have a loose tongue?!
Verse 10d from speaking evil Out of all the evil that can be done in the world, speaking evil is one thing that all of us have fallen into over and over. Sadly enough, it is also the most instantaneous and effortless response. Speaking evil also fits well with our culture’s need of instant self-gratification. Speaking evil can also do so much damage (sometimes permanent damage).
James 3:6 (NLT)
6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
Verse 10e your lips It is described as a pouring place.
Matthew 15:8 (NLT)
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Verse 10f from telling lies
Proverbs 25:18 (NLT)
18 Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
1 Peter 3:11 (NLT)
11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
Verse 11a turn away This means voluntarily go out of the way, to turn oneself aside (I am choosing not to go that way any longer).
Verse 11b from evil Anything that is destructive to you or another person. Anything that can cause harm in your mind, in your heart, or your actions.
Verse 11c do good Just simply ask yourself these questions before you act. Will this be something I will regret later in life? Will this disqualify me from being further used by God in this set of circumstances?
Verse 11d search for peace This person is searching for peace which makes them a “peacemaker.” The initiator of the peacemaker process. This person takes the chance of rejection and humiliation. But always has the greatest reward in the peace process. The peacemaker is the first to show love by venerably becoming transparent to make peace with another.
God initiated peace with us
Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
8 But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We looked at the role of the peacemaker, now we will look briefly at the peacekeeper.
Verse 11e work to maintain it This is the “peacekeeper,” the person who senses or sees a moment of peace and then supernaturally keeps peace intact or defuses the bomb so that no further injury is brought on by them or others, he works to maintain the peace.
Romans 12:18 (NKJV)
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
This verse in Romans only speaks of our part in the peacemaking process. It has absolutely no bearing on how the “another” person responds (as much as it depends upon you).
1 Peter 3:12 (NLT)
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Verse 12a the eyes of the Lord God has perfect vision and never misses one thing. Both good and bad, his ways are always good. Of course, God seeing everything has two sides of the coin – what we want him to see and what we don’t. But he sees it all perfectly.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT)
9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
Back to our text.
Verse 12b watch over God’s terms of how, when, and why are very difficult to understand sometimes, but his ways are always for the greater good. His timing (the when) is always perfect.
Verse 12c those who do right Doing what God calls us to do the way God wants us to do it. Doing good is often difficult because as a general rule, evil is rewarded immediately and the reward of doing good is often delayed.
Psalm 34:19 (NLT)
19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
Verse 12d his ears God’s hearing is perfect. He hears every word we speak, both encouraging, full of mercy, gracious words, and the ones that tear down, cause pain, and injure.
Verse 12e open to their prayers but the Lord turns his face against those who do evil Here is a quick reminder. Just because God doesn’t immediately answer your prayers or the way you expect him to, it doesn’t mean he does not hear your prayers. But, on the other hand, nothing will hinder our prayer life more than problems in our marriage relationship.
In closing, the hope and good news for today, is if we do our part to do what’s right in our marriages, parenting, or in the workplace or the church, verse 12 promises:
1). The Lord will watch over us
2). His ears hear everything being said to us
3). The Lord will protect you
4). He will turn against anyone who does evil.