HillThread ~ Supporting Missions

1 Peter 3:8-9

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 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.”

Perfect . . . we have a challenge. Peter gives us instruction on how to conduct our lives, 6 areas that we can work on. As you read this today, be thinking about how you can incorporate each of these characteristics into your life.

1. Live in harmony with fellow Christians.

2. Be sympathetic.

3. Love one another as closely as family loves.

4. Be compassionate.

5. Be humble.

6. Forgive wrongs, do not repay evil for evil but bless those who wrong you. (TOUGH ONE)

Here’s the application: Are we open to God showing us whether our attitude or action contributes to or detracts from the harmony in our local church body, in our family, in our marriage, in our workplace, etc? All Christians are to be examples and purveyors of peace and unity, not disruption and disharmony. Peter is saying in essence, “You brothers join hands together.” The chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

1 Peter 2:16

“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s servants.”

Believe it or not there are people with the idea that, since we have forgiveness of our sins we can do anything we want because we will be forgiven. THAT is simply the wrong attitude! Christians must endeavour, in all areas of life, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for any wickedness, or for the neglect of duty; but they must remember that they are servants of God.

Paul addresses this wrong attitude in his letter to the Romans. In Romans 6:1-2 Paul says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” If fact, Paul says we should use our freedom to serve others in love. (Galatians 5:13-14) WHAT an attitude. Instead of using our freedom in Christ to get away with sin, we should use our freedom to be servants, with God’s love pouring from our hearts!

This right attitude comes from God, from allowing the Holy Spirit to change us, to convict us of our sin, and to direct how we should live, which is in obedience to God.

1 Peter 2:11-12

“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Have you ever noticed how much encouragement for holy living there is in the Bible? There’s a ton of it. I bet it’s in there because we are sinful and we need constant reminders and encouragement to live as God has commanded us to live and not as we used to live before we knew Him. In fact, I’m sure that’s why it’s in there.

The cliche is to call America a “Christian Nation”. But when you step back from the table, it seems like America is becoming less and less like a “Christian Nation”. I don’t make this point to get your political hairs to stand up, but to help you see that just because we live in a place where we’re not physically persecuted for believing in Christ doesn’t mean everyone around us believes the same things we do. We live in a society where (according to statistics) Christians are slowly becoming more of a minority.

The Christians in the early church were very much a minority, as Peter points out when he talks about living “among the pagans”. He calls the readers of his letter “exiles” again to remind us that we are not at home, because our home is with the Lord in heaven. But while we are here on earth, Peter tells us to live a holy, pure life. Avoid the sinful desires that “war against your soul”.

THAT is a powerful phrase . . . “war against your soul”. That what sin does, it drags us down into an abyss so far from God. Haven’t you felt that when you were involved in sin?? So far from God? Let’s strip away all of the sinfulness in our lives, trust God to give us the strength for victory over those evil desires, and live a life glorifying God!

1 Peter 1:22-25

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

‘All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.”

Love from the heart. Wow, just think on that for a bit. Not because you have to, not because it’s expected, not because of social pressures, not to save face, not to gain friends, but because God’s love is flowing from within you, from your heart.

Let me challenge you to evaluate your attitude and your relationships. Are you being obedient to God’s Word? Are you loving others from your heart, or are you just going through the motions?

Let’s stop faking it and let’s get real with God and with one another.

1 Peter 1:17-21

“Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

Live as foreigners in this land. Wow, I have a hard time obeying this. Peter is telling us not to get too used to living here, because our real home is with God in heaven. So why should things worry us or bother us or control us so much while we’re on this earth? It’s so very easy to fall into the wants and desires of everything around us. When friends or family get a new car or house or toy or gadget or clothes, or shoes, or anything from Apple (ipods and ipads).

We must change our viewpoint about our lives. We must recognize that we are in a temporary habitat called Earth. Let us stop focusing on temporary things and be consumed by eternity and things of the Kingdom of heaven. Let’s share Jesus with our friends and neighbors instead of being envious about their stuff. Let’s go on mission trips instead of vacations. Let’s support ministries instead of the mall.

1 Peter 1:13-15

“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

As the traveller prepares for his trip, the racer for his race, the warrior for his battle, and the labourer for his job, so let Christians prepare by their minds and affections. Be sober, be watchful against all spiritual dangers and enemies, and be temperate in all behaviour. Be sober-minded in opinion, as well as in practice, and humble in your judgment of yourselves. A strong and perfect trust in the grace of God, is agreeable with best endeavours in our duty. Holiness is the desire and duty of every Christian. It must be in all affairs, in every condition, and towards all people. We must especially watch and pray against the sins to which we are inclined. The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian’s life, and by this rule we are commanded to be holy every way.

1 Peter 1:10-12

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

Jesus Christ was the main subject of the prophets’ studies. Their inquiry into the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow, would lead to a view of the whole gospel, the sum of which is that Christ Jesus was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. God is pleased to answer our necessities rather than our requests. The doctrine of the prophets, and that of the apostles, exactly agree, as coming from the same Spirit of God.

1 Peter 1:8-9

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

I love that phrase, “rejoice with joy”. Yes, it may be a little redundant if you are a grammar teacher, but to me it’s uplifting, encouraging, and empowering! Seek to believe and trust in Christ’s excellence and his love to us all; this will kindle such a fire in your heart that it will make it rise up in a sacrifice of love to Him. And the glory of God and our own happiness will be so united, that if we sincerely seek the one now, we shall attain the other when the soul shall no more be subject to evil. The certainty of this hope is as if believers had already received it.

I want us all to look again at the scripture we read yesterday. But today, read it from the perspective that Peter is trying to pump us up! In my imagination, I picture Peter rousing the troops, or speaking to his football team before a big game. He is telling all of us who call Christ savior that nothing can take away our salvation, that no trial or struggle can negate what Jesus has done for us! But in fact, these hard times have come so that our faith can be proven and strengthened, and so that others can see our faith even in difficult circumstances and praise God because of it! Here is the scripture again. Read it twice or three or four or five times until it sinks in. It is a very powerful message.

1 Peter 1:3-7

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

1 Peter 1:3-7

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

This epistle is addressed to believers in general, who are strangers in every city or country where they live, and are scattered through the nations. These are to ascribe their salvation to the electing love of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the sanctification of the Holy Ghost; and so to give glory to one God in three Persons, into whose name they had been baptized. Hope, in the world’s phrase, refers only to an uncertain good, for all worldly hopes are tottering, built upon sand, and the world’s hopes are blind and groundless conjectures.

But the hope of Christians is a living hope; not only as to its object, but as to its effect also. It enlivens and comforts in all distresses, enables to meet and get over all difficulties. Mercy is the spring of all this; yes, great mercy. And this well-grounded hope of salvation, is an active and living principle of obedience in the soul of the believer.

Have hope in God, hope in your salvation, hope in Jesus Christ, hope in the fact that once you meet death, you will be in the presence of Almighty God. Let go of your hope in worldly things, your possessions, your wealth, your status.