Cultivate Christian Love (1 Peter 3:8–12)

I. love for God’s people (1 Peter 3:8)

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

A. Unity of mind

Unity does not mean uniformity; it means cooperation in the midst of diversity. The members of the body work together in unity, even though they are all different. Christians may differ on how things are to be done, but they must agree on what is to be done and why.

Whatever methods we may use, we must seek to honor Christ, win the lost, and build the church. Some methods are definitely not scriptural, but there is plenty of room for variety in the church.

B. Compassion

Our English word “sympathy” comes from the word compassion. We should not get hardhearted toward each other. We must share both joys and trials. The basis for this is the fact that we are brethren in the same family. We are “taught of God to love one another”.

Love reveals itself in pity, a tenderness of heart toward others. In the Roman Empire, this was not a quality that was admired; but the Christian message changed all of that. Today, we are deluged with so much bad news that it is easy for us to get insulated and unfeeling. We need to cultivate compassion, and actively show others that we are concerned.

“Be courteous” involves much more than acting like a lady or gentleman. “Be humble-minded” is a good translation; and, after all, humility is the foundation for courtesy, for the humble person puts others ahead of himself.

II. love our enemies (1 Peter 3:9).

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.

A. We must operate on the basis of mercy.

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 this latter approach. As God’s loving children, we must do more than give “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”, which is the basis for justice.

This must have meant much to Peter himself, because he once tried to fight Christ’s enemies with a sword. When he was an unconverted rabbi, Paul used every means possible to oppose the church; but when he became a Christian, Paul never used human weapons to fight God’s battles. When Peter and the Apostles were persecuted, they depended on prayer and God’s power, not on their own wisdom or strength.

B. We must always be reminded of our calling as Christians.

This will help us love our enemies and do them good when they treat us badly. We are called to “inherit a blessing.” The persecutions we experience on earth today only add to our blessed inheritance of glory in heaven someday.

We also inherit a blessing today when we treat our enemies with love and mercy. By sharing a blessing with them, we receive a blessing ourselves! Persecution can be a time of spiritual enrichment for a believer. The saints and martyrs in church history all bear witness to this fact.

III. love life (1 Peter 3:10–12).

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.”

A. We must deliberately decide to love life.

This This is an act of the will: “He who wills to love life.” It is an attitude of faith that sees the best in every situation. It is the opposite of the pessimistic attitude expressed in Ecclesiastes 2:17: “Therefore I hated life … for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” We can decide to endure life and make it a burden, escape life as though we were running from a battle, or enjoy life because we know God is in control.

Peter was not suggesting some kind of unrealistic psychological gymnastics that refused to face facts. Rather, he was urging his readers to take a positive approach to life and by faith make the most of every situation.

B. We must control our tongues.

Many of the problems of life are caused by the wrong words, spoken in the wrong spirit.

How well Peter knew the sad consequences of hasty speech! There is no place for lies in the life of a saint.

C. We must do good and hate evil.

We need both the positive and the negative. The Old English word “eschew” means more than just “avoid.” It means “to avoid something because you despise and loathe it.” It is not enough for us to avoid sin because sin is wrong; we ought to shun it because we hate it.

D. We must seek and pursue peace.

If we go out and seek trouble, we will find it; but if we seek peace, we can find it as well. This does not mean “peace at any price,” because righteousness must always be the basis for peace. It simply means that a Christian exercises moderation as he relates to people and does not create problems because he wants to have his own way.

“But what if our enemies take advantage of us?” “We may be seeking peace, but they are seeking war!” Peter gave them the assurance that God’s eyes are on His people and His ears open to their prayers. We must trust God to protect and provide, for He alone can defeat our enemies.

A “good day” for the believer who “loves life” is not one in which they are pampered and sheltered, but one in which they experience God’s help and blessing because of life’s problems and trials. It’s a day in which they magnify the Lord, experience answers to prayer, tastes the goodness of God, and senses the nearness of God.