40. The Good Life of Faith a

The Good Life of Faith

Introduction: By way if review I want to remind you of the structure of Peters letter. It is comprised of three main instructional units that are identified by elect exiles, sojourners and beloved. We see this in verse 1 of chapter 1, 2: 11 and 4:12. Why is this important? It’s important because the emphasis of Peter’s letter is intentional Christian living in the midst of suffering and persecution. It is understanding that what you believe and how you live out that belief is going to affect you. It is not easy. It is believing that there is only one way to God, one way to salvation which is contrary to the philosophy of today that says all roads lead to God. It is also believing that what the Word of God says about Him, us, sin, and salvation is the absolute truth. It is not relative truth, or your truth or my truth, it is the truth. Those of us that believe don’t make the Word of God more true because we believe any more than those who don’t believe make it is less true. God does not make any apology for the difficulties it presents. He does not adjust the standards so that more people can get in or to make it easier to live in the world. It simply is what God says it is.

Mat 7:13-21  "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  (14)  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.  (15)  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  (16)  You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  (17)  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  (18)  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  (19)  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  (20)  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  (21)  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

There are two things in this passage. There is one path to salvation. That salvation is marked by objective fruit.

So why introduce this passage in this way? Because beginning from 2:11 on we see calling and conduct. The calling is for the gospel sake – that they may glorify God in the day of visitation. Following is instruction in just how to do that.

Living in relation to authority

Living in relation to work

Living in relation to husbands

Living in relation to wives

In the midst is placed the example of the Lord Jesus. 1Pe 2:21-24  For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:  (22)  "WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH";  (23)  who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;  (24)  who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Peter begins with an exhortation to the church then addresses specific groups within the church and concludes with an exhortation to the church. Here the reading of our text this morning.

1Pe 3:8-12  Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;  (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.  (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."

There are two primary points in this text 1.The Good life of Faith is based on who we are and 2. The Good life of Faith is based on what we do.

Who We Are. V8

Verse 8 is unique in Peter’s letter. It is unique in several different ways. In the Greek there is no verb. In all English translations the verb to be is inserted. We will get to the why of that in a moment. Another unique aspect of this verse is that harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind hearted and humble in spirit are all adjectives. And the final unique aspect of this verse is that these words in the Greek are with the exception of the word used for humble in spirit, only used in this verse, in this letter, in the New Testament. I find that…unique.

Basic English grammar tells us that adjectives describe nouns. It does not describe what they do but what in essence they are. To say the sky is blue is not to say the sky is bluing but we are describing what the sky is.

Peter’s use of unique words is a verse that is in itself unique tells me of the uniqueness of our salvation in Jesus Christ. It tells me of our uniqueness as a covenant community of saints for whom Jesus bore their sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness for by His wounds we are healed. It tells me about our unique relationship with one another.

Brethren, these words are who we are. Jesus said Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Light may be hidden but it cannot be changed. These words are who we are based upon the finished work of Christ and the ongoing application of that work to us by the Spirit. Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

These adjectives are ascribed to those who have been born again by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. This is who we are in Jesus Christ as we are walking in the Spirit. For the Scripture says that those who walk by the Spirit will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Gal 5:19-23  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  (20)  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  (21)  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  (22)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  (23)  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Now let us look at who we are.

Being of one mind – literally means to think the same thing. Being of one mind relates to objective truth that is rooted and grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is applicable to not only the local church but to the churches that are in fellowship with one another. It is being of one mind in the essential doctrines of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the doctrine of man, of sin, and of salvation. We know the problems caused by the lack of being of one mind concerning these things.

There is no real unity apart from the true gospel. Php 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

One of the themes throughout Peter’s letter is devoted to what? It is devoted to the proclamation of the gospel to a hostile world. The we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light 2:9, they may glorify God in the day of visitation 2:11, that wayward husbands may be won without a word because of the submission of their wives 3:1, to always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks about the hope that is in you 3:15,

Is Peter here saying that we should all be the same? NO. But there is a unity of doctrine and unity in the goal of gospel proclamation that individual, each gifted differently in the church for God’s glory use in the attainment of that goal.

Sympathetic - is made up of two Greek words, one word meaning “to be affected” by something, hence “to feel,” that is, to have feelings stirred up within one by some circumstance, the other word meaning “with.” The word means therefore, “to have a fellow-feeling.” It refers here to the interchange of fellow-feeling in either joy or sorrow. Rom 12:15  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. The English word “sympathy” refers to the fellow-feeling we should have with those that suffer, and that is the secondary meaning of our Greek word. The primary meaning refers to a fellow-feeling with a brother or sister Christian either in their joys or in their sorrows. It takes as much grace sometimes to rejoice with another saint in the way God has blessed him as it does to sympathize with someone who is in sadness. What a miserable thing this petty jealousy is among the saints. I love the way this church has responded to Tim and Linda. We feel the anguish of heart and the joy of good reports.

Love as brothers - Philadelphos is an adjective which conveys the idea “Be loving brethren,” or “Be brethren who are loving.” It is that human affection and fondness for one another as brother Christians which Peter spoke of in the first occurrence of the word “love” in chapter 1 writing to the born again ones…

1Pe 1:22  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

Don't view each other as strangers, or as mere acquaintances, or as distant relatives. View each other as close family for after all we all possess the same "Father". Mutual love is one of the strongest "arguments" for the Christian faith. Does that mean we will never have personal conflicts within the church? No, but it does mean that as children of God we will reconcile to one another because our God is a reconciling God.

In Romans 12:10 Paul also instructed the church Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

The writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers Let love of the brethren (philadelphia) continue. Hebrews 13:1

John explained the importance of the manifestation of love for one's brethren writing that: 1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

1Jn 4:7-8  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  (8)  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

This is our church. Lord’s day after Lord’s day I witness the genuine love and affection for one another. We love visiting with one another before and after the services every Sunday.

Kind-Hearted – This is the adjective that is used in one other place in the NT. It is an oriental metaphor for the seat of the tender affections and of human emotions and one of strongest Greek words to express compassionate love) means tender–hearted or full of compassion.

Eph 4:32  And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

J H Jowet says this about tenderheartedness. That it carries one a step further than compassion. Tenderheartedness is more than correspondence; it is gentle ministry. It includes the service of the tender hand, it not only feels the pains of others; it touches the wounds with exquisite delicacy. Even the pitiful man can be clumsy. Six men may have the sympathy, but only one of the six may be able to touch the wound so as to heal it. The Lord will add a gentle hand to our compassion. He will take away all brusqueness, all spiritual clumsiness, so that in the very ministry of pity we may not “break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.”

Are we tendered hearted? Does it extend beyond mere words of understanding and translates to action. Does it transform our sympathy and empathy to ministerial action? One of the issues with much of present day evangelicalism is that many churches have adopted a business format for the running of the church. The Pastor is the CEO and the elders in reformed churches and typically the deacon board in non-reformed churches act as a Board of Directors. The Pastor becomes solely responsible for every ministry of the church and if he doesn’t perform to expectation out he goes. But that is not what the Bible teaches. It teaches us that the sole purpose of the pastor/elder, and in this church we hold no distinction between elders, is to shepherd the flock, preaching and teaching the Word of God. Paul says in Eph 4:11-16  And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,  (12)  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,  (13)  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;  (14)  that we should no longer be children, tossed to and for and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,  (15)  but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—  (16)  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

So as we are in our community and neighborhoods we are to be doing the works of ministry. Seeing needs and meeting them.

Courteous - a better translation of the Greek would be humble minded which is the attitude of thinking lowly, esteeming ourselves small. Inasmuch as we are small compared to God, this is the correct estimate of ourselves. In the NT this word describes a quality of voluntary submission and unselfishness, humility or self-effacement and is the opposite of arrogance and pride. It is not the complete neglect of ourselves but it is a regarding one another as more important than ourselves. Php 2:3-8  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;  (4)  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  (5)  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  (6)  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,  (7)  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  (8)  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

It is when we have an over inflated view of ourselves that we get offended. Serving is not about the thank you’ s or the accolades we receive. If that’s the case it isn’t serving and it isn’t humility.

Application: Who we are translates into what we do. It is the natural outflow of our lives in Christ. Luk 6:43-45  "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  (44)  For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  (45)  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.