42. The Good Life of Faith c

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."

Good Life of Faith – What is it? V10 says HE WHO WOULD LOVE LIFE AND SEE GOOD DAYS. What does this mean? It seems a little odd that Peter would quote this from Psalm 34 in light of the suffering he has already mentioned and will mention again. It seems quit the contradiction. A few observations 1. There is nothing wrong with loving life and wanting to see good days. 2. It is possible to love life and see good days in context of suffering and persecution. 3. Circumstances so notdictate whether we love life and see good days. 4. The primary key to loving life and seeing good days in being in right relation to God practically.

Who We Are v. 8 – verse 8 and 9 comprise one sentence in the Greek. In the verse 8 there is no verb only adjectives: harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, and humble in spirit. All the words in verse 8 are describing who we are. In Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (24) Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Many of the words Paul uses as being the fruit of the Spirit are the same words that Peter uses to describe who we are. These are the characteristics, through the working of the Holy Soirit, of a person who has been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. A new creature, the old things passed away, behold new things have come. The recipients of God’s free grace. You may ask but if Christians are these adjectives why do we struggle so much to manifest them. We understand that it is because though redeemed by the blood of Christ and freed from the dominion of sin. We still wrestle with it and sometimes fail. It is just as Paul said in Romans 7 As a result of who we are, it affects what we do. Verse 9 harkens us back to the example of Jesus

What we Do we saw last week the first point-we live to imitate Christ.

We live to imitate Christ

1Pe 2:22-23  "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;

Not returning evil for evil

Not returning insult for insult

But giving a blessing instead. We saw the word for blessing in the Greek is the same word we get eulogy from which means to speak well of. We saw that speaking well of our persecutors was not the point that Peter was making but speaking well to them. It is forgiving then and giving them the gospel of salvation. For there is salvation in no one else but Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Stephen prayed ‘Father do not hold this sin against them as they were stoning him to death.

The second point -

We live a life of repentance – though repentance is not explicitly stated, repentance is implied throughout verse 10 and 11. It is the 180 degree turning away from sin and moving in the opposite direction, toward the Lord, toward holiness. The verbs used here are all imperatives meaning stop now.

Three Negatives

Must keep his lips from evil. Evil is the opposite of good. It is the lack of any moral excellence. It is destructive, damaging to oneself or others. When evil is spoken it is malicious, degrading, destructive, and shameful toward the one to whom it is directed.

Jas 3:6  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

Pro 18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Jas 1:26  If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.

I think there is an innate knowledge of the destructive force of the tongue. Maybe as children we can plead ignorance of how badly words can wound and hurt. But certainly as adults there can be no doubt as to its destructive force. The carefully worded gossip couched in terms of spiritual concern. Or the secret accusation. Consider how false accusations, rumors affect the people they are spoken against. How many people have lost jobs because of rumors of impropriety? Or parents lost their children due to false accusations of abuse? James, intimates the destructive nature of the tongue, in the verses quoted above. The tongue is not an independent organ with a mind of its own. It only, ever, speaks what is in our hearts and words spoken can never be unspoken.

In the 10 commandments given to Moses by God the ninth says this: Exo 20:16  "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” When we apply the principle that whatever is explicitly stated the opposite is implied. It broadens the meaning. The negative is explicitly stated the opposite is also true. There are two observations about this verse. 1. You shall not bear false witness generally and 2. You shall not bear false witness specifically against your neighbor. The opposite is also true. We will do everything we can to uphold the truth and speak truthfully for our neighbor. We live in a culture now that places its stamp of approval on lying and speaking evil of others. We have heard stories of people being so bullied in social media that they end their lives. Lives have been destroyed by evil rumors and lies. The evil speaking and lying is offensive to the God who is truth and in Him is no lie at all.

Num 23:19  "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Heb 6:17-18  Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,  (18)  that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

God’s attitude toward falsehood and false testimony.

Pro 6:16-19 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: (17) Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, (18) A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, (19) A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Zec 8:16-17 'These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. (17) 'Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,' declares the LORD."

Rev 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Rev 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

1 Pet 3:12 ….but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

As we are to keep our lips from speaking evil so we are to use our lips for the glory of God. There is a responsibility both to restrain our tongue and lead it. It is an issue of guarding. Psa 39:1 For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I Said, "I will guard my ways, That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle, While the wicked are in my presence."

Restraining – Eph 5:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth; Leading but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Restraining – Eph. 5:25 Therefore laying aside all falsehood. Leading – speak truth each one of you with his neighbor.

Leading Col. 3:16 – teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Must keep from speaking guile – it literally refers to a fishhook, trap, or trick all of which are various forms of deception. It is a deliberate attempt to mislead, trick, snare or "bait" (baiting the trap in attempt to "catch" the unwary victim) other people by telling lies. It is a desire to gain advantage or preserve position by deceiving others. Ex: Weedless Minnow lure bass fishing. I enjoy bass fishing. Every now and then you find a lure that becomes the first lure you reach for in your tackle box. Mine was a soft plastic minnow lure that you could rig weedless. The barb of the hook was buried in the lure so it wouldn’t get snagged. I could cast in water lilies and work it so it looked like a wounded minnow. The bass would take it thinking it was easy meal right up until I set the hook.

We are called to speak the truth, not to ensnare or to trap but to set them free. Joh 8:31-32  Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;  (32)  and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Must turn away from evil – Evil thoughts and evil actions. Is it possible for the Christian to commit evil? David, the one to whom God established the Davidic Covenant, the one who was a type of Christ in that he was not only King, but also functioned prophet and priest. And yet he was guilty of adultery and murder. Was that evil? It certainly was. As long as there is remaining sin in us there is also the capacity in us for evil. There is another name for evil – sin. If evil is the absence of good. Then evil can only ever be sin. Now if all evil is sin, then all sin is evil. Do we consider sin for what it really is? Do we see all sin as evil or have we set up for ourselves classes of sin (respectable sins like, unthankfulness, anxiety, frustration, discontentment, pride, selfishness, lack of self-control, impatience, irritability, anger, envy, jealousy, competitiveness and controlling, sins of the tongue, and worldliness. and only the worst sins are evil. The command is clear we must turn away from all evil.

Three Positives

He must do good. This is explicitly stated. I am not sure who said this quote. “The Law leads us to the gospel for salvation. The Gospel leads us back to the Law to show us how to live. That Law that was written on tablets of stone has now been written on the tablets of our heart. It is the law that teaches us how to live and how to love God and our fellow man.

Mat 22:37-40  And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  (38)  "This is the great and foremost commandment.  (39)  "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  (40)  "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

He must seek peace

He must pursue peace

A couple of observations. 1) Peace is the absence of conflict. 2) Peace, especially in view of suffering and persecution, is not something that comes naturally. 3) Peace once found, it must be pursued.

Is this speaking of peace between each other? It could be. Is it speaking of pursuing peace with our persecutors? Again, it could be. But as I have meditated on this, I have come to believe it means to be at peace with the trails and afflictions that come with persecution. Understanding the sovereignty and the will of God in our suffering and persecution and accepting and submitting to it.

Our natural inclination is to complain, it is to ask why me? It is often times to be angry with our Lord because of our suffering. Often times we rebel against the Lord.

Peace comes from understanding and accepting. Understanding and accepting what? That God is sovereign. Meaning that He rules and reigns and does as He pleases. Were it anyone else such sovereignty should be feared. But God’s sovereignty and all His purposes are rooted in His absolute love for His children whom He has redeemed by the blood of His own Son. It is not a permissive love but one that is determined to conform us to the image of Christ so there are times we are in the fires of affliction and suffering to burn away the dross to make us more like Jesus. Gold and silver are melted so that the imperfections rise to the top and are skimmed off. Peace comes from submitting to the will of God and casting ourselves upon His promises, those precious and magnificent promises which are in Jesus all a resounding Yes!

2Co 1:19-20  For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.  (20)  For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

You may have noticed that I did not answer the question what is the good life of faith. The answer is found in verse 12. It also answers the why of doing what we do.

Why?

The Eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ear attends to their prayer. How so? The answer lies in Psalm 34 where this is taken.

Psa 34:4-10  I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.  (5)  They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces shall never be ashamed.  (6)  This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.  (7)  The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.  (8)  O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!  (9)  O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there is no want.  (10)  The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

Psa 34:17-20  The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.  (18)  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.  (19)  Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the LORD delivers him out of them all.  (20)  He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

Psa 34:22  The LORD redeems the soul of His servants; And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

In the verse comes a terrifying warning.

The Face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

Peter leaves off the second part of the verse in Psalm 34 which states ‘to cut off the memory of them from the earth. Why? I am not sure, but it could be a statement from Peter that God is opposed to all evil. God did not leave David’s sin unpunished and can have full assurance in the fact that the Lord will discipline us in our sin. Heb 12:5-6  and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;  (6)  FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

So there is the good life of faith; the desire to love life and see good days. It is found in being in right with God relationally through Jesus Christ and practically in doing good, seeking peace and pursuing it.

May God help us in this fixing our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.