How to Be Gentle In Gods Eyes - 02-10-08
1 PETER 3:1-22
· Peter compared believers to sheep, sheep are gentle animals.
Prop: Christians must practice gentleness in their lives.
I. In the home (1–7)
· Christian wives with unsaved husbands should seek to win them to the Lord.
· How with true spiritual beauty and not with artificial glamour or nagging.
· External glamour may fade, but a meek and quiet spirit is incorruptible.
· Husbands should live as though their wives were priceless porcelain vases and treat them with gentle love.
II. In the church (8–12)
· Imagine having to remind Christians to show one another love and courtesy!
· But as James 4 shows, not every local assembly is a place of peace.
III. In the world (13–22)
· Anybody can suffer for doing wrong.
· Christians must learn to suffer for doing what is right.
· Of course, Jesus is the example for us to follow (v. 18; 2:18–25).
· We witness not by making noise and fighting back but by showing meekness and fear (v. 15).
· A gentle witness can make a big difference in a violent world.
“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, and nothing so gentle as real strength.”
| How can we have A Godly Life | · The Christians who received Peter’s letter were being slandered by others let’s look at a few examples:· 1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. · 1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: · 1 Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:· 1 Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.· 1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.· 1 Peter 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:· 1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.· Peter told them that the best weapon against slander was a godly life that nobody could criticize. · H. A. Ironside said, “If what they say about you is true, restore your ways. If it isn’t true, forget it, and go on and serve the Lord.” |
How gentile are we?