1 Peter 3.16
1 Peter 3.16 - 18
c Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.
17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.
18 For Christ also sufferedd for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring youe to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,
St Peter tells us in these few words that the confession of a Christian’s faith cannot credibly be supported, but by the two means which in his letter he specifies—a good conscience and a good conversation.
A good Conscience is when it is kept pure and uncorrupt; clear from guilt, and then it will justify you, though others will accuse you of the opposite.
Being in good conversation with Christ is a holy life, according to the doctrine and example of Christ.
We could say a life of pray.
Last month I spent a week living with the monks at a Benedictine Abbey, joining in with there life of Pray.
The monks are called to pray seven times a day starting with Vigils 5.30 in the morning and ending with Compline at 8.30 in the evening.
Their call to prayer seven times a day, has a meaning as is based on Christ’s last hours before he died.
At Mattins, bound
By Prime, Tried
Condemned to Death, at Terce
Nailed to the Cross, at Sext
At None, His Blessed Side they Pieced
They Take Him Down, at Vespers Tide
In Grave, at Compline Lay
Who Henceforth Bids, His Church Observe
His Sevenfold Hours Away
They also celebrate Mass daily.
None of us can go to church 8 times a day like the monks but we can still have time for prayer each day and be in conversation with Jesus Christ.
Priests are expected to say Morning and Evening Pray each day but are not required to do so in church like the monks.
Morning Prayer also know as Matins, Evening Prayer together with Compline come from the services that the monks say each day.
When I was in South Oxfordshire I was a Diocesan Reader which means instead of being licensed to the Vicar of the parish like all Readers are, I was licensed to the Bishop / Archdeacon of the Diocese.
The reason for this was that my ministry was at the local Mental Hospital assisting the Chaplin.
I would like to tell you about two patients at that hospital who I will refer to as Ann & Peter and the way that they commutated with God.
One day while I was taking a service in their Chapel, I must point out that it was quite normal for them to wonder round while the service was going on.
One of them distracted me while another one messed up my notes, and while I am re-sorting them, I said we will say the Lords Prayer when I find it.
Peter one of the patients stood up and told everyone to sit down and started to lead the Lords Prayer which he knew off by heart.
From that point on Peter was asked to say the Lords Prayer ever week.
On one of the few occasions that any hospital staff was present, was when Ann was wheeled in to the Chapel strapped to a stretcher.
When Ann was with us I would always change one of the hymns so that we could sing “All things bright and beautiful”
The smile on Ann’s face was unbelievable.
Peter and Ann communicated to God in their own way which could be seen in the joy on their faces.
Look well to your conscience, and to your conversation; and then, though others will speak evil of you, and falsely accuse you as evil-doers, you will clear yourselves, and bring them to shame.
Perhaps you may think it hard to suffer, for keeping a good conscience and a good conversation with Christ; but do not be discouraged, for it is better for you, though worse for your enemies, that you suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing.
The most conscientious persons cannot escape the censures and slanders of evil people; they will speak evil of them, as of evil-doers, and charge them with crimes which their very souls abhor.
A good conscience and a good conversation in Christ are the best means to secure a good name; these give a solid and lasting reputation.
False accusation generally turns to the accuser’s shame, by discovering at last the accuser’s indiscretion, injustice, falsehood, and un-charitableness.
It is sometimes the will of God that good people should suffer for well-doing, for their honesty and for their faith.
As well-doing sometimes exposes a good man to suffering, so evil-doing will not exempt an evil man from it.
St Peter supposes here that a man may suffer for both.
If the sufferings of good people for well-doing be so severe, what will the sufferings of wicked people be for evil-doing?
It is a sad condition which that person is in upon whom sin and suffering meet together at the same time; sin makes sufferings to be extreme, unprofitable, comfortless, and destructive.
Peter proposed as an argument for patience under sufferings the example of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ himself was not exempted from sufferings in this life, though he had no guilt of his own and could have declined all suffering if he had pleased.
Yet the reason for Christ’s suffering was the sins of men, Christ suffered for our sins.
Christ substituted himself and bore our sins.
In the case of our Christ suffering, it was the just that suffered for the unjust.
He that knew no sin suffered, instead of those that knew no righteousness.
The merit and perfection of Christ’s sacrifice were such that for him to suffer once was enough.
Christ’s suffering was to bring us to God, to reconcile us to God, to give us access to our Father who is in Heaven, to render us and our services acceptable, and to bring us to eternal glory. Eph. 2:13, 18; 3:12; Heb. 10:21, 22. 6.
The issue and event of Christ’s suffering, as to himself, were these, he was put to death in his human nature, but he was quickened and raised again by the Spirit.
Now, if Christ was not exempted from sufferings, why should Christians expect it?
St Peter tells us if Jesus Christ suffered, to a make a complete atonement for our sins, why should not we be content with our sufferings which are only for a short time.
If Christ once suffered, and then entered into glory, shall not we be patient in out time of trouble, since it will be but a little time and we shall follow him to glory?
St Peter was writing this letter at the time of the persecutions of the Christians in Rome.
If Jesus Christ suffered, to bring us to God, shall not we ourselves submit to the difficulties He puts in front of us, as they help us in the performance of our duty to Him?
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