Encourgement:Called to Righteous Living

Encouragement for Foreigners: Message Eight

**Tyler Golden preached message 7- 1 Peter 3:1-7

Text: 1 Peter 3:8-12

ETS: Peter encouraged the readers to live right among others (both believers and nonbelievers) according to their calling.

ESS: We ought to live among others according to our calling in Christ.

OSS: [Ethical] I want the hearers to commit to living right among others according to their calling.

PQ: What conducts are addressed in terms of living among others?

UW: Conducts

Intro: We are called, as believers, to live a certain way. Today, Peter addressed his hearers to encourage them amidst their situation to live in light of their calling- both towards believers in the community and nonbelievers who were persecuting them.

Highlight the “finally” in v. 8 that means in reference to this section, finally- not finally in conclusion.

Highlight the “all of you” aspect of v. 8 which refers to all of the believers in the community.

TS: Let’s examine together the conducts addressed by Peter concerning the calling to live right among others:

Our conduct towards believers (v. 8)

Joel B. Green wrote that the five words used in v. 8 are all unique to this passage and rare in the NT. They all “overlap with and amply the others and all demonstrative of the peculiar nature of the Christian community” (Green, notes under 1 Peter 3:8)

Like-minded: towards the faith, having a harmonious goal, common thought. Similar words (same idea) used in Phil. 4:2 and Rom. 15:5

Sympathetic: Bearing one another’s burdens; feeling for the weary and weak who are in distress.

Love one another: Adjectival form of meaning “brotherly love” or love towards those in the community.

Compassionate: Both in action and in feelings towards one another- feelings of care and concern, in the deepest part of the gut.

Humble minded: Shows conscious effort to have an attitude of humility towards others; totally different than culture of their day- humility was a sign of weakness and low status.

Application: We are to live right towards believers.

Our conduct towards nonbelievers (v. 9a)

Not paying back literally translates from the Greek as not returning again.

Remember the example of Jesus in 2:21-24. Similar wording.

Application: We are to live right towards nonbelievers.

Conclusion: V. 9b concludes with the promise of a blessing for living rightly among others in the world, both believers and nonbelievers alike. Peter, after encouraging the readers to live right, affirms his encouragement with a citation of Psalm 34:12-16 which further supports the calling to live righteously: keeping one’s tongue away from evil, turning away from practicing evil and instead doing what is good, pursuing and seeking peace. The blessing of right living is spelled out in Psalm 34:15-16 and cited in 1 Peter 3:12: the eyes of the lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. What a beautiful blessing. However, on the contrary, for those who continue practicing evil, the Lord sets His face, His very being, against them.

Today, maybe the first step towards living right for you is forgiving that person who hurt you years ago; seeking forgiveness for something you did to hurt someone else; confessing a sin struggle that has effected many people and turning to God. Whatever it is, we must understand that we are called to live right among others, both believers and nonbelievers. There is a blessing to be had when we do: the Lord’s eyes and ears being attentive towards us.