Witnesses for the Cross

Introduction

In past few weeks we’ve been looking at the right behavior Christians are to have to authority. As spiritually reborn people we are to submit to all who are in authority over us. We do this because we know that Jesus is Lord and has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. This will mean that we may suffer temporarily, however it is important to remember what god has done for us. Today we will spend some time looking at the Christian Witness in the World.

Rule of Thumb

Lasting Harm

Please have your bible open at 1 Peter 3.

1 Peter 3:13, And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? This verse is a rhetorical question, meaning that the obvious answer is going to be “no-one.” But then the passage goes on to say that we may get harmed. In verse 13 Peter says, no harm will come to those who do good. Then in the very next breath he says that harm will most likely come to you for following the good. Which one is it, Peter?

There is a link between v12 and v13, one we generally miss because our English Bibles often break the text up with a subheading after verse 12. Subheadings are helpful in finding passages, but they have a tendency to blur the links because we too tend to break up the text in the same way. When we begin a new verse under a subheading we usually don’t think of the relationship between what went before and what comes after. Instead we take the new passage as a new thought. But that often isn’t the case.

Look with me at verse 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.” Peter concludes the previous passage with the promise of God’s blessing upon His people, while placing judgement upon the evildoers. As we read verse 13 let us keep verse 12 in mind. 1 Peter 3:13 poses this rhetorical question, And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? I

So what is Peter actually saying?

There are two ways to take this. Either Peter is giving a general truth or he is speaking of eternal life. As a general truth, or proverb, generally speaking those who submit to the laws and authority of the land, who do good things within the community, will not be harmed. People are inclined to speak well of good citizens. Those people who are kind to everyone, generously volunteer their time and talents, those people who are thoughtful and unselfish, seem to receive praise from society. We have already been told, in 1 Peter 2:13-14, that government is set up for the benefit of its citizens. Laws of the land are meant to keep people safe, and to enable flourishing.

On the other hand, if this question speaks to our future glorification we then understand that there is not one thing that is able to take away our salvation. Look with me at Romans 8:31-37.....Paul assures Believers, God is for us…because through Christ we are justified, and that it is Christ who as the Judge, condemns people. And if you are in Christ then you are more than conquerors, because Christ has already judged you as not guilty. I love how Paul sums it up in 8:39b, not one created thing, shall separate us from God’s love. Any other created thing refers to anything that is not God, for everything else is created. Are you created? yes, you are. Therefore even your own self is not able to separate you from the Love of God in Christ Jesus.

Followers literally means imitators, or zealous, and refers to a continuous habit of doing good. From a human point of view, this means looking out for the welfare of your society and neighborhood, and obeying the laws of the land. From a spiritual point of view, it means living out the Christian life as a sanctified person, a new creature. Living as people of the Word. People who look to God and His Word in negotiating the trials and tribulations of this world. As soon as we stop looking to God for guidance we lose our step and fall into sin. Followers of what is good then refers to the outward possession of the inward rebirth.

Exception to the Rule

Unjust Suffering

1 Peter 3:14, But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” Those who don’t follow the world in its sinful desires, but follow the way of the cross, will inevitably come into conflict with the world. The world cannot stand God’s people living godly lives. It cannot stand that God’s standards are black and white.

Suffering for righteousness sake means submitting to disadvantage in this life, for defending God’s truth. Jesus lived the righteous life and look where that landed him. Falsely accused, beaten half to death, He was then crucified. Paul lived according to righteousness and he was constantly beaten, jailed, and on one occasion, left for dead. Neither Jesus nor Paul were afraid of the threats from the world. Both trusted in God for deliverance, both trusted in God’s Word, and both were blessed by God. We too have that promise, in the great commission Jesus Christ said that he will always be with us, even to the end of the age. If you want to be blessed by God, begin by living according to His authoritative, inerrant, Word, even when the whole world is out to get you.

The second part of this verse says, “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” Literally Peter writes, do not intimidated by their intimidation, or do not fear the fear of them. He is not instructing the believers to stop having phobias. Rather he charges them not to be afraid of unbelievers, nor should we be scared of what they can do.

I reckon that in the back of Peter’s mind as he wrote this passage was the sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:3-12 Christ tells the people of several traits, or characteristics, of the Christian. In verse 10 of the Beatitudes Jesus declares, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It is human to be afraid of pain, especially the type of pain that comes from things we can avoid. If you are afraid of sharks, stay out of the water. If you are afraid of being beaten and robbed while walking down the street, stay away from dark alleys and don’t walk alone. But we are never to be afraid or intimidated of how people respond to us as we live bible shaped lives, or as verse 14 says the righteous life. Blessed has often been equated to happiness, but I don’t believe this to be the case. I don’t know anyone who would be happy over their own suffering, and pain. Blessed rather refers to the inward joy that comes from living before the face of God, especially during pain and suffering. Being blessed is the joy of knowing that God has your best interests at heart, and though there may not always be happiness, there should always be the joy of salvation.

Apologetic

Holify the Lord God

v15, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; Let’s remember who Peter is writing to. The Christians in Asia are being battered and bruised for their faith in Christ, and have most likely become Gospel-shy. We can understand this gospel-shyness too. How would you react if you were beaten, and verbally abused by your community, for your Faith, wouldn’t you be timid in discussing Christian matters?

We are to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. Here Peter alludes to Isaiah 8:13, which says, The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow. Sanctify and hallow are the same word in the Greek, but we also find this word in the Lord’s prayer, Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name. We are to set apart God in our hearts every minute of every day. Jesus said that lamps are to be placed on tables where their light has the greatest impact, and not hidden under the bed. That first requires us to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts as we affirm our submission to His control, His instruction, and His guidance. To sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, then, means to fully believe and trust that God alone is Lord, and His enemies are not.

Defenders of the Faith

v15, always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. God doesn’t need me or you, but He does desire us to submit to Him in proclaiming the Gospel. We don’t like to bring God into everyday conversations. We may think that because we don’t have all the answers, we will be made to look stupid. Back in 1 Peter 1:13 we were told to gird up our loins and be sober, and in 2:2 we are told to desire the pure milk of the word. So when we get to 3:15 we shouldn’t be surprised that Peter tells us to be prepared to give a defense for the truth of the Gospel. Part of this defense is in the way we possess the Gospel in our lives, as Peter has been saying. But it also means that we some head knowledge of the Good Book.

The word defense is a legal term, and describes giving an answer to accusations thrown. People are often curious and suspicious of Christians when we don’t act the same way as the world, and will often either throw insult at us or hopefully ask probing questions about our different practices. In these verses Peter is telling us that we should be ready to give answers for the hope we have. He doesn’t command us to go out and win every argument against others, all that does is ensure the wall between us is built thicker . Rather, we are to be ready to give clear and simple answers that demonstrate the Biblical position we live by. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Meekness and Fear

And so we do so, v15, with meekness and fear. Our witness in the world is not to be a nasty, pride filled testimony. A friend told me recently that when hosting a group of Israeli travelers, he found them to be ungrateful and arrogant. We as Christians, are not to be overbearing, ungrateful, or arrogant, not treating people with a cold heart. Rather, we are to be gentle and kindhearted. The insults and accusations thrown at us should not be the result of our treatment of them, but as a result of the Gospel we defend.

Fear can be taken two ways. the NIV takes this as respect for the other person, and I think there is certainly a sense in the passage for this interpretation. More fully, though, it is our continued reliance and reverence of God and his provisions in these times, and this is how Peter consistently uses the word throughout his letter. We are to express our devotion to God, regarding His truth, while at the same time showing respect for the other person. Colossians 4:6 says, Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Pure Conscience

v16, having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. The human conscience can be valuable tool in deciding right from wrong, but we must remember it is only a human faculty. It is not God’s voice, nor His moral law. Because of this it cannot be the ultimate judge. Paul is a great example of how having a good, or pure, conscience helps to govern our speech and actions. He says in Acts 23:1, Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” Having a good conscience before God and men may seem easy for Paul but it required continual effort to maintain. Paul says this to the governor Felix, in Acts 24:16, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. Paul says to Timothy, Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.

In the immediate context, the defamation that may come upon a Believer must come as a result of our holy living, our good conduct in Christ. Those who oppose us, are really opposing Christ, and will be ashamed on the Day of Judgement. We don’t respond negatively when others throw insult and cause injury, we love with the same love God has shown us. while we were still enemies, Christ died for us.

The Will of God

Suffer for Goodness sake

v17, For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. I will cover only two possibilities for why Christians suffer. Firstly, They may suffer because they live according to God’s Word. I won’t add anymore to this. But secondly, they may suffer because they live according to the world, or evil. This may come as a surprise to some but I am not perfect, and neither are you. Before we are spiritually reborn we are all under God’s wrath, and this is what Jesus satisfied when He died on the cross. However, when we are reborn into God’s family we are not immediately, nor automatically, made perfect . In truth we are both righteous in God’s sight, yet sin is still present within our lives. Sometimes God causes suffering in order to discipline us, that we might learn to repent of the wrong, turn and do what is right. In either case the suffering is to show that we cannot help ourselves but must continually rely on the holy and ever present God who loves us and cares for our eternal welfare.

Peter tells us that we suffer because God wills it, and if we are going to suffer, Peter says that it is far better if we suffer for following the way of Christ, than following the way of the world. This is where the great promise in Romans 8:28 gives us hope, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Our witness as Children of the King is to be seen on our lips as well as in our lives. When suffering comes we are to continue to stand upon Christ the Rock.

Let us pray.