Godliness In All Relationships

Transcript

GR 1938
01/24/2016
Godliness in All Relationships
I Peter 3:8-12
Gil Rugh

We are going to I Peter chapter 3. We have been out of Peter a little bit and now we come back to it. Just to refresh our minds because the passage we come into fits the flow of the book. Back in chapter 1 you will remember he is writing to the elect sojourners of the diaspora. The diaspora being Jews that are scattered outside the land of Israel. These are elect Jews so these are believing Jews. They are sojourners. They are outside their land. They are scattered so it is not one individual church that he is writing to. He noted in verse 1, these are Jews scattered through various regions who are believers. And so as we noted certain sections of letter would have direct application to Jews and be directed to them specifically but other portions are applicable to all believers and we learn in every portion because even in those portions directed specifically to the believing Jews we as believing Gentiles appreciate the work that God is doing there.

He moved from that address identifying them as those who according to God’s mercy have experienced the new birth in verse 3 of chapter 1: “Who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope.” And this is accomplished through the finished work of Jesus Christ as His resurrection from the dead which was the seal of His finished work. And that living hope we have comes with an inheritance and an inheritance which is sure and that is what we are looking for.

He moved down to the last part of chapter 1and gave a series of commands because what he is talking about in this book, how we should live in light of who we are and where we are going as believers in Jesus Christ as an encouragement to these believing Jews who are going through particular times of suffering and trial not only the trials and sufferings the Jews would experience but the added trials brought to them. They are not only Jew, they are believing Jews. So they have the persecution of not only being Jews but of being Jews that are the enemies as the unbelieving Jews would look at them.

So he is instructing them how you live. One thing we find as we study the Word together, it is directed toward practical life. This is a letter instructing how to live in somewhat the normal flow of life manifesting the character of God in all you do. And he gave a series of commands we noted. Just note the commands. You probably have them marked in your Bible is you were here. In verse 13he says: “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” As we walk through this life we do it with a fixed hope which gives stability to our lives because circumstances change. There are times of greater difficulty and less difficulty. We go through a variety of situations but one thing that does not change is the hope that we have in Christ. That gives us something of a stability and a focal point that keeps us on tract.

We were commanded to be holy because in this unholy world we represent the living God, we are His children we manifest His character and so we are to be holy because He is holy. It’s only a command but what a great privilege to manifest the holiness of God in an unholy world.

Verse 17: “Conduct yourselves” a third command “in fear,” not in that cowering, afraidness if we can put it that way but knowing that we represent the living God. We were those redeemed by His grace and we know that someday we will give an account to Him. He is our Father. That is encouraging but He is our Father who will judge us impartially. We will give an account of the lives that we have lived here. So conduct yourself in fear, that reverence, that awe and all of us know something of that as believers and that sense of not wanting to displease Him but to honor Him knowing someday we will stand in His presence to experience His evaluation.

Down in verse 22 he gave a command to “fervently love one another,” because that was his intention to build a family if you will. The church is the household of God and in response to the truth of the salvation provided in Christ that he talked about in verses 18 and 19 in response to that truth in believing it. We were purified for a genuine, un-hypocritical love of the brethren so the command is, you better fervently love one another. The reason – you have been born again, brings us back to that. Just as you are born into a physical family you are born into the spiritual family and it’s through the living and abiding Word of God and we are reminded that’s the Word which was preached to you. This is the Word that brings life; the Gospel which is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. It is the same message we share right down in this present day. That’s how we were born again. Everyone who is saved is saved by hearing. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the message of Christ

Down in chapter 2 the last command in this series, verse 2: “Long for the pure milk, the unadulterated milk of God’s Word that continues the growth in your salvation.” And the analogy was like new babes so put aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, those things which would hinder growth so that we can continue to grow in Him.

Down in verse 11 and following moves us into a series that you know verse 11: “I urge you as aliens and strangers.” We don’t belong here. “This World Is Not Our Home” the song says, we are just passing through. Our citizenship is in heaven as Paul wrote to the Philippians so we want to abstain from those things which wage war against our soul, what we are now as new creatures in Christ. We are to keep our behavior excellent among the Gentiles. Here these believing Jews living in Gentile parts of the world that their testimony, they will be slandered as evil doers but the impact of their godly life according to the commands that we just saw primarily in chapter 1 will have an impact and hopefully when it comes to the day of God’s judgment they will be there to give God glory for His salvation which was brought to them through the message we brought and the life that was a testimony of that message.

Then he gets into some very practical matters that are sometimes difficult. And we noted, he is going to talk about the area of submission and he particularly focuses on three areas: submission to governing authorities, submission of slaves to masters and submission of wives to husbands. In each of these the focus is on believers having to be submissive to unbelievers and that means there could be tension and the unbeliever is in a position to make our lives more difficult. We serve under governing authorities but by and large they won’t be believers but it doesn’t change our responsibility. So the instruction to submit for the Lord’s sake to every human institution and all levels of human government included in that.

Down in verse 18: “Servants be submissive to your masters with all respect. Not only to the good and gentle but also those who are unreasonable, perverse.” Why? “This finds favor with God.” And then the example of Christ put in here, verse 21 – 25. How He conducted Himself when so unfairly and unjustly treated; very practical matters. We live in a world that will be unjust and unfair, that will be opposed to believers. We need to be careful that we don’t begin to excuse our conduct that is not conformed to God’s character because well, you know they are so unreasonable, it was not fair. That is the point and then the husbands and wives and a difficult situation when a wife has an unbelieving husband. At the end of that in verse 7 he did remind believing husbands that they recognize that their wives are co-heirs of grace and treated accordingly.

So he is moving on in what are very just what we might say simple practical matters that sometimes allude us and that is why it is recorded in Scripture. So he is going to start in verse 8 and he is going to give somewhat a summary of what he has been saying. We will be looking at verses 8-13 directed toward all of us as believers, not just to servant and masters or husbands and wives. All of us live under governing authorities and he is going to deal with our relationships with one another as believers as well as our response to the hostility we might experience from believers.

There is a consistency in our conduct, conformity to the character of God whether we are dealing with believers or unbelievers. We realize that is to be both places and sometimes we fail in both places. We have to be consistent in both places. These verses are going to be very similar to Romans chapter 12, verse 9-21. We are reminded the Spirit of God directed that Paul write to these various churches and each of these points we will find in other places in the New Testament as well but they are all brought together in this passage and also the passage in Romans chapter 12. We will be going there.

So verse 8 starts out to sum up a summary of what he has said. He is going to use 5 adjectives to describe what is to be true of believers in their relationship to one another and then we will it as we follow up with even our relationship to those who are not believers. To sum up: “All of you be harmonious.” I mean if believers are not functioning properly together what kind of testimony are you going to have before the world? You say well I am concentrating on having a good testimony and living properly in the context of unbelievers but if the family is fractured it is not going to be a good testimony and so harmonious, just a compound word. The word the same, homo and the word for mind. So be of the same mind translated here ‘harmonious’ which gives you the sense. As we who have been born again we are to manifest the mind of Christ. There is to be unity. God’s character is being manifest in us. We have the mind of Christ. We are to be like-minded, harmonious in our relationship to one another.

We will go back to Romans chapter 12 and you might leave a marker in Romans 12, bulletin or a piece of paper because we will come back here off and on. In Romans chapter 12 and look at verse 16. “Be of the same mind toward one another.” That’s it. There it is translated instead of ‘be harmonious,’ be of the same mind. That is just what it means. That’s basic. That would rule out being haughty in mind, don’t be wise in your own estimation but there is to be harmony, agreement. We all belong to the same God. We have the same Savior. We have the same new life in Him. We are indwelt and controlled by the same Spirit of God. How could we have anything but harmonious relationships among one another? The Spirit of God is not opposed to Himself. God is not in conflict with Himself. I am manifesting His character and His mind. Naturally we are together. That doesn’t mean we agree on we all like the same color and those things, but in those things which are of importance we all agree on the beauty of what God has made. We may appreciate in different ways; different parts of that beauty and so on. We are harmonious in our relationships.

If you are still in Romans chapter 1, come over to chapter 15, verse 5: “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another.” Notice, “according to Christ Jesus,” and if we are not in harmony with one another somewhere along the line some of us are not according to Christ Jesus because if we are reflecting His mind He is obviously not divided so that we can “with one accord, with one voice glorify God and Father.” I mean again, this doesn’t change the diversity we have and the diversity of gifts we have but we are all in agreement on the foundational things, the desire to please Him and to work to please Him.

A number of passages, I Corinthians 1:10; II Corinthians 3:11. Come over to Philippians, Philippians chapter 2 and the chapter begins “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind.” And you see others of these things will come up in Peter as well, “Maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, intent in one purpose.” That agreement, God is concerned that His family function in harmony with one another. You know just like in your human family. Sometimes you tell your children you have to learn to get along. Sometimes siblings are having disagreements and sometimes you tell them “work it out.” It is expected. You know you don’t expect to go in, you know they are fighting; one’s beating the other black and blue. That is not supposed to go on in families. This is God’s family. He says here, “I am your heavenly Father. Here’s how I expect that you will conduct yourself.” So be of the same mind. That becomes foundational of course to then our practicing in non-conflicting ways.

Down in verse 5, “Have this attitude which was also in Christ Jesus.” So you are aware, this helps motivate our desire is not self-centered but to do what is best for the others. It pulls us together. Again we have the mind of Christ.

While you are in Philippians just look over at chapter 4, verse 2. In the church at Philippi there were two women who were having a conflict, Euodia and Syntyche. I urge them to live in harmony, in the same mind with one another, settle this down, come to agreement, get it resolved.

Come back to Peter. Basic practical thing in how we are going to function together, get along. Why is it that the church is always racked by conflict? Well, we have been dealing in Corinthians if false teachers bring in false doctrine that has to be dealt with but believers ought to be united on that and other basic foundational things that are not acceptable, not tolerated but we are in agreement and we function accordingly.

Verse 8 of chapter 3 of I Peter: “Be harmonious, sympathetic.” This carries the idea of sympathy, you share together the feelings of others. You are entering into their experiences, their feelings. In others words it moves you out of yourself. This is not just sympathizing in a wrong way but you know we are. We are concerned with one another. It is like in your human family, you are concerned for one another. You have sympathy for one another. If a member of your family is hurting or going through difficulty you feel along with them. You feel the hurt. Something you share together. This is what Paul had in mind when he said in Romans chapter 12, verse 15, another verse in Romans 12, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” We share in each other’s experiences and what they are going through a sorrowful, difficult time we are sorry with them. It is not like well, that’s their trouble. You know the closer it gets in your own family you feel those the most; if it is your child, if it is your parent, your grandchild. You know you feel that. You hurt with them so to speak or when something happens you are so happy with them. That’s the way we are to be as God’s people. We are not in competition with one another. We are not working against one another. We are sharing together in one another’s lives. We are not envious of one another. We are not jealous of one another. We are excited when we hear another believer is you know, doing well or has been blessed or something has happened. And we know when they are going through a trial or difficulty it hurts and we hurt too and we show that in a variety of ways.

So this is just a simple way of we are not self-centered like in our family. You make sacrifices. You make sacrifices for your children and so on. You make sacrifices for your elderly parents to make sure they are comfortable and enjoying life and have everything they need and I am making a list but I won’t run through it with you. Okay, enough on sympathetic. There are other passages. I mentioned Romans 12:15; I Corinthians chapter 12, verse 26 but it is basic, foundational. That is what happens in a family. We are brotherly. We are to be brotherly. It is the word ‘philadelphia.’ We are to have family love for one another, brotherly love, back in chapter 1, verse 22. This is why God saved us. Not the only reason but it is the reason given in verse 22: “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren,” an un-hypocritical love of the brethren. He saved you to bring you into His family so you would not only love God, you would love fellow believers. Then the command is given, “Fervently love,” and there is uses the word ‘agape.’ We have phileo love in philadelpia, agapao love in the other but they are to characterize us.

And our love is to be intense. It is a self-sacrificing love that agapao love but that family love is to move us with an intense self-sacrificing love for one another. We are family. If one of your children gets sick and maybe seriously ill everything stops. Why? You have an intense love for them so you are willing to do whatever. You know there is a reason God uses these pictures because we understand it in our physical family somewhat. The spiritual family supersedes, God says, even our physical family. You can’t love father or mother, brother or sister, your kids, your family more than Him. And He expects these things to be true; so brotherly love, a family love that is often a reciprocal love.

I told you to keep a marker in Romans 12, come back there. In verse 10: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” That is what he is talking about in this family love. Love becomes a key here. Verse 9: “Love is to be without hypocrisy.” You will go back and forth between an agape love which is that self-sacrificing love verses the phileo love which is more the family love, the responsive love that we go back and forth with but there is to be no hypocrisy in the love we are showing. This is not put on. This comes from our heart so we are devoted to one another in brotherly love. Our love does not have hypocrisy. That means we give preference to one another in honor. We are pleased to have the other do well, be honored.

Come back to Peter. There are a number of other passages that refer to this love. We won’t take time to go to those but in II Peter since you are close to that, II Peter chapter 1 and in verse 4 we really talk about the new birth as he opened I Peter. Here he says we become partakers of the divine nature as we have responded to what he promised us in Christ and believed and then he says the things that are to characterize us. “Now for this reason, also applying all diligence in your faith,” and these are the things that we are to be working on, having the Spirit produce in our lives and you come down to verse 7: “And in your godliness, brotherly kindness and in your brotherly kindness love.” So we have this brotherly love and then we have you know, both kinds of love which is to characterize us. It is to be building in our relationship. That is to be true of us as a family of believers.

It is encouraging that God didn’t save us in isolation. He intends us to be in relationships with one another. We have the security of belonging to Him, being in His family, having relationship with other believers. We are not alone. I know the Spirit of God dwells in us. He will never leave us or forsake us but His provision for us is to manifest that relationship love we have with Him in our relationship with one another as His children. It is an added blessing.

Back in I Peter chapter 3, verse 8. We are to be kind hearted. That is compassionate, warm hearted concern. It comes from deep within you. The Greek would refer to it more from within your belly. You know, where you feel it. When something happens, you get bad news. You say, “It was just like I was punched in the gut.” You know that feeling that you had. We use the heart to express it in English but it is that compassion that comes from the center from within you. We have that concern for one another. Naturally if you love them you are concerned. And that deep concern for one another.

You want to back up to Ephesians? I don’t want to keep running you to passages but you see we could go through different passages for a number of these. This is what God intends and there is overlap. Live with the right kind of fear that our heavenly Father will judge us impartially. I don’t think we will have any excuse to stand and say, “Well, Lord I didn’t know that’s what You really wanted me to do.” It sort of like when in our physical families the father comes home. The children haven’t been functioning properly, there should be a certain fear in them. Let me ask. Well I didn’t know that’s what you…. What do you mean? What am I not clear about? And so we want to be sure we understand.

In Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tender hearted,” same word we have, warm hearted, tender hearted. You know those affections toward one another that move us to forgiving one another just as God in Christ has forgiven you. This warmth we have for one another as God’s family.

Alright, come back to Peter. These lists – it’s easy for us to blow through them and you run through them and sometimes it is hard to concentrate on each one in the list but that is how God gave them, makes it easy. You say, “Well make a list of what He expects.” Here is what should be characterizing me. Here is what the Spirit will produce in me as I submit to Him and obey what God has said and draw upon His strength.

Still in verse 8, the last of these characteristics: “Humble in spirit,” literally it is “humble of mind.” Again just a compound word, lowly and mind. Lowly minded, humble minded. It is the opposite of being arrogant or high minded.

You still have your marker in Romans 12. You get this contrast in Romans chapter 12 verse 16. We read the last part of this. “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty in mind, associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.” So you see what it means to be humble minded; that willingness to appreciate others. There is conflict when I think highly of myself, my opinion and then we have conflict because if I think highly of my opinion and you think highly of yourself and your opinion we are going to have conflict because neither one of us are functioning with the mind that God says He wants us to have, it is humility, humble mind.

You might as well stop at Philippians. This is probably the best known passage on this in Philippians chapter 2. We noted verse 2 fits: “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with (here’s our mind) humility of mind. Regard one another as more important than yourselves.” And if we think that way naturally I am willing to yield to that person. It helps me remove the conflict, right? When I am thinking highly of myself I think I know better than you. I think I know more than you. That doesn’t mean we yield on the truth of Scripture and those things, obviously, but our general attitude, we are looking at other believers. We appreciate what God is doing in their lives. We appreciate how God has gifted them, how God uses them. It would be a terrible loss not to have them. I thank God that He has brought them into our life, my life, and brought them into our church family. You know if we are start thinking that way it affects how we relate to one another. That means “do not merely look out for your own personal interests but for the interests of others” and the illustration, “have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Same thing Peter did. Remember at the end of chapter 2 of I Peter where here is the example of how you suffer, how you endure trails – Christ here; same attitude as Christ. He was willing to humble Himself, leave the throne of glory and take on Himself humanity and the suffering and all that went with that ultimately going to the cross. “He humbled Himself becoming obedient to the point of death, (verse 8) even death on a cross.” So the end of that was God highly exalted Him.

There will come a day when God will give out His honors so we are reminded at the end of verse 12: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Then he goes on with instructions in Philippians like we are having in Peter. We conduct ourselves.

You know, it’s not as we would say, “rocket science,” It’s not something, well if I understood languages better, if I was more intelligent, if I… This is simple basic truths to be understood by all of us. The problem isn’t it is hard to understand, the problem sometimes is we don’t want to implement it. We don’t want to do it. It just comes down to that. You can’t get it done in any other way. When I don’t do what God says, His intention for me to do it is not because His Spirit could not provide the enablement. I don’t want His Spirit to provide the enablement. My mind is made up. That is a terrible thing to say but that is what we are saying, right? I don’t want to submit to the Spirit in this matter. I already know what I want to do and I am going to get my way.

Sometimes we have to back up. “Let this (attitude) mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.” He humbled Himself. No matter how long we have been believers it can be difficult to humble ourselves. So we are to be humble minded people.

Come back to Peter. Now Peter is writing to believers going through trials. You know trails are good for us but it puts stress on our relationships. You know what your family is like and if you are going through some physical problems it puts stress on your family. You sometimes say, “I am getting stressed out.” If you are having financial difficulties and pressure, it puts stress on the family. There are a variety of things that can put stress on the family. A member of the family is not functioning as they should. You know it brings stress to the family.

So these believers are going through stress and the trials of persecution. Chapter 4, verse 12: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing.” Don’t think this is something strange. This is part of God’s plan in identifying you with Christ as we will see when we get there. Remember what we were talking about with Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians.

So we like life without the pressure. Sometimes Marilyn and I, when we want to put our mind in neutral, we will watch house hunter programs. I like to watch House Hunters International. This isn’t an advertisement but people are always saying “We have so much stress in our life. We need to get away. We have so much stress in our life we have to get away.”

You know, isn’t it amazing the more you have, the more prosperous you are, the more we have all the benefits, the more stress we feel we have. I’ll tell you what stress is. Turn on the news and look at people living in other parts of the world. They’ve got stress but here we just zone out. We as believers get to thinking, I just would like to not have the pressures of stress, but God’s plan is stress. Why? Because that keeps us trusting Him, drawing upon His grace, reminded we can’t always handle it.

So come back to chapter 3. We share in one another’s lives. We share in what each of us is doing. Verse 9 moves more toward what might happen in the context of unbelievers but sadly sometimes it is true in the way we treat one another as well. First he says, “Not returning evil for evil,” this present participle here. This should not be a part of our normal life. You know it is the world’s. You get me, I’ll get you. We don’t return evil for evil period.

Come back to Romans 12. That’s why I told you to keep a marker here. It would be an easy passage for us to get to. Romans chapter 12, look at verse 17: “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.” Pretty simple and clear. Well, it doesn’t say most of the time never pay back evil for evil to anyone. It says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.” But you don’t know what they did. I don’t need to know what they did. I want to tell you what they did to me so I get you on my side but it doesn’t matter. I can’t pay them back evil anyway. No evil for evil to anyone so that would include unbelievers. You would hope that a believer is not evil to an unbeliever, to a fellow believer but even when the unbeliever treats you evilly you don’t look to exact revenge, to get back.

Verse 19 while you are here; “Never take your own revenge, beloved. Leave room for the wrath of God. Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” I need to be very careful. I put myself in a very difficult position when I assert a prerogative God said He has reserved absolutely for Himself and if I decide I am going to take vengeance then I am in trouble with God because He has said that is a prerogative I have reserved for Myself. You have to respect that. So I never pay back evil for evil to anyone. I never take revenge.

We have to be reminded, it becomes more natural. We want to do it but God said it is Mine. Now when I say I have decided this is an exception I am going to do it and I step in to do what God says He has reserved for Himself, I am in serious trouble. So we don’t return evil for evil.

That is the pattern of the believer. We live differently in the world. You know all that Paul suffered. We don’t have him talking about how he will get back at them. He just keeps going on. It is in the Lord’s hands. We talk about that but it is hard to implement it. We feel sometimes we want the satisfaction.

Come back to Matthew 5, Matthew 5. We are in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5 we can’t read the whole thing but you pick up with verse 38: “You have heard it was said, ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ but I say to you ‘do not resist an evil person. Whoever slaps you on your right cheek turn the other also.’” And so on. Verse 43: “You have heard it said that you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. I say to you, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” It is not easy to do. That’s why he stood periodically not because you are morbid but because you want the encouragement. Read the testimony of martyrs and see how the glowing testimony some of those had, suffering the most horrendous often injustices. It is a reminder and so many of those they are not seeking vengeance. They are testifying to God’s grace. That’s why you pray for those who persecute you. So this is not new material.

Come back to I Peter chapter 3. “Not returning evil for evil, insult for insult.” And back in chapter 2, verse 23, “While being reviled He did not revile in return. While suffering He offered no threats. He entrusted Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Not insult for insult. Not reviling back to those that reviled against Him. Not declaring some day you will stand before Me. I will send you to an eternal hell. Sort of like Stephen. “Father, forgive them.” There is this; Jesus dealing so patiently in His suffering and death. Not insult for insult but back in chapter 3, “giving a blessing instead.” We desire their salvation, chapter 2, verse 12, “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles so when the thing in which they slander you as evil doers they may because of your good deeds observe and glorify God in the day of visitation.”

Reading some of the martyrs as I do periodically from time to time and you know here they are being burned at the stake praying for the king, praying for those there testifying that they can have God’s salvation. We lose sight of what matters, what’s important. If God would use your suffering, the injustices done to you to bring others to Christ when we are sharing eternity and the kingdom He has prepared for us. You think it is going to be too much? Isn’t that what we are concerned about? We lose sight, our eyes get drawn down. I want others to share the hope that I have. That is where we fix our hope, remember? I would love others to share in this. I understand why they respond so cruelly, so unkindly. They don’t know the Savior. If they know Him it will make all the difference. So we have to manifest His character so we give a blessing instead and you note what he says. “You were called for this very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” and you desire that same blessing for others. I mean that is what we are going to inherit.

We are back to chapter 1 where he has talked about us being born again and we are protected by God for the ultimate salvation He has promised, the inheritance that he talked about in chapter 2, verse 1 for those who have been born again.

This is what He called us to, “For this purpose” and as we see with Paul, his sufferings became an opportunity to testify of the power of God and the grace of God.

Often we have those same opportunities but they don’t come to us that clearly. You know when I am going through it I am concentrating on what is unfair, unjust, not right and it pulls me down. I get absorbed with that and then I feed on it and it begins to gnaw at me and then you know I would like vengeance and I would like to pay them back. Where is this all going? I have lost my focus. What it is all about is to bring honor to Him, to testify of His grace, to be an instrument that might bring others to know the Savior that I know only by His grace and Lord don’t let me miss those opportunities. That is what I am being reminded of.

So now he is going to summarize and conclude this by quoting somewhat extensively as you can see it marked off, verses 10, 11 and 12. This comes from Psalm 34 verse 12-16. We won’t go back there because we have it basically the part we want here quoted. Verse 10: “For the one who desires life to love and see good days he must keep his tongue from evil, his lips from speaking deceit.” Interesting this is where he comes and this is going to be in the context of difficulty. It is not quoted here but verse 19 of Psalm 34 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” But “The one who desires life to love and to see good days must keep his tongue from evil, his lips from speaking deceit.”

That doesn’t mean you will have a trouble free life but to experience the blessing of God those going to inherit the blessings of God and you know when we are functioning as God would have us there is the experiencing of blessing even in the trials. We can say as Paul did in our passage we studying this morning, “I am well content with weaknesses” because I see God at work and ultimately my future is nothing but blessing and this is part of the road God has prepared for me in anticipation of that.

You have to keep your tongue from evil, your lips from deceit and this is what can I say? It is not considered a sin to go off with your tongue. Turn just in front of Peter to James. This would include what we say, the words that come from us. Verse 2: “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says he is a perfect man able to bridle the whole body as well.” You know what that means? Since there are no perfect people here, none of us have the tongue under control. Isn’t it amazing what comes out and how quickly we slip out of that and we use our tongue but we have it twisted in our own thinking to claim we are doing something good? “You can control the horses with a small bit, the ships with a small rudder, (verse 5) so the tongue is a small part of the body yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire and the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity. The tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell.” That is strong language.

Verse 8: “No one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison.” And it seems wrong and he calls them brethren. This shouldn’t be going on. Even believers use their tongue but somehow that is not a bad sin.

Come back to I Peter chapter 3. I am amazed and appalled at what goes on with the tongue among professing believers today. Sometimes you know I don’t want to even read it. I don’t want to hear it. It is amazing. You must keep your tongue from evil, your lips from speaking deceit. It can be brought under control. No man can control the tongue but the Spirit of God can provide the enablement but as soon as I don’t walk under His control my tongue gets let loose. It is the easiest thing to use for destructive purposes. It is to be brought under control but it only can be done by the grace of God.

You see what it said concerning Christ? He left an example back in chapter 2, verse 21 for us to follow, verse 22: “He committed no sin nor was any deceit found in His mouth. And being reviled He did not revile in return. While suffering He uttered no threats but kept entrusting Himself to the One who judges.” He didn’t use His tongue to lash out. “Keep the tongue from evil, the lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it.” I mean that is consistent with what we talked about, isn’t it? This is what we believers are about. Not bringing peace to the world and that. We are going to get involved in peace movements and that kind of thing. We are bringing true peace. “There is no peace says my God to the wicked” but I come with a message of God’s peace that can bring peace. “Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God.” And so now we can “have the peace of God stand guard at our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

We turn away from evil, we want to do good. We want to seek peace and pursue it. “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous. His ears attend to their prayer but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Very simply. We want to live for the Lord. We want to testify to His grace. We don’t want to get caught up in the things that go on which would be contrary to that.

So you see the practical daily living for us as believers not necessarily the spectacular. This is just the normal, go through the day life and the things that come up and the things we confront and how we handle it, how we live and when we do we experience the blessing of God and the peace it brings to our heart and mind because we are working with God in the work that He is doing. Otherwise we are opposed to God and He stands against us and that can only bring trouble and trial.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord for Your grace and the grace has brought Your forgiveness, Your salvation to our sinful lives. How amazing it is and Lord it has not just brought forgiveness of sins, just not brought hope for the future, but You have made us new. We have truly been born again. We are Your children, partakers of the divine nature, privileged by Your grace, enabled by Your grace to live manifesting the beauty of Your character even in the most unpleasant of situations. Lord may we be faithful, may we be consistent, may You be honored and pleased as we anticipate the time when we will stand before You and give an account. Use us in the week before us wherever we are, whatever You bring into our lives may we manifest our character we pray in Christs name, amen.