Living As God's Children
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Beginning at 1 Peter 2:11, Peter has been exhorting every believer to submit. We are instructed to submit to civil authority. We are charged to submit to those in direct authority over us, like our bosses. Wives are instructed to submit to their husbands, And, the husband is instructed to submit to the care and nourishment of his wife. These areas of life are all a major way we as Christ’s ambassadors display His Gospel. In other words, we show the truth of Jesus Christ by submitting to those in authority. While we transit through this world, our conduct blazes forth, like HID spotlights on a car, or lights on a hill. We are not submitting to authority because they are better than us, but do so for the glory of God. Believers are to be a positive witness for the Gospel of Christ to the lost of the world.
In order for this to happen Peter demonstrates that it must first begin in the home. Not our individual homes - the Mobbs’ home, or the Pivac’s home. But in the Church home, among fellow Believers. As this is played out among Believers it naturally flows into the rest of our lives. We see this in Chapters 1, 2, and into chapter 3.
In passage, today, we see Peter pause his letter to give five practical applications for a healthy to Church. Five practical applications that apply equally to us in this day and age, as it did to the first century church.
Please keep your bible open at 1 Peter 3. we will be looking at verses 8-9.
Christian Virtue
Christian Virtue
One Minded
One Minded
1 Peter 3:8, Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous. One of the major forces behind current trends throughout the world is the force of harmony. The world desires everyone to be happy and unified. I believe this is one of the reasons why society is quick to jump on the bandwagon of so many movements. We have the woke movement, the me too movement, the different gender movements, and the environmental movements. What each of these have in common is their wish to be included and fully accepted in the larger society. But in the same way that Cain tried to find acceptance with God by killing off the competition, so too does the world. It goes about finding unity and peace the wrong way. It continues to try and rid itself of the only one who can bring unity.
Instead of seeking the harmony through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it looks for harmony in all the wrong places. Peter says we are to “be of one mind.” Christians are to be unified, but rather than finding unity by thinking the exactly same (to be more like everyone else), we embrace a truth that is outside us. We embrace God’s truth. This is one mindedness and it means that we Christians are to have a common commitment to God’s truth. Romans 12:5 says, we, being many, are one body in Christ. Romans 12:16 tells us that as one body we are called to be of the same mind toward one another. Our outward conduct among our brethren must not be one of conflict and strife. Philippians 1:27 says, Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ… that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.
In our Bible Studies over the last couple of weeks we have been looking at Romans chapters 13 through 15. throughout these chapters Paul goes into great pains to show the type of unity he desires for the church. In Romans 15:1 he summarizes it beautifully. I will read from the English Standard, as it bring out the force a lot better than our pew Bibles. He says, We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” Every person who has tasted that the Lord is good, who has been born again, has the duty, no, the obligation, to bear with the failings of his or her fellow Believers. Too often our thinking is more along the lines of the world. We think, the person with the problem needs to change, not us, because I am obviously right.
No, the unity we have as Believers comes from the inward unity, the spiritual reality of our new birth in Christ.
Another form of disunity comes from the Post-modern society. Post-modern thinkers say that there is no truth. What I believe is true is not what you consider true. What is the problem? The problem is communication. If ask you to help me look for my missing dog, but in your mind a dog looks like a horse, then we won’t be looking for the same animal. As soon as words lose their intended meaning we have disunity. The one mindedness we believers have comes from the infallible, authoritative Word of God, what we call the Bible. Our thinking should be grounded in God’s truth and our values and opinions shaped and formed by Holy Scripture.
Compassion
Compassion
The people of God are to be unified, and have compassion for one another. The Greek word here is sympathy. literally it means that we are to feel each others pain. Romans 12 tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 says that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. This is one of the benefits of being part of the body of Christ. We sympathize with each other, even those in the body that we don’t know. This is brought out in Hebrews 13:3, Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Why are we called to have compassion one for another? Because we have a sympathetic High Priest. Hebrews 4:15, For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
It isn’t just sympathy for others pain. The compassion we have is also a share in fellow Believer’s passions. Particularly those righteous passions should be contagious, and spread like wild fire through the whole body. Something gleaned from parenthood is that if the parent is passionate about something we often see that passion shared by their children. A mother may be very passionate about pets, or snorkeling, or sport, and that appetite will be displayed in the child as well.
Brotherly Love
Brotherly Love
The next virtue is that we are to love as brothers. When you became a Christian, you were born into a new family, the family where God is your Father and Christ your older brother. Christians, all over the world, in Australia, India, China, Africa, France, and Iran, we are all children of God, and each of us are brothers and sisters in the Faith. The world says that blood is thicker than water. But the Bible says that Christian love is thicker than blood, it transcends any notion of our earthly family.
I think John says it the best in his first letter. 1 John 3:16-17, By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? Real Christianity displays Christlike love for one another. It self sacrifices, 1 Corinthians 13:4-13. How many of us here have sacrificed our own comforts, or money, or time, to help a fellow Believer when they asked? The letter of James has very sobering words for us in this regard. James 2:8-9, If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. I think I speak for all of us here, that we all fall short of fully loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is always more we can do for each other, and therefore we all have something to confess before our eternal Father. Brotherly love is unselfish service for another. A loving Christian has, as Galatians 2:20 says, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Tenderhearted
Tenderhearted
Peter has told us to be of one mind, to be compassionate, and to show brotherly love. He now calls Believers to be tenderhearted. Tenderness is the opposite of roughness, and the word Peter uses is the deep internal tenderness of our hearts. In a lot of ways it is easy to put on an outward show of kindness, but we are told to be kind on the inside. The Greek word behind tenderhearted is the word for intestines. In the ancient world the intestines were the seat of one’s emotions. Most men in Australia have grown up with the motto, real men don’t cry. This means that men don’t show any emotion at all. Peter flips this on idea on its head and says all of you…be tenderhearted. Believers are to have gentle, tender, and soft hearts. The person who is tenderhearted is someone who loves from the heart, is able to let minors be minor, and continue to stand upon majors - the truth of God.
Courteous
Courteous
The Believer is also to be courteous. The word means humble minded. The Christian community is not to be full of prideful people. Pride is the enemy of the Christian life. We are not to harbor resentment, envy, jealousy, or malice. Instead the mind of the Believer will be humble. They know they are no better a person than anyone else. We are all saved by God’s grace alone, so we would do well to remember this truth and live unassuming, humble. Live as servants of each other. The proud person will stand back and make everyone else do the work. We all know someone who is not teachable, but teaches everyone else. The man who is bossy, but doesn’t handle being asked to do something. This is not Christian humbleness. The humble Christian is quick to jump in and help where its needed, whether it’s washing dishes, or cleaning the bathroom. They don’t know everything and so are teachable.
Alternatively, if we are one minded, full of compassion, family love, and tenderhearted. We will be courteous, humble minded, and seeking the welfare of or our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Heavenly Perspective
Heavenly Perspective
The true Believer will be known for their godliness. Christian virtue is right living stimulated by right attitude. Peter is remembering the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5, which if we summarized would be similar to what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:9, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. This world says eat or be eaten, that it is a dog eat dog world, but the one who is reborn in Christ is to be a blessing to others. When someone does you evil, do them good in return. If someone gives you a bad comment or critique, give them a positive comment, say something nice to them, buy them lunch or take them out for a coffee. They don’t even have to know that you have done them a good deed. Matthew 6:2-4 tells us, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Our reward is ultimately not in this world, this world doesn’t belong to us so let those who are lost enjoy the benefits.
Conclusion
Conclusion
One mindedness, compassion, brotherly love, tenderhearted, and courtesy, all come from our submission to God. As we conform to His Word we are feeding the internal work of the Holy Spirit. The whole outlook and in-look of the Christian life should have as its focus Christ. As the chorus of that great hymn goes:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth
will grow strangely dim
in the light of His glory and grace.
Let us pray