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A LIFE OF A CLEAR CONSCIENCE (3 OF 4)
by Marion Clark
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-17
This content is part of a series.
A Life of a Clear Conscience (3 of 4)
Series: 1 Peter
D. Marion Clark
1 Peter 3:13-17
Introduction
Peter's epistle begins in such a nice way. He tells of all these wonderful blessings we have, how we are such special people. Then, just when we are feeling so great about the Christian life, he throws these water balloons at us, that splash us with sobering exhortations. Obey every authority. Are some unjust and harsh? All the better to submit to because it honors God. Are neighbors insulting you and treating you wickedly? Bless them.
These are tough admonitions, and take fair warning, he is not going to let up. Let's look at this new text.
Suffering Response
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? We can almost hear the readers saying the same thing we are thinking: ''Peter, wake up to reality. A lot of people are going to harm us and take advantage of us if we do good.'' But remember who Peter is. This is a disciple of Jesus Christ who witnessed the suffering of his master. This is an apostle who has already suffered for his Lord. We know that he has been thrown in jail at least once for the purpose of being executed. Peter knows persecution for the sake of doing good.
Yes, it is true that one can be unjustly ill-treated, but it is also true that Christians can be ill-treated because of acting by the standards of the world. If we curse those who curse us, more than likely we will experience further cursing. If our priority in life is our own welfare, we are more apt to come into conflict with others. But if we are eager to do good, we very often will find a change in the way others treat us. Note, Peter doesn't merely say do good, he says eager to do good. The Greek word is zelotes, the word we get ''zeal'' from. We can go through the motions of doing good out of a sense of duty or as a strategy to manipulate. That kind of doing good will certainly lead to harm at some point. But if we possess an attitude by which we are eager ...
Series: 1 Peter
D. Marion Clark
1 Peter 3:13-17
Introduction
Peter's epistle begins in such a nice way. He tells of all these wonderful blessings we have, how we are such special people. Then, just when we are feeling so great about the Christian life, he throws these water balloons at us, that splash us with sobering exhortations. Obey every authority. Are some unjust and harsh? All the better to submit to because it honors God. Are neighbors insulting you and treating you wickedly? Bless them.
These are tough admonitions, and take fair warning, he is not going to let up. Let's look at this new text.
Suffering Response
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? We can almost hear the readers saying the same thing we are thinking: ''Peter, wake up to reality. A lot of people are going to harm us and take advantage of us if we do good.'' But remember who Peter is. This is a disciple of Jesus Christ who witnessed the suffering of his master. This is an apostle who has already suffered for his Lord. We know that he has been thrown in jail at least once for the purpose of being executed. Peter knows persecution for the sake of doing good.
Yes, it is true that one can be unjustly ill-treated, but it is also true that Christians can be ill-treated because of acting by the standards of the world. If we curse those who curse us, more than likely we will experience further cursing. If our priority in life is our own welfare, we are more apt to come into conflict with others. But if we are eager to do good, we very often will find a change in the way others treat us. Note, Peter doesn't merely say do good, he says eager to do good. The Greek word is zelotes, the word we get ''zeal'' from. We can go through the motions of doing good out of a sense of duty or as a strategy to manipulate. That kind of doing good will certainly lead to harm at some point. But if we possess an attitude by which we are eager ...
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