Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 3:9-12

1Pe 3:9-12  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.  (10)  For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  (11)  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.  (12)  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Do not - For to this you were called – For – For – But

Vs. 9 & 10

We are called to turn away from evil AND do good – by seeking peace – even pursuing it.

“Called,” – great word.  Indicates being called by name.  We were “named” to turn away from evil.  That evil referred to here is repaying evil with evil.  Curse for curse.  Reviling for reviling.

I wonder when we lost that?  There is just too much returning evil for evil going on from within the Body of Christ.  Yeah, there are the wing-nuts who claim Christ and use that for an excuse to hate – but are they really believers?  I doubt it.

But – in our private conversations how much anger – indeed evil - do we speak of those who oppose, revile and/or do evil to believers and the cause of Christ?

Early on, the very name “Christian” was a reproach, a type of reviling and yet we don’t see any return of that reviling coming from the believers. 

Now please don’t go thinking that if you are not cursing those who hate you, then you are doing ok.  Ambivalence towards our enemies is just as big an evil.  Dismissing, ignoring, much less making snide and hurtful comments (especially among ourselves), is just as bad.  It may be an indirect return of evil but it is evil.

We are to bless!  We are told that if we “love” (agapao) life (zoe/ a kind of life – our life in Christ) then we will labor to keep our, “tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Ahhh the tongue.  See James 3. No, really, look it up and read it – three times at least.

Jas 3:9-10  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  (10)  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Any questions?  What part of, “ought not to be,” is hard to grasp?

Mat 15:18  But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

Does that help you, “get it”?

This is not a matter of “doing,” as much as it is a matter of the heart. 

So, how’s your heart?  Check your mouth and you’ll get the scoop!  Actually, consider what you think and don’t say – that’s a good indicator.

So how do we get our hearts right?

Let me get at this left-handedly.

1Co 7:36-38  If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry--it is no sin.  (37)  But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well.  (38)  So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

Three things about a healthy heart:

• It is firmly established – set upon and under the sovereignty of God.
• It is under control – both by the believer and the Spirit.
• It is determined – both by the believer and the Spirit and the Word.

We have new hearts.  We have old flesh.  They don’t get along.  But the flesh has only the power and influence we give it.  The Spirit is more powerful.  The flesh can provoke but the Spirit controls – or does He?  That you must ask God, yourself and your faith family.

If the worst thing you say about unbelievers – especially those who revile you – is that they need to be redeemed – then you have said all you can appropriately say.  When you allow the flesh to launch you into either thoughts of speech that demeans, insults or devalues an unbeliever – especially one who opposed you – you have gone too far. 

Look, unbelievers are exactly the way they are supposed to be, sinful.  I don’t really concern myself with WHAT there sinfulness looks like and I certainly can’t allow my personal prejudices allow me to vilify anyone – they are simply sinners – just like me without Christ.  The only critical difference is that I have the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word to work God’s ways into my life through Christ.  I am free of the bondage to sin, they aren’t.  They don’t and aren’t – so I do not ever expect Christian behavior or opinions, etc. from those who are not His.  Regardless of how we “feel” about their sin – their “lostness” is their biggest – BIGGEST problem and should be our main, if not only, concern.

How do we ‘bless” them?  By prayer, by kindness, by helping, by sharing the Gospel; and to do that we have to ask God to work in our hearts so that we are heart-broken for them, about them and with them.