Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 3:12-22

1Pe 3:12-22  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." 

God sees you and hears you.  But if you, even as His, do evil, He has to oppose that and discipline you.

(13)  Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 

Uhhhhh – well, people will think I am weird, a fanatic, off the deep end……?  But if the truth is indeed true – then what consequence can there be but zealousness?  And if there is not a zealousness, what does that tell us about our view of the truth?  Uhhhh….

(14)  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 

OK – but . . . . .   I don’t want to suffer for doing good – I want goodies, kudos for doing good – isn’t the way it works?  Oh, no – that’s “karma,” not Christ – oops, my bad.

Wait – suffer and be blessed?  That takes some thought.  Can I ask that I be blessed by the absence of the suffering?  Oh wait – I forgot, 1 Peter 2:19-25 ---- Oops!!

Fear?  There’s fear attached to doing good?  Maybe that’s why the idea of karma is popular under many guises. 

(15)  but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,  (16)  having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 

Ok – when someone asks you why you have that stupid grin on your face when you are reviled and persecuted – you need to be ready to tell them, respectfully and gently. 

Ahhh – there’s that “good conscience,” thing – again with the heart health.  I need to know in my heart that I am truly suffering for doing good – looking to honor Christ as my Lord.

I shouldn’t be suffering because I am an obnoxious pain – or an arrogant irritant – but for doing good – for honoring Christ.

Oh – really – “when” I am slandered for my “good” behavior.  Oh that’s gonna be fun – but Oh, yeah, they did that to Him, too – even on the cross they did that to Him - 1 Peter 2:19-25 ---- Oops!!

(17)  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. 

Oh??  God’s will might be that I suffer for doing good?  Gee, that’s a happy thought!  But, wait – if I suffer for doing evil and I claim Christ as Lord, don’t I have a much bigger problem??  Oh.

(18)  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,  

Not fair!  Here I am worrying about suffering for doing good and that being God’s will and bam – here’s the cross thing.  But that’s the whole point isn’t it?  1 Peter 2:19-25 ---- 

Oops!!

(19)  in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,  (20)  because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 

Uhhh – if God is so gracious – how can I be less so?

(21)  Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 

How can I not want to do good to ALL when I am the beneficiary of such a great gift?  How can I suffer myself to be and do less than my Redeemer? 

(22)  who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Here is the power to live for and as Him.  All things are subject to Him – especially me.  I have nothing to lose and I have gained much.  He is in control and if I trust Him as good and righteous and holy and gracious, then I will indeed desire to grow in my doing good to ALL – especially those who are blind and without hope in the world.