Home • Preaching the Word • 1 Peter
A Platform to Declare the Excellencies of Christ
Preached November 4, 2009 at a Mission in Downtown Birmingham, AL by Jake Hanson
1 Peter 3:8-16
Two weeks ago, you may remember if you were here that we talked about our identity and purpose in this world as Christians. We are the temple of God offering our lives as sacrifices to the Lord, and we are the people of God, declaring the excellencies of Jesus Christ to this darkened world. And last week, we looked at how the world sees our good behavior and begins to be drawn to God as a result.
Tonight, we will see two other ways in which people will respond to our lives of righteousness. First, some people will ridicule us, and even persecute us because of our faith. But second, some people will begin to ask why we are different which will give us a platform from which to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we live lives of integrity, honesty, gentleness and humility we will have a platform from which to declare the excellencies of Jesus Christ.
Please read with me from 1 Peter 3:8-16.
8To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
10For, "THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS,
MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND
HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.
11"HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD;
HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.
12"FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS,
AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER,
BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL."
13Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
14But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,
15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a reply to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
Our text begins with a call for us all to live righteous lives in verse 8. All of us are called to be harmonious. That is, we are to seek and pursue peace. We are all called to be sympathetic. That is, we are all called to seek to be understanding of others and their needs and difficulties. We are all called to love our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. And we are all called to be kind and humble in all that we say, think and do. We are called as Christians to live righteous lives. We are called to be unique, different, holy in this perverse world. This brings glory to God.
But Peter ratchets up our call even more in verse 9. You see, there will be times when people will mistreat us, or say nasty things to us because of our faith—because we live righteous lives. Nobody likes to be insulted. It goes against our pride, our honor, our value. Our immediate reaction when others insult us is to come back with a more degrading insult—a more harmful insult. But God calls us to be different. He calls on us to return insults with blessings—with prayers for the people who insult us.
And likewise, when people do harm to us, instead of reacting with revenge and retaliation, we are to return evil with good. We do this because this is exactly what Jesus Christ did for us. Jesus was the One who was least deserving of insult and ridicule, but still He endured it with patience, love—and above all, with silence with His mouth, but with His actions He spoke most boldly in His righteous work for us on the cross. Look back with me at 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 21-25. We see that Jesus Christ suffered for us in order to bring us to God, and so we are to follow in the steps of our Lord as we suffer in order to bring others to God.
21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;
23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
God honors and blesses us as we are obedient to Him in lives of righteousness and the world begins to notice.
In verses 14-16 we come to some very instructive verses for us as believers in Jesus Christ. When we live lives which are different from the world, people begin to see, and begin to ask, “Why are you different? Why do you live like that?” This is our platform—our opportunity to share with them our faith.
Two weeks ago, we talked about declaring the excellencies of Jesus Christ and sharing the Gospel to this world; but here in these verses we find some more details. I see in verses 14-16 six crucial points to keep in mind as we seek to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
First, Fear Christ Alone. Fear Christ alone. Look with me at verse 14. “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR FEAR, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED.” Our tendency is to be worried about what other people will think about us as Christians. In fact, many of you might tighten up and get nervous when you are told to share your faith with others. But be not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation. Fear Christ Alone!
Second, from verse 15, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” That is, “Set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts.” The Lord is asking that you place Him in that special place in your heart. He is asking you to regard Him as unique and different and holy from the other things that crowd into your heart. He is calling on you to love Him as you love noone else. He is calling on you to allow Him to have preeminence in your heart. He is calling on you to place Him on the throne of your heart that He might be in control of your life. He is calling on you to set aside those things which compete with the Lord Jesus Christ for your attention, for your obedience and for your worship. Set Christ in His proper place in your life, in your heart. Let nothing else take His place.
Third, verse 15 continues, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a reply.” The Lord is asking you to be prepared, to be ready to tell others about your faith at a moment’s notice. Are you prepared to tell others about your faith? You will see in a minute that it should not be hard for one who has tasted of the Lord Jesus Christ to share with another. Look at the next point.
Look at the fourth point. Our reply to people who ask about our faith is extremely personal. We do not have to be able to respond to every question, or criticism or argument. We are called to be ready it says in verse 15 to “make a reply to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” For the hope that is in you. In chapter 1 verse 3, Peter told us that if we are believers in Jesus Christ, we have been born again into a “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” We above all others have reason to hope in this hopeless world. We are to share what Jesus Christ has done for us. What He has done in us, what He is doing to us. Our sins have been forgiven, our souls have been set free. He is changing and molding us. We have been given peace which passes all comprehension even in the midst of trials and tribulations and we have hope in the wonder working power of blood of the lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. My brothers, share with others the hope that is within you.
Fifth, we are to do this with gentleness and reverence, verse 15 and or 16, “always be ready to make a reply to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Sometimes in our zeal to share this great hope that is within us, we can get a bit obnoxious. We get in people’s faces and make them uncomfortable and try to force others to believe. That type of sharing of the faith is from the flesh and not led by the Spirit of God. The Lord is calling on us to be gentle—to be understanding, to be considerate and to be humble. Don’t lose your zeal to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, but be obedient to the Lord—He is also calling on you to be gentle in your approach. Let the Lord, and the work of the Holy Spirit do the work on the hearts of those you are sharing with, and listen to the Holy Spirit as you share the hope that is within you.
Finally, you must be diligent to let your lifestyle be consistent with your testimony. Look at verse 16, “and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.” Our conduct is a double-edged sword. When we live lives which are characterized by righteousness, we bring attention not so much to ourselves as to our great God. We will never be perfect in this world. We are sinners. But our lives should be characterized by righteous living as ones who have been made new creatures by the work of Christ. But, on the other hand, if our lives are characterized by unrighteousness and sin, the world is turned off to our message—to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So live a life that keeps with a good conscience—a life which is in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As you do, the world will take note, and begin to ask you about your faith. And then, you will have a platform, a podium, even a pulpit from which to declare the excellencies of the Lord Jesus Christ and the living hope that is within you. Don’t pass up the opportunity that you have to share the Lord Jesus Christ with your family, with your friends and with all you come in contact with.