WWUTT 326 Have Unity of Mind?

1 Peter 3:8-12 and the Call to Unity of Mind

Previously, the Apostle Peter said, Once we were not a people, but now we are God's people. So, since we have been adopted into the family of God, we must love one another with a brotherly love when we understand the text.

Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When we understand the text, as an online ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty, visit our website at www .utt .com.

Now here's our host, Pastor Gabe Hughes.

Thank you, Becky. 1 Peter 3 verses 8 -22 is where we are today, where the Apostle says,. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless.

For to this you were called, that you may inherit a blessing. For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his 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. 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. Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?

But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. 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 this with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

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, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 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 the water.

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

The Church’s Unity in Mind and Judgment

The latter half of this section that we just read is pretty debatable. There are scholars throughout the history of the church that have argued over some of the things that are being said here, particularly in verses 18 through 22, and we'll be talking about that section, I believe, mostly on Wednesday.

But as we get to the start of this section here, verse 8, Peter begins with, "...finally all of you have unity of mind.". Now, that's an interesting way to start this section, considering we're halfway through the letter.

Finally? There's more that he's going to be instructing here, so why is it that we're beginning in verse 8 with, "...finally?". Well, it's because it's the conclusion of the context in which he is talking about concerning testifying about the gospel in the social setting in which we live.

So he started this section in verse 13 of chapter 2, "...be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution.". So we have our subjection to every form of government as it exists on the planet, knowing that these governing authorities have been instituted by God.

Every institution of man has been instituted by God. And so we are subject to those governing authorities out of our submission to the will of God. The next social order that Peter presents is the relationship between servants and masters, and that begins in verse 18, "...servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle masters, but also to the unjust masters.".

And then we have the example of Christ that is given to us also, how He was beaten though there was no sin in Him, and yet He was submissive to the one who judges justly. That is, He did all things to the glory of God and according to the will of God the Father.

Then we get to chapter 3, and the next social setting in how we share the gospel is in the relationship of marriage, husbands and wives, "...wives, be subject to your own husbands. Husbands live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.".

Instructions to husbands and wives, even in the way that we share the gospel with one another. A wife can share the gospel with her husband, even an unbelieving husband, in her conduct and how she is submissive to her husband as to the Lord.

A husband shares the gospel with his wife in the way that he is supposed to be the spiritual head of his home and treats his wife in an understanding way, not domineering, not in a way in which he gives orders and expects that she has to follow, but understands his wife.

In other words, he communicates with his wife. He is empathetic, sympathetic toward her, desires to know her and pursue her, not acts as a husband who dominates his wife, but acts as a servant who serves.

Just as Christ has served us, so even husbands must serve their wives. And so in this way, understanding that his wife is a fellow heir with him in the grace of life, as we should be serving others in the world, so we should also be serving our spouse.

In fact, this very act of service for those of us who are married begins in the way that we preach the gospel to our spouse before it is the way that we preach the gospel to the world. So that as Paul has been setting up these different social situations, our relationship with the government, our relationship with employers, you might put it that way, or a servant's relationship to his master, a master's relationship to his servant, the relationship between husbands and wives.

Now we have this final social order, and that is the way that we socialize with one another in the body of Christ, because this is going to be an example to the rest of the world. So these instructions that Peter gives here are not exclusively singular, meaning that he's not just addressing an individual person, but rather he is addressing individuals within the body so that the entire body would behave this way, not just how one individual treats another individual.

So there's a collective mindedness to the way that Peter issues this, that an entire church would adopt this behavior in the way that they treat one another. Finally, my final instruction in terms of social conduct is in the way that you deal with one another and the way that this character that's displayed in the church serves as a witness to the rest of the world.

Finally, all of you have unity of mind. And this is the very topic that I talked about with my church yesterday, because we were in First Corinthians chapter one, beginning in verse 10, where Paul is saying that he has heard from Chloe's people that there are divisions occurring in the Corinthian church.

He appeals to them to be united in the same mind and of the same judgment, for it's been reported to me by Chloe's people, he says, First Corinthians one eleven, that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.

What I mean is that each one of you says, I follow Paul or I follow Apollos or I follow Cephas or I follow Christ. And this isn't in the endearing way. This is in a way as though they are boasting among one another.

Well, I have the better teaching than what you have because I listen to the apostle Paul. Oh, yeah. Well, my teaching is better because I listen to Apollos and you've heard how great a narrator he is.

Well, my teaching is better because it comes from Cephas, from Peter, who actually bummed around with Christ. Somebody says, well, my teaching is better because I drew what I understand from Christ himself.

So this isn't actually boasting in the Lord. It's that chest thumping. I'm better than you because I have a better answer than you have. Right. They're using the name of Christ to cause division with their brothers rather than unity.

And then Paul says in verse 13 is, is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul? But rather, Paul encourages them to be united in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Similar sort of appeal is made to the Ephesians and Ephesians chapter four, where this is where Paul talks about being of one spirit and of one baptism. He says, I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

That's an important phrase. They're eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Now, there are going to be disagreements that come up between us in the body of Christ. As a matter of fact, there must be differences of opinion that that's necessary.

Paul actually says that in first Corinthians 11, 19, there must be factions among you so that those who are genuine might be revealed. We are going to disagree on certain things. And in fact, if you have a church in which everybody thinks exactly the same way and we all have exactly the same understanding of this, that and the other, what you probably have is a cult.

There are going to be differences of opinion on certain matters, on certain issues within the church, and these things serve as a way to encourage one another in our growth, in maturity and understanding of the word of God.

We're able to challenge one another in different ideas, respectfully, not causing division, not saying my way is better than your way, but that we would encourage one another in our understanding so that we grow in maturity, our desire in the way that we confront one another with these issues.

And understand when I say confrontation, when I say confront, I mean this in a gentle sort of a way, in a respectful sort of way, not abrasive, not with a desire to cause division. But our confrontations with one another, our discussions, encouraging one another in the truth of the word, is out of an eagerness to maintain unity in the spirit of the bond of peace.

It's not with a desire to let our opinion be known and have you agree with what I think. When that is our objective, that's what causes division. When our objective is our way, my way or the highway, then that's what's causing division.

But rather, when we approach one another eager to maintain unity in the spirit of the bond of peace, that is when we become an encouragement to one another and we help grow one another in in the spirit, in the in the knowledge and understanding of the word of God.

There is one body. Paul goes on Ephesians 4, for there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

And it is this very understanding of unity that Peter means to bring the churches to that he is writing to when I'm sorry, for some reason I jumped over to first Peter, chapter four. Here we go. First, Peter, three, eight.

Finally, all of you have unity of mind, sympathy and brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind. When we are humble with one another, then we are less likely to want to have our voice heard and our opinion be the one that matters.

When we come to one another humbly, then we are sympathetic toward one another, which is which is one of the callings that Peter places upon the church, that we have sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind, not a desire to assert our knowledge over somebody else's, but with humility and with gentleness and respect.

Remember that Paul gave the instruction in Romans, chapter 15, that we who are strong in the faith, we who are mature, have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves, but to benefit our neighbor for his good to build him up.

So when we come with a certain knowledge that has been given to us by the spirit of God with another person, the objective here is not to assert our knowledge over that other person, but to encourage them and help to build them up in the spirit and knowledge and understanding of God.

It is in humility that we do this, not trying to gain any sort of recognition, not to try to look impressive to other people. Look how smart I am because I know this here, how convincing I am because I can convince you of this, that or the other, but rather with humility, with a humbleness, with a gentle spirit, a sympathetic heart desiring for others in the body of Christ to mature in their knowledge of God's word, not a desire for us to be right.

Blessing Even Those Who Revile Us

OK, so verse nine, do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless. Now, again, Peter is speaking to an entire church congregation, and this is the way that the church should be interacting with the world.

We have the instruction in verse eight as to how the church interacts with one another. And then as the church has demonstrated these things within the body, so we demonstrate these things also in the world as we interact with unbelievers who are going to revile us because of our faith.

We cannot repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless. For to this, you were called that you may inherit a blessing. I come back again to First Peter, chapter two, where Peter was instructing about relationships between servants and masters.

And he talked about the example that we have in Christ who suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin. Neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return.

When he suffered, he did not threaten, but he continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness by his wounds.

You have been healed. So here we come back to this again, where in that same context, Peter gives the instruction to not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling. But on the contrary, on the contrary, we are to bless even those who are lost and are unbelievers.

We are to bless for to this. You were called that you may inherit a blessing. See, we were all unbelievers at one point. And yet God blessed us in our unbelief that we would have the scales removed from our eyes and see and hear the word of God and know the truth.

God did that for us, though we were unbelievers. He made us believers. And so as God has blessed us in this way. So we must be a blessing to those who are lost, taking the gospel to them so that they might hear it and repent from their sin, turn from their wicked, sinful nature to the righteousness and glory of God and worship him for the loving, merciful, kind and patient God that he is.

As Paul talks about in Romans chapter two, his kindness and patience is meant to lead us to repentance. And so may those who are lost hear the gospel and know that and glorify God when they are when they hear about his love and mercy displayed for us in the cross of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, that we might be forgiven and live forever with him.

So this is the blessing that God has given us, and we must be such a blessing to others, taking the gospel that has the power to save to the world. For to this you were called that you may obtain a blessing for whoever desires to love life and see good days.

Let him keep his 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. 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. This is Psalm 34 that Peter is quoting from, and interesting thing about reading this psalm this week, we're going to be looking at this psalm again on Thursday, when in our study of 1st Samuel, we will see the occasion that David went through that led him to write this particular psalm.

We're going to be looking at that coming up on Thursday this week, and then we'll read the whole psalm, Psalm 34 in its entirety when we get there. But here Peter is talking about, he's drawing attention to a psalm in which David says obedience to God in daily life is the path to experiencing God's blessing.

So if we are obedient to the Lord on a daily basis, we will experience the blessing of God on a daily basis. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. In another place, David says, if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, you would not have heard my prayer.

And so we cannot be cherishing these sins in our hearts or thinking that we can go about doing this sin and God's just going to forgive me for it anyway. We must turn from our sin and pursue the righteousness of God, for it is in that righteousness that we receive the blessing of God, living as Jesus did, following the example that he set before us.

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil. And if we have a mindset or this idea that we can piddle around in this sin, God's just going to love me anyway, he's just going to forgive me for it and not repent and not seek the forgiveness of God, then we are actually embarking upon evil.

We are practicing evil things and the Lord is against us instead of for us. But for those who pursue righteousness, we are actively after the righteousness of God. His eyes are upon those who, in a humble and contrite spirit, fear the Lord and seek his righteousness.

And all the rest of these things will be added to us as well, as Jesus said. So that is as far as we're going to go here today. And then we'll pick up verses 13 through 17 tomorrow. Our Lord God, as we wrap up these things today, as we consider these words that have been shared by the Apostle Peter, may we desire the righteousness of God.

And in that obedience, that means loving the body of Christ with a unity of mind, being sympathetic toward one another, having a brotherly love, just as our brothers and sisters in the flesh, we're always going to be related to them as long as we are in this flesh.

Nothing is ever going to change that. And so those whom we are related to in the spirit of God, we are not just related to while we're alive here on this earth, but we'll be related to and united with for all eternity.

So we must be displaying that brotherly love with one another now, with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have tender hearts toward one another and a humble mind, not trying to assert ourselves over our brothers and sisters, but seeing how we can serve one another.

And as we do this in this way, we serve as a witness to the rest of the world. And the way that we treat them is not by repaying evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but instead being a blessing by sharing the gospel with the lost world.

Because at one point we were lost and our shepherd came and found us and the gospel was preached to us and we turned from our sin and followed the good shepherd, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Thank you for this gift of salvation that has been given to us through your son.

And may we continue to be a blessing to those who still need to hear about the gospel of Christ. May we even continue to be a blessing to our brothers and sisters in Christ who need to be reminded of this gospel daily, that we've been rescued from sin and death into the righteousness and life of Jesus Christ.

What can man do to me? Thank you for this gift.

In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Gabriel Hughes is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas. Find out more online at www .utt .com.