1 Peter 3:8

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9)

Twelve practical challenges from Peter that turn a saved heart into a prepared witness and an equipped church.

Equipped for a Mission

We're called as Christians to reach out, to be witnesses of the Lord and all He's doing in our lives. But to do that, we need to be equipped. What you're doing here is not just coming to church on Sunday; you're getting equipped. The Holy Spirit is doing a work in your heart that He wants to pour out through you. Getting saved is not the end of the game. We're just at the start. What's done is done—God's grace is upon you—and now we're moving forward with what He wants to do from this point.

Over the last four weeks, Pastor Miles has taken you through a series on connection: life in connection with God, with one another, and with the world. We are the most disconnected, connected individuals in human history. Though we're so connected, social isolation is on the rise. Sin destroys the connection God wants with us and that we're to have with each other. But Jesus destroyed sin, which enables the connection to happen.

Jesus loves to retrieve that which was lost. We all came into this world terribly lost—we were born once, but we needed to be born again. And Jesus sends the found to find others. We connect with the world through the Lord working compassion, charity, and evangelism out through us, and Jesus empowers and equips us to reach the lost.

Relationship and Reflection

We're connected with God through and because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship brings us close to God. But once you have that relationship, you have a mission to reflect what Jesus has done in your life. The relationship brings us close to God; our reflection of Jesus is what reaches the lost. He decides to use people like us. As Jesus said in John 20, "Peace to you. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

In this letter, Peter gives instruction on how believers should live in relationship to several groups—Gentiles, government, bosses, wives, husbands. His sound instruction can heal any interpersonal problem you have if you apply it to yourself. The fruit of this study should be a heart and life that joyfully reflects the love and sacrifice of Jesus to a lost world.

These challenges teach us how to be like Jesus—the Lord's character in us—how to live a godly life that is prepared and ready to give a defense, a reason for the hope that's in us. The Holy Spirit here seems to be giving the church some executive orders. This is the way it needs to be; if you're not doing this, you're out of sync with what God wants in your life. Make it a checklist, like your vitamins. When you get into a troubling situation, go back to these, because they'll help straighten your heart.

Be of One Mind

The first challenge: be of one mind. The Greek word is a call to harmony—it's where we get "harmonious." It implies the notes are sweet; you'd know it if they weren't. The Lord says, "I want you as a church to be in tune. You're a family, so be of one mind." What mind is that? The mind of Christ. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2). What would Jesus do—especially when somebody ticks you off or hurts you?

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity" (Psalm 133). Paul wrote, "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 15:5). And in Ephesians 4 he exhorts us to walk with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

So ask: Am I in harmony, or is somebody really bugging me? If somebody's really bugging you, the Holy Spirit has your number. Once you draw close to the Lord, He reveals those things. Get back close with Him, with the mind of Christ, and pray, "Lord, create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit in me."

Compassion and Brotherly Love

The second challenge: have compassion for one another. We get the word "sympathy" from this word; it literally means to suffer with. "When Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude and He was moved with compassion for them, and He healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14). Jesus was always moved by the needs of the people. As we grow in connection with one another, we become more aware of and responsive to others' needs.

There's another side to this: we open ourselves up to receive compassion and good counsel. Sometimes we're too proud and afraid to make our needs known—needs of anger, bitterness, lack of forgiveness, immorality. Compassion is the fiber of who we are, so it goes both ways. You may need to open up.

The third challenge: love as brethren—philadelphos, the same root as Philadelphia. There's agape love, and brotherly love is the fruit of agape love, the action of it going out. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13). "Let brotherly love continue" (Hebrews 13:1). As David Guzik said, Jesus didn't command us to like our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are commanded to love them—and once we start loving them, we start liking them.

Be Tenderhearted and Courteous

The fourth challenge: be tenderhearted—full of pity, not callous. Pity gets a bad rap, but it's an important virtue. We tend to be very nuclear in our culture: me, myself, and I, my family in a little capsule. The very essence of the Holy Spirit working in you is to break that and get you out of yourself to help others. Consider who's writing this—Peter, a rough, tough fisherman, an old salt of the Sea of Galilee. After he denied the Lord, he was broken, and Jesus said, "Feed My sheep." Now this same Peter tells us to be tenderhearted. The Greek word carries the idea of having strong bowels—because when you hurt or are stressed, you feel it deep within. The Lord wants you to feel the needs around you deeply.

How can you guard against being critical of everybody—your family, church, community, government? We're a divided nation with strong opinions on both sides. Regardless of the politics, we're called to be one body, to have compassion for one another, not to be hateful just because of whose bumper sticker is on a car. It's a testimony to the world.

The fifth challenge: be courteous—friendly of mind, polite, kind, putting the needs of others above your own. Have you been rude, unfriendly, or selfish in any of your relationships? As Paul Cedar said, the challenge is to treat others with the same courtesy and love we'd extend to a dear friend. The Lord chooses earthen vessels like you and me, from all different walks, for His glory.

Seek to Bless Those Who Speak Evil of You

These first five points should characterize any group of Jesus' followers and enable each of us to serve in the home, the church, and on the streets. Now we look at wisdom in handling rejection, because rejection is almost part of humanity.

The sixth challenge: seek to bless those who speak evil of you. "Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing" (v. 9). You've been blessed to be a blessing—that's been God's way from the beginning, even with Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12).

The greatest challenge to our love for others comes when we are wronged. The natural man wants to get even or justify himself, even by tearing others down. This challenge deals with our inner attitudes. The New English Bible puts it well: "Do not repay wrong with wrong, or abuse with abuse. On the contrary, retaliate with blessing." Nothing throws a person off more than doing something kind for them after they've been unkind—a Starbucks gift card, mowing their lawn, a dinner invitation. Our world reacts; God says retaliate with blessing. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Our model is Jesus: "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). You might be the only Christian who ever prays for them.

Guard Your Tongue

The seventh challenge: guard your tongue from speaking evil. Peter is quoting Psalm 34:12-15. Correct words lead to blessing—choose wisely, and you will have a good life. Many of us just react; the Lord wants us to be responders, even first responders. While everyone runs away, the first responder runs to the problem to render the first aid of blessing.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Parents say, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all," and then the kids watch us ripping other people apart. "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:19). That's a real key to walking with joy in the Lord.

Turn from Evil, Seek Peace

Challenges eight and nine: turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. As Spurgeon wrote 150 years ago, "Set a distance between yourself and temptation. Be practical, active, energetic, and persevering in doing what is good." If you have a problem with alcohol, the local bar isn't the place to witness yet—set a distance. If you have a problem with pornography, set a distance and ask for help. Don't be so prideful you can't ask. Habits grip you; you know it's wrong, but pride keeps you from telling anybody.

Seek peace and pursue it—not just preferring peace, but with zeal and care promoting it. Peace is a byproduct of commitment. If you're committed to your spouse, there's peace. You have control over your reaction. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). You can't have the peace of God until you're at peace with God. That's the invitation of the church: get to know Jesus, turn from your sin, repent, and the Holy Spirit will equip you to walk in victory.

I got saved in '71. I figured ten years out I'd have everything licked. But as soon as you say that, the Lord says, "I want to continue to perfect you," and then you blow it. The wrong response is, "This Christian stuff doesn't work." Through tragedy, trauma, and loss, I've learned God is faithful and will see you through. You may not see Him while you're in the difficult season, but He sees you. That's faith—holding on to the Lord and not letting go.

Pray and Pursue Good

The tenth challenge: pray and be followers of good. His ears are open for you to pray. He wants you to have that time meditating on what He's done and said, opening the Word every day and asking Him to work in your heart. Prayer is a critical duty of every believer, and "the fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much." He sanctified us through His blood on the cross, but there's a process of sanctification as we walk with Him.

Look at the effect of that prayer: "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled" (vv. 13-14). As Paul Cedar said, we're called to the marvelous ministry of retaliating with blessings, and as we do, we will be blessed by God regardless of others' responses. The immediate answer isn't what's important; the process is—what's happening in you as you wrestle with a serious situation through the authority of God's Word, the finished work of Jesus, and the gifting of the Holy Spirit to make you His witness in Escondido, North County, the state of California, and around the world.

Sanctify the Lord and Be Ready to Give a Defense

The eleventh challenge: sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Instead of terrifying yourself with the fear of men, set apart the Lord Almighty, the Lord of heaven's armies, in your heart. I serve the one true God who created everything and knows what's going on here. Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). "In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge" (Proverbs 14:26). A holy lifestyle is a light in a dark world—am I letting my light shine?

Lastly, the twelfth challenge: always be ready to give a defense. There are three reasons we share—hope, meekness, and fear. As a Christian, I ought to be expecting heaven and expecting Jesus to be working in my life and loving me. That hope should be so strong that people see it and ask why I have it. They'll look at you and wonder why you're not freaking out. With true meekness, I see God's hand in the things around me and don't question why God put a person in front of me asking about Jesus—I accept it and gently respond. And with the proper fear of God, knowing one day I'll see it was worth all the difficulty, I'll be bold and courageous in sharing my faith. "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death" (Proverbs 14:27).

So how are you preparing and making yourself ready? Take these challenges to heart. Think about how God wants to use you. Be prepared in your faith. There's a great harvest of new souls waiting to be had, and you and those around you will never be the same. Amen.