Keys of the Kingdom 9 – Seek Peace and Pursue It

Some of the easiest to understand passages of the Bible are some of the hardest to apply in our lives. We have one of those passages before us today. Open with us to First Peter, chapter 3, and follow along.

Amen. Good morning! He is risen! You guys know that one. Would you take your Bibles out and open them to First Peter, chapter 3? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one.

First Peter, chapter 3, is where we are going to be continuing our study today in the book of First Peter, which we have been studying for the last several weeks. First Peter is very near the end of your Bible. If you go to the very back of the Bible, you'll see Revelation. Turn to the left, and you will pass Jude, 1, 2, and 3 John, and 1 and 2 Peter.

First Peter, chapter 3, is where we will be on this Resurrection Sunday. The church has traditionally worshiped together on Sunday mornings for the last 2,000 years in remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which occurred 2,000 years ago on a Sunday morning. Of course, this being Resurrection Sunday, we remember that, but every week we gather together to remember that our Lord is alive. Amen.

1 Peter, chapter 3, beginning at verse 8, the Apostle Peter writes: "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. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn 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 prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Let's pray. Father, we ask that you would open our hearts and minds today, and that by your Spirit, you would speak to us. We believe that your word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

It is able to cut deep into our soul, into our hearts, our spirit. It is a divider of those things, a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of our hearts. When we read a passage like this that we're going to study through, it reveals things in our hearts that are out of alignment with Your nature.

So I pray, God, that You, by Your word and by the power of Your Spirit, would bring us back into truth, bring us back into alignment today. Transform us by the renewing of our minds, that we would be able to show in this world Your good, good, and perfect will. Lord, do a work in us that could only be seen as evidence of You, by Your power, by Your grace. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen."

Amen. You can be seated.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Man, check that out! You all know that one. I wish it was like that when I said Bible verses. That's not in the Bible, but how many of you sometimes feel like you should say "Amen" at the end of that? Some people do.

It is indelibly marked in my mind because it's actually not very long ago. Over the last several years, as our kids have been moving through preschool, they teach them that. At the preschool that our kids are at, they all, on the way home from school, at some point will be in the back of the car reciting those words: "I pledge allegiance."

I remember not too long ago, our younger daughter, Angelene, was saying those words, and she said, "One nation under God, invisible, with liberty." It seems logical—"God invisible" seems to fit. But of course, it says, "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We are taught those words, and we recite those words. As a child, you probably recited those words every single day going through school. Every morning, you'd start the day standing with your hand over your heart, and you would pledge allegiance to the flag, saying, "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Now, whether you are politically left or politically right, one of the things that happens during an election year, like we are currently in the midst of, is that we see...

It is hard to say "one nation under God, indivisible," because we are most certainly not a people of one mind. We see this very clearly represented to us during political seasons like this, when people divide into factions, claiming, "I'm on this side," or "I like this one," while expressing disdain for the other side. There is constant contention and division.

Can you imagine a society where we are all of one mind? Could you envision a family where that is true, where everyone is united together? When you think about fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters, how awesome would it be? Today is a holiday, and some of you will be getting together with family members that you may not see other than on holidays. You know that it is not always true that we are united and of one mind.

Could you imagine a workplace environment where everyone is of one mind and united together? Could you even imagine a church? The sad reality is that even churches often do not represent this ideal of being a community of one mind, united together.

When thinking about the concept of being united in one mind, you might say, "Well, that's just not reality." Perhaps you're right; maybe that is not the reality we live in. But could you imagine what it would be like to be in that place? You might say, "That sounds to me like Heaven." Wouldn't that be what you would imagine Heaven to be—a place of complete unity, where everyone is of one mind?

In a very real sense, that is one of the things we have to look forward to when we come into the kingdom that the Bible speaks of, the Kingdom of Heaven, where Christ is. We look forward to that day.

Do you realize that Jesus, on the night he would be betrayed by one of his own disciples, just hours before he would stand before the religious leaders of the day in Israel and be condemned to die, was aware of this? Just hours before he would stand before the Roman Governor Pilate and be condemned to die, he went to that mountaintop outside of Jerusalem.

And be crucified just hours before that, He prayed. It's recorded in John 17: "Father, make them one like You and I are one." That was Jesus's prayer for His church: that we would experience oneness, that we would experience unity together.

Do you realize that this is actually what Jesus told His disciples, His early followers, that they should pray for? We expect and believe that in the Kingdom of Heaven, where Christ now is, there is total oneness—a uniting together of God and man completely. Jesus told His disciples, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew and again in the Gospel of Luke, that we are to pray, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it already is in heaven."

How many of you throughout your Christian life have prayed that prayer at one point or another? Many of you have. Some of you came from a church tradition where you pray that every single week. At the very beginning of that prayer, we would say, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." Jesus reveals part of that will by saying, "God, would You make them one like You and I are one?" That we would experience that unity, that oneness—that's something to look forward to, something to pray for.

Not only did Jesus tell His followers that they should pray for that coming together or coming into the experience of unity and oneness, but He also taught us that we should work toward that end as well. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 12, says to the church almost the exact same words that Peter writes in 1 Peter chapter 3. Romans 12:16 states, "Be of the same mind toward one another." In his letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, he says the very same thing: that you should be united together and of one mind, that you would work toward this end.

Again, in Romans 12, just a couple of verses after he says, "Be of the same mind," he states, "If it is possible, as much as depends upon you, live peaceably with all men." There is a sense when we look at the world around us, the world that we live in, that we read those words, "If it is possible," and we find ourselves feeling like it is.

Impossible as much as depends upon you, live peaceably with all men. In another one of the New Testament letters, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. He says in Ephesians 4:3, "Make every effort to keep united." How many of you recognize that within a marriage, within a family, within a workplace, and within the world that we live in, it takes effort to maintain unity? It does, doesn't it? It doesn't just happen.

So, he says, "Make every effort to keep yourselves unified in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace." In your bulletin, there's a sermon guide. Point number one on that sermon guide is: Christians are called to pray for and work toward peace. This should be one of the commitments we hold as Christians today, as followers of Jesus. We are called to pray for and to work toward peace.

In fact, in the very passage we are looking at, 1 Peter 3, at the end of verse 11, it says, "Seek peace and pursue it." We are to be looking for and seeking peace. Jesus said that one of the identifiers of his followers, one of the words that he puts over them, would be that they would be peacemakers. We are called to be peacemakers.

Jesus is called by the prophet Isaiah, 700 years before he came to the Earth, and 2,700 years ago from today. The prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah, Jesus, who would come, would be called the Prince of Peace. The word that Isaiah uses there, because he wrote those words in the Hebrew language, is the Hebrew word "Shalom."

Has anyone ever heard the word "Shalom" before? If you go to Israel, you will find that there, they greet one another by saying "Shalom," which means peace. It's like peace, Jewish style—Shalom. That is how they greet one another.

Now, when we think of the word peace, what normally comes to our minds is the idea of the cessation of hostility, the end of violence. We live in a world where there is violence, and therefore...

There are always people saying we need peace. "Give peace a chance," they say. So, we have Peace Accords. Normally, before a Peace Accord can be entered into, where two warring groups agree that there will be peace, the first thing they need to do is have a ceasefire. They have to stop shooting at each other, bombing each other, and blowing things up. Someone comes in and says, "Let's stop for just a moment. Ceasefire! Can't we all just get along?" If you're a parent, you find yourself saying that a lot: "Can't we all just get along?"

There is violence, division, and hatred. Then, someone comes in and says, "Let's mediate peace. There needs to be a ceasefire, and then let's come to an agreement that there will be peace." We often think of peace as the cessation of hostility, the end of violence. However, the word "shalom" means so much more than that. Those who have written on the topic of shalom say that it has to do with total human thriving. One author who wrote on this concept is Cornelius Plantinga. He wrote, "The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom."

Think about that for just a moment. Let me read it again: "The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom." That's what it is. The interesting thing I find about Plantinga's definition of shalom is that it is very similar to our mission statement as a church. At the bottom of your bulletin, we have that: "Life in connection." It reflects the webbing together with God, one another, and the world through Jesus.

I think the only thing missing from Plantinga's explanation about peace and shalom is the aspect of "through Jesus." This is only experienced through the Prince of Peace. He is the only one who can bring this life in connection, the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight. That is what shalom is; that is what heaven is going to be. I think that sounds really good.

When we turn on the nightly news—and I actually discourage it because it's really depressing—when we turn on the news, we see the opposite of shalom.

Nightly news always gives us a comprehensive overview in 30 minutes, transitioning from international to national to local news. Of course, we always end with weather and sports. We start with the international news and observe the events happening around the world. When we look at it, there is definitely a piece that is missing. It is not present on the national level, nor on the local level.

Yet, the Christian has come in contact with the Prince of Peace and has been made an ambassador of His kingdom. The Christian has been called to be a peacemaker. The sad reality is that, as we examine the local and global church, we realize that many times we Christians have not actually fulfilled our calling to bring and extend peace. We are called to seek peace and pursue it.

The simple and obvious question then is: how do we do that? In this passage, 1 Peter 3:8-12, Peter provides some important insights on how we pursue peace and bring peace. He begins with the word "finally." I love that he starts with "finally" halfway through his book. It shows he is a good preacher, still having a whole chapter left to go, yet he emphasizes this point.

Peter instructs us to be of one mind and to be united together. How do we achieve this? Number one, it begins with compassion for one another. The Greek word translated as compassion in this passage is "sympath," which sounds like the English word "sympathize." This is because the English word "sympathize" derives from this Greek word. To sympathize means to share in the suffering of someone else, and sharing in someone’s suffering requires a humble step down.

This is exactly what Jesus did when He came to Earth. This act is what we call the Incarnation. The doctrine of the Incarnation, celebrated at Christmas, teaches that the Prince of Peace, enthroned in the Kingdom of Heaven, stepped down into the chaos and mess of our world.

Of this world, He did so to bring peace. But to mediate peace, He had to sympathize; He had to be down in the midst of the mess with us. That is why the Incarnation was essential. One of the New Testament authors writes in Hebrews 4:15, "For we do not have a high priest, a mediator, who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

So, the Prince of Peace, to mediate peace and bring us peace, had to sympathize. He had to step down into the suffering and into the mess, to be bombarded with the temptation of this world. In the midst of that, when He was bombarded with the temptation of all that this world brings to you and to me on a daily basis, He did not respond in kind. It says He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. That means He didn't respond the way that you and I are tempted to respond because He is the Prince of Peace, and He was coming to bring peace.

It was compassion that moved Jesus to make this step, to humble Himself and sympathize with us. In Matthew 9:36, it says that Jesus, when He saw the multitudes of people in this world, was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Jesus saw the mess; He saw the chaos of this world, and He was moved with compassion to step into that mess, to sympathize with us so that He could bring peace.

Now, if you are a follower of Jesus, we are compelled by that same compassion, by that same love. The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:14, says that it is the love of Jesus Christ that compels the follower of Jesus, that pushes them along, that motivates them.

Point number two on your outline: His compassion moves us to pursue peace. It is the compassion that we see in Jesus that moved Him to come down to the mess, and it also moves us to pursue peace, to be peacemakers in this world. His compassion moves us to pursue peace. But how do we extend that?

How do we extend that peace to other people in this fallen world? We'll notice the next thing that Peter says in 1 Peter 3:8: "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers." How do we extend peace to others? I think Peter gives us an answer when he says to love as brothers. By brotherly love, we extend peace. The word for brotherly love is the Greek word "philadelphos." Yes, we have a city called Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, which comes right from this concept.

If we're going to be united with one mind and if we're going to experience peace ourselves, then we must be moved by the compassion of Jesus to be loving—brotherly loving—to other people. Now, that idea of brotherly love, or just that word, what exactly does it mean? I think Peter gives us a slight definition in his further words. He says, "Finally, be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers; be tenderhearted; be courteous." Brotherly love is tenderhearted and courteous.

Now, "tenderhearted" is probably not a word that you use in your everyday vernacular, so what exactly does it mean to be tenderhearted? If you look at this word and its meaning and origin, you come to the realization that "tenderhearted" means to be gracious and merciful. What are grace and mercy? These are concepts that we know intellectually, but we don't always see in the world in which we live.

Simply put, mercy is not giving someone what they deserve. They have wronged you, they have spoken evil against you, or they have been a jerk. To be merciful is to not give them what they deserve. To be gracious goes a step beyond that. It's not only to refrain from responding and reacting in the way that you normally would, but also to give them a gift after they have wronged you. To be gracious is to go beyond mercy.

To extend a gift to someone who does not deserve it is a profound act. If we are going to be those who pursue peace, if we are going to bring what we have experienced with God to those we encounter on a daily basis, then we need to be compassionate. We need to be gracious and merciful. Additionally, we need to be courteous. Courteous simply means to be kind.

Now, if you're anything like me—and I assume I’m pretty average in this regard—when I hear a teaching like this, I think about how difficult it is to be merciful in the world we live in. When someone does something to you, the instinct is to respond by doing it right back to them. However, we are called to be gracious and to give them a blessing instead. The first thought that crosses my mind is that if I live like this, I’m going to get stepped on. Is anybody with me, or is that just me?

If I live like this, people will walk all over me. You might be right in thinking that, but here’s the amazing thing: because mercy, grace, and kindness are so not of this world, when you encounter them, you know it. When you experience grace and mercy from someone else, you instantly respect it, don’t you?

Think about it. When you mistakenly do something you shouldn’t have and inadvertently hurt someone, if they don’t respond by trying to retaliate but instead are merciful and gracious to you, doesn’t it stop you for a moment? You might think, "That was weird," because you expect to be smacked back.

When someone says, "No, please, you go ahead," or when someone opens the door for you or smiles and simply says hello in a gracious way, even that small act of kindness stops us in our tracks. Though we may not even know those people, there’s a sense in which we recognize that there is something different about them. It certainly is not like the world in which we live, but this is what we are called to.

Be tenderhearted, be merciful, be gracious, love with sympathetic compassion, pursue peace, and promote it. When I read those words, I think, "That is totally me, absolutely 100%!" And that's you too, in every way. This is us in a nutshell: gracious, kind, merciful, sympathetic, and compassionate.

How could this be? To live like this is no big deal. Peter continues in verse 8, saying, "Finally, 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."

Here's what I've discovered: I am actually a pretty merciful, kind, and tender-hearted person to people who are merciful, kind, and tender-hearted to me. Can anyone relate? I can be kind, I can be tender-hearted, and I can even be merciful to those who are being merciful, kind, and tender-hearted to me.

But Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew Chapter 5, says, "What good is it to you if you love those who love you?" How is that any good? In fact, it's so challenging that I think we need to turn there and actually read it. Turn your Bibles; you're in First Peter. Turn to the left. You're going to pass Corinthians, Romans, Acts, John, Mark, and Luke until you reach Matthew Chapter 5.

Matthew Chapter 5 is a challenging passage of Scripture that sits in a section called The Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus was teaching His disciples how they ought to live. This is what He said in Matthew Chapter 5, starting at verse 43: "You have heard that it has been said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'" That was a teaching going around in Jesus's day: love your neighbor and hate your enemy. There is something about that teaching that we all just go, "Yeah, I'm..."

I can love people who are nice to me, but I hate my enemies. However, Jesus said, "I say to you, love your enemies; bless those who curse you; do good to those who hate you; and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute you." Why would I do that? He explains that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven, for He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

If you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not the tax collectors even do the same? Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

My immediate response to evil, even evil that is not necessarily done to me, is not to be gracious. My immediate response to evil is to want to retaliate. That's my nature, and I think it's probably your nature too. We had an opportunity to observe this last Tuesday. Every single one of us woke up that day, and if you're anything like me, at some point in the morning, you looked on the internet and checked the news.

When you got to the news—CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, whatever your flavor is—they all had the same front page: pictures of what happened in Belgium. Did anybody see that last Tuesday? The first thing that goes through my mind when I see that, and I know it was the first thing going through a lot of people's minds because they tweeted about it and posted it on Facebook, is that someone needs to kick these guys in the teeth. Someone's got to take care of this. I want to take care of this. Someone's got to deal with these troublemakers.

Is it just me, or can anyone relate? Because you're all looking at me with blank stares. Come on, that's what goes through my mind! And that's not even something directly done to me, not even something directly done in our nation. Yet my response is retaliation. Retaliation! Now, when someone does something to me, and maybe it’s not even on the scale of that, they don’t even need to physically harm me; just simply saying something about me is enough to trigger that response.

Simply look at me the wrong way, and my desire is retaliation. I don't only want to retaliate; I want to escalate and retaliate. That is human nature under the fallen condition. It is human nature to want to escalate a response when someone says something to you or just looks at you the wrong way. We want to escalate and retaliate. God knew that this would be my response in a fallen human world. So much so that He told His people 4,000 years ago in the law, "Listen, I'm going to give you a limitation on your vengeance."

Here’s the limitation on your vengeance: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Now, fast forward 4,000 years later, and we seem to think that this is actually a prescription for how we can retaliate. It becomes a justification for retaliation. That person did that to me, so I'm getting back at them. The Bible said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," so I have vindication; I have scriptural reference. Here we go.

But that actually was God's limitation. It was a prescription for a punishment that fits the crime; it wasn't a justification for vengeance. Yet my flesh wants to take that and make it a justification for vengeance. I want to retaliate; I want to take vengeance, especially when something has been done to me. I want to escalate that response.

Then I come to this, and it says that God, through the Holy Spirit by the Apostle Peter, says, "No, be compassionate, be tenderhearted, be merciful, be gracious. Do not return evil for evil. Do not retaliate. Do not revile when reviled against." When someone speaks evil against you, you don't speak evil of them. Honestly, I'm not sure I can do that by myself, in and of my own strength. I'm not sure that I have the ability to do that.

The exhortation gets even more difficult because, in 1 Peter chapter 3, he says in verse 9, "Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing." Then he says, "For this is what God has called you to." I didn't see that in the fine print.

What is he saying? He is saying that when someone insults you, don't return an insult. That would be mercy. Instead, return a blessing; that's grace. When someone slights you maliciously or does something wrong toward you on purpose—something that, nine times out of ten, people do without meaning to—they just step on your toes because they are on their own way to do their own thing. They get in your way, and they didn't mean to. If you really challenge them on it, they would say, "Oh man, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

However, on the one percent of the time when someone does something to you intentionally, your response might be, "I want to beat the living daylights out of you." He says, "Yeah, don't do that. Bless them." In the back of my mind, and I’m sure in yours too, I think, "If I live like this, people are going to walk all over me. You can't be serious! Repay someone who's done evil with a blessing? This is what God calls me to do."

It says there at the end of verse 9, "Knowing that you were called to this." This is almost worse than the last section that we spent three weeks studying. If you were here the last three weeks, or if you weren't, let me just tell you: we talked about submitting—submitting to government, submitting to an employer that's harsh, and wives submitting to husbands. Throughout that passage, there were all kinds of things in those three sections of Scripture that we spent three weeks going through, and I thought, "Oh my goodness, I can't do that."

That pales in comparison to this. When someone wrongs you, don't respond by wronging them. Instead, extend a blessing. If someone insults you at work, bless them. If someone maliciously slights you, bless them. Repay evil with blessing. This isn't just the teaching of the Apostle Peter; this is also the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Just before that section we read in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "You have heard that it has been said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'" Yeah, I heard that. Let's do it! But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. Whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other.

Also, if anyone wants to sue you to take away your tunic, let him take away your cloak as well. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him too. Give to him who asks, and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away.

You've heard that it has been said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute you. This teaching was not just from Peter or Jesus, but also from the Apostle Paul. Let me read from Romans 12:14-21. There, Paul says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Be of the same mind toward one another. Repay no one evil for evil. Do not avenge yourselves. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."

Why should I do this? In this world, it seems like the only thing that’s going to happen is that I’m going to be stepped on. Why should I do this? Because back here in Matthew, or in 1 Peter chapter 3, it says, "Because you were called to this." And then he says that you may inherit a blessing. Why should I do this? Because, very honestly, this is exactly what Jesus did for me.

You’re in 1 Peter chapter 3; turn one page to chapter 2 and look at verse 21. 1 Peter 2:21 has the exact same words written there again: "For to this you were called." For what was I called? Well, in verse 20 it says, "For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your own faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, it is commendable before God."

"For to this you were called." Why? Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; and when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. By whose stripes we are healed.

Sounds like the Easter story, doesn’t it? He, the Prince of Peace, is seated in a Heavenly Kingdom where there is no injustice and where there is total good.

Absolute peace stepped down into the mess. He incarnated here in the mess to extend peace to us, to bring us back into a right relationship with God, with one another, and with the world. We would experience Shalom, the webbing together of all of these things.

How did He do that? Well, He came to the Earth and suffered, having done nothing wrong. He was reviled, persecuted, and hung on a tree. For what? For me. He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously, bearing my sins in His own body on the cross. Having died to sins, we might live unto Him.

Why did He do this? 1 Peter 2:25 states, "For you were like sheep going astray, but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." He was moved with compassion because He saw us like sheep without a shepherd, scattered. His compassion moved Him to pursue peace for us, and He died on that cross 2,000 years ago, which we celebrated two days ago on Good Friday. He rose from the dead on this day, which we celebrate as Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday.

Why did He rise from the dead? To show that His death destroys sin and death. So, why should I extend grace to people?

Point number three on our outline: Christians extend the same grace that they have experienced. We are to give the same that we have been given. We received grace from Christ, so we are to be gracious to people who may not be gracious towards us. We received forgiveness from Christ, and we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us.

Paul, in Ephesians 4:32, writes, "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." You also must forgive. Why? Well, look at what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:10.

Good days come to those who refrain their tongue from evil and their lips from speaking deceit. Let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.

Here’s a simple question: How many of you today would like to love life and see good days? There are some people not raising their hands, and I’m surprised. Let me reframe it: How many of you would like to have an enjoyable life and see good days?

All right, there’s no secret here. He says that he who wants to have an enjoyable life and see good days should follow this guidance. This is what we call an algorithm for blessing. If you do this, then you’re going to receive that. If you refrain from speaking evil and deceit, turn from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it, then you will love life and see good days.

I don’t know that it can get any clearer than this. In fact, I know it can’t get any clearer when you read this verse in five different versions, and they all say exactly the same thing. The King James Version, New King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, and New International Version all basically convey the same message: He who would love life and see good days must refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

You don’t need to get out the Strong's Greek Hebrew dictionary and thumb through it to try and pick this verse apart in the original languages. You know why Christians often take simple verses like this and search through the Strong's Greek Hebrew dictionary? It’s to find some nuance that allows them to avoid doing what this says to do.

We do not have a Bible understanding problem; we have a Bible doing problem. We know what the Scriptures say on this topic, but we wish it didn’t say this.

Point number four: Good awaits those who do good, seek peace, and pursue it. Why? Look at the very last verse, verse 12: For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Listen and get this—don’t miss it.

This salvation is not dependent upon your works, but there is a greater blessing in eternity. How that all works and what greater blessing in eternity looks like, I don't fully know. I have some speculation and some passages that I can point to, but here's what I do know: the Bible is clear that salvation is not dependent upon your works. However, there is a greater blessing for good works in eternity. Greater measures or experiences of the blessing of heaven and eternity await those who seek peace and do good. This is seen throughout the Scriptures.

Point number five on your outline is that God will reward those who do good now with good in eternity. Your Father, who sees in secret when you do good works, will reward you openly, as stated in Matthew chapter 6. Your Father sees your religious efforts in prayer, fasting, and doing good, even when no one else sees them. He will reward you openly in eternity. How that all works out, I'm looking forward to finding out when I get to heaven.

But here's the thing that we are called to do now: do good, seek peace, and pursue it. If you've had an encounter with the Prince of Peace and have come to be a part of His kingdom by faith and trust in Him, then now you are a peacemaker in this world, an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. This is how we are to work in this world: by compassion, by brotherly love, by mercy, and by grace. We are to give the same grace that we have received from Christ.

Christ, who was reviled, persecuted, and falsely accused, still extended mercy and grace to us. Though we were deserving of death, He took that death for us on the cross. While hanging there, being mocked and reviled, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Now, maybe today you came as a guest; someone invited you, and you haven't heard this good news before. You may be wondering, "What is the...?"

Good work is something that I ought to do well. There was a group of people who asked Jesus in the Gospel of John, chapter 6, "What is the good work that we ought to do?" He answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." You put your trust in Jesus Christ, and what does that do? It enables you to have access to His grace and His mercy.

For by grace are we saved through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. This brings us into a new experience, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in.

If you are a Christian today, meaning you have put your trust in Jesus for salvation, you have good works to walk in that involve brotherly love, compassion, mercy, and grace in a world that might step on you. Why should you do that? Because that is the example that Jesus gave for us. That is what He did for us, and He will reward us openly in eternity.

If you are not yet a Christian today, I encourage you to do the first work of putting your trust in Jesus for salvation. Then, find out what He will do with your life. You will be amazed and blown away.

Amen. Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Jesus, we need Your grace. I cannot, in and of myself, be gracious to other people without Your help. I cannot be merciful without Your help. I cannot be tender-hearted and compassionate without Your help. I can't even be moved to be compassionate without You moving me to be compassionate.

But Jesus, I pray that You would help me to be a light to a dark world. Help me to live after the example that You gave when You came to this mess. Lord, enable me this week, in the midst of the mess, to be an example of Your grace and Your mercy to others.

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