1 Peter Series Like-mindedness in These Last Days

                                     Like-mindedness in These Last Days

1 Peter 3:8-12

It is interesting to look at the like-mindedness in our world today. There are those who desire to see mass change in society and are willing to do anything to see it come to pass. There are those who desire to see the traditions of the past upheld, and there are those who are bent on rebellion against all authority. But Christ’s mind-set is of an entirely different nature than the human nature displayed on social media and broadcasted on the internet and secular and corporate television. 

Peter, seeing the decay of sin upon the culture and people of his day, spoke and was led by the Holy Spirit to write these words to the Christians spread out over Asia-minor. Let’s look at the words from scripture,

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days

must keep their tongue from evil

    and their lips from deceitful speech.

They must turn from evil and do good;

    they must seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

 

Peter first addresses the will of God for all Christians: to be like-minded. Paul use a different term “be of one mind and Spirit” “Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.” Phil. 2:1-2 The Christians faced the challenge of succumbing to the pressures of the cultures around them, or to be united in the Holy Spirit with God’s purpose and will in mind and heart. The phrase mindset means, the established set of attitudes held by someone. Peter wanted the Christians to be like-minded in their unity in the Spirit, and love for one another. 

Second, Peter exhorts the believers to be sympathetic. He wanted them to place themselves in the sandals of those who have left or lost everything to follow Christ. He follows with a synonym for sympathy, compassion. The believers were to be compassionate to and for other believers as well as the lost ( the good Samaritan). It was one of the hallmarks of a Christian’s attitude and life. 

Third, Peter expressed the attitude of humility later in the letter, where he addresses humility in depth. “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1 Pet. 5) Humility is the opposite of pride and arrogance. Submitting to one another in humility is not an option in the mindset of Christ, it is a lifestyle. It is the principle attitude of the like mindedness of Christ. 

Application - There has been much teaching on the attitude of Christ, but it seems the mindset of the attitude of sympathy, compassion, and humility is lacking in the world today. I caught the news in the morning and a large group of people were demonstrating and parading their mindset of revenge as payback for the evil they believed was done to them, or more forthright, they wanted to demolish and eliminate those that they believed persecuted their mindset, lifestyle and gender choices. Those that they believed were persecuting them were Christians, and other conservitive groups.

Jesus, as well as Peter and Paul gave the church the appropriate mindset in responding to outcries from the world’s attitudes. We are to be sympathetic to their losness, not their sinfulness. For all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s righteousness. We all need the salvation given by believing and confessing Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, and to stop sinning in the mindset of the world. Jesus in John 8, gave a great illustration. Righteous men brought a woman caught in adultery, not the man, and were testing Jesus as to whether they should stone her to death. Jesus saw through their false mindset of revenge and religiosity. He wrote something on the ground, and gave them an answer. “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’” Jesus' answer was met with everyone dropping their stones, and the sympathy, compassion, and humility of Jesus not judging her either, but said to her “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more’” So, what is the mindset for Christians today? Are we to judge the sinfulness that we see daily in the mindset of the world, or do we have the mindset of Christ. I want you to ponder where you are and what mindset you have.

Next Peter admonishes believers in God’s words on revenge, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.” Deut. 32:35  or Paul’s words to the Roman 12:17-19 “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.”

Peter had seen the evil side of revenge when he cut the ear off the guard, Jesus’ words were still ringing true after all those years. Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him. At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Matt.26:50b-52 

Let’s look at the text, Peter understood that repaying evil for evil was not Christ’s mindset, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” The believers were accustomed to seeing evil repay evil. It is the product of sinful human nature. But to repay evil with blessings took more courage and strength than to give in to the base nature of humanness. Peter told the believers that they would inherit a blessing by repaying evil with good. This blessing is an honorable name in heaven and earth and able to live at peace with those who would persecute you. ( “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matt.5:10-12)

Application - I can imagine Peter remembering the old Peter, desiring to repay evil for evil, and then the response of Jesus, “Put away the sword of revenge, If you live by sword of revenge you shall die by the sword of revenge.” (my translation) I have seen a lot of rocks being picked up by political prophets and religious people. The question should be asked, have we not sinned as well in our past, have we the right to repay evil for evil? Do we desire the mindset of the “Be attitude”, and to endure persecution for righteousness’ sake? We are called to repay evil with a blessing, and we will inherit the blessing of peacemakers (James 3:18) and the reward in heaven for those who were faithful and obedient to God’s will and mindset. 

Last, Peter quotes Psalms 34:12-16, let’s look at the text. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days

must keep their tongue from evil

    and their lips from deceitful speech.

They must turn from evil and do good;

    they must seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

The sojourners in the provinces and countries of Asia minor, would have heard the Psalms before, and now having it put in context to their lives and times would have made sense. The persecutions of the believers especially during Neros’ reign in Rome were viciously carried out. If they needed entertainment in the various circuses (arenas) for the beast battles, there was no shortage of christians taken prisoner because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Peter knew this Psalm would bring comfort and direction to all who would heed it. First, If you loved life, the tongue was to be tamed of speaking evil and deceit (slander, malice, lying, etc.) It was possible for a christian to live quietly and peacefully, Paul spoke about living (1 Thes.4:11-12). 

Peter wanted them to seek and pursue peace. They were to turn away from evil by doing good (living according to the teaching of the letters from the Apostles). Pursuing peace meant that they wouldn’t pursue the things that the world considered peaceful but the life of one who was content in the Lord’s grace and mercy.

Peter closes with the eyes of God always watching his children. They needed to know that God sees their trials and hears their cries and prayers. He is ever faithful to provide wisdom, mercy, and protection and he will see the wicked and will punish them in His time. For in the Psalms it says that their names are blotted out of the Book of Life in heaven.

Application - It seems that we all want to live life. In America, it is part of the Declaration of Independence. It guarantees the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Brent Strawn stated in an article, “The Bible and the Pursuit of Happiness:What the Old and New Testaments Teach Us About the Good Life."It may be that the American Dream, if that is parsed as lots of money and the like, isn't a sufficient definition of the good life or true happiness. It may, in fact, be detrimental,"(Oxford University Press, 2012) Many Americans have bought into the American Dream, and many immigrants as well. But is that real life? Is the pursuit of the world and its values really Life? The Psalmist as well as Peter knew that if you would seek life, you would have to die to this world and its mindset, and pursue Jesus Christ. Jesus said “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.” Luke 9:23-26

So the good life is really a life of submission, obedience, and yielding to the Lord Jesus Christ. We believers in America need to understand that God sees all of us, in who we really are. And that may scare some of us, for we are failing in the submission, obedience, and yielding part of being His disciple, as well our tongues are spewing saltwater as well as fresh water. We seek revenge for the wrongs of this culture and society as done to us, and our scorching words reflect what type of life and mindset we live by. So let’s take a personal inventory of our lives and our mindset and let Jesus straighten our paths. As Peter said in his second letter, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 2 Pet.3:10-13

If you would like more lessons, http://pmdinhisserivce.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis