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The Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Christian Relationships
June 22, 2008
TEXT: NKJ 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having
compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9
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.
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue
from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil and
do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. 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." 13 And who is he who will harm you if you become
followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness'
sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a
defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with
meekness and fear;
The text follows Peter’s dissertation on the relationship of Christian husbands
and wives—once again reminding us that the earthly marriage of man and woman
serves as a constant reminder of the relationship of the Church and Christ—in
our text, Peter is expanding his discussion to all Christians and their proper
relationship to God and to each other—Peter and Paul teach us the truth of the
Word in different ways, but their message is the same—compare the text to these
words of Paul
NKJ 1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who
are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Paul says that we are to pray for each other—we are to pray for our government
leaders—and we are to pray for the salvation of all men because God wants all
men to be saved—God doesn’t create us to kill us or destroy us—He creates each
of us to bring glory to His name—Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans how we
Christians are to behave toward each other—consider his words against the lesson
of Peter’s text
NKJ Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same
mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with
the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil.
Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as
much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is
Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed
him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of
fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
These teachings of both Peter and Paul are consistent with the teachings of
Jesus
NKJ Matthew 5:44 "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 you
and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He
makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and
on the unjust.
Therefore, the lesson thus far is that we are to love each other just as Christ
(the Bridegroom) loves the Church (the bride)—husbands are to love their wives
and wives are to love their husbands—and we Christians are to love each other
and pray for each other—teaching each other all things of God so that all men
may be saved—that is God’s desire
But we have to understand that this world contains the devil—and the devil wants
all men to go to hell with him—he fights and plots and schemes to divide us and
lead us to believe that there are other things more important than our Christian
unity and love for each other
He starts to plant seeds in our earthly (human) minds—telling us that our
position in society and in the Kingdom of God should be elevated compared to
someone else’s position—he tries to introduce jealousy of each other into our
lives—the devil wants us to question whether we are more important, whether we
should be elevated into a higher position—this world is a world of
inequalities—but we must remember that this world belongs to the devil—and the
devil hates the things of God—including us Christians—Jesus taught us that we
will be persecuted because we know God
NKJ John 15:17 "These things I command you, that you love one another. 18 " If
the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you
were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20
"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his
master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My
word, they will keep yours also. 21 "But all these things they will do to you
for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
We are in this world—but we are not of this world—we belong in the Kingdom of
heaven—and God will end our earthly journey and bring us home at a time of His
choosing
NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also
eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
We, the Church of believers in this world of Satan, need to bind ourselves to
each other through the common faith of the teachings of God’s Word—knowing that
we are surrounded by the evil things of the devil—loving one another—teaching
one another—encouraging one another—until the fight and struggle to do the
things in obedience to God in defiance of the devil’s constant attacks on
us—these attacks will end when God carries us home to heaven
Paul tells us to live our lives for the unity of the Church—we should not live
our lives for ourselves—we live only for the God who created us—and we live for
the Church God gave us—sharing our gifts and contributing to the good of the
Body of Christ in whatever position He gave us—Paul served God’s Church with a
sincere heart—and he spent much time imprisoned and attacked because of his
work—so we should consider his lessons in harmony with the lesson of Peter
Consider that Paul tells us to help each other grow in the Word—share the Word
with each other and with those who do not know God—for how can anyone grow in
knowledge of the Word if they do not hear the Word?
NKJ Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of
peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
Our Lord sends preachers, teachers, and evangelists to spread His Word around
the world
NKJ Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints
for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all
come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;…
We each have a responsibility to the Church--each of us is given gifts of the
Holy Spirit to work toward God’s desire that all men have salvation and all men
should rise to the same level of understanding of His Kingdom and His plan for
us Christians on earth—Paul’s discussion of our gifts enlightens us and
motivates us to share with the unbelievers and with each other—we are to
constantly work to enlarge the Church and strengthen the Church—and how do we do
that?—we do it by learning the truths of God’s Word and sharing that message
with everyone whose path we cross
NKJ 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want
you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these
dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that
Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are diversities of gifts, but
the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And
there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in
all.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one
for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the
Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to
another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of
spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of
tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to
each one individually as He wills.
The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts to those who are called—and each of us
Christians has been called into the service of God’s Church on earth—we are here
to do the work of the Church—each according to his gifts
NKJ Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one
another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things
put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule
in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Paul gives us a summary of how we Christians should live our lives on earth—do
everything in the name of the Lord—and give thanks continuously for all
things—perhaps Paul was considering the summary given to us by the wisest of
men, King Solomon, as he approached the end of his journey through life
NKJ Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God
and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. 14 For God will bring every
work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
When King Solomon wrote these words to us Christians, he was old and expecting
death to come soon—his message to us is when you get to the end of life’s
journey in this world, all that matters is your relationship with God
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD.