Encouragement For Persecuted Christians

I Peter 3:8-18

This letter that the Apostle Peter wrote was written to early Christians who were suffering persecution for their faith.  It was written to give them encouragement and practical advice on living out their faith during very trying times.  This passage from last Sunday’s lectionary gives some of that advice.

In verse 8 Peter is encouraging Christians in how they should be acting with each other, with their fellow believers.  We need to be of “one mind”, be in harmony with each other, pursuing the same goals.  We also need to show compassion to each other.  Be responsive to each other’s needs.  Are we showing love for each other as brothers and sisters, which is something Jesus frequently spoke of?  Peter speaks of being tenderhearted for others, being sensitive and caring for each other.  And finally in this verse, he admonishes believers to be courteous.  Show humility and encourage each other.  This is how we need to be acting towards each other, living in peace and not disharmony.

How about when someone does us a wrong or harms us?  The world would say for us to seek revenge, giving them what they deserve, and then some.  How should a Christian act?  The Word of God here in verse 9 says to pay back the wrong done to us by praying for the wrongdoer, and bestowing a blessing on him.  Revenge and speaking insults is unacceptable for Christians.  That is not easy to do, but as we draw closer to the Lord Jesus, and allow Him to live His life through us, we are more able to do that.

Peter then proceeds to quote from Psalm 34:12-16, in urging his readers to live good and godly lives.  Verse 10 admonishes us to watch what we say to others.  We can never take back our words once they leave our lips.  The Lord sees and hears everything we say and do, so make sure our actions are pleasing to Him (vs. 12).

As mentioned above, these Christians that Peter was writing to were living in a time of strong persecution, suffering for their faith.  In the remaining verses of this section (vs. 14 - 18), he encourages them that they don’t need to fear their enemies.  Instead, they should trust that God is Lord of all, and that He is in control.  That advice is still appropriate today.  We should respond to people who seek to hurt us in a Christ-like manner.

We cannot stop people from slandering us and speaking evil of us.  Peter, here in verses 16 and 17, says to those early Christians, and to us today, to make sure that we aren’t giving our enemies any valid reason for speaking against us or slandering us.  If our enemies are speaking lies against us, make sure that it is a lie, and not the truth.  Don’t give them good reason to speak wrongly against Christians.  As believers, we should keep our conduct above reproach.  We need to live a life free from ongoing and unconfessed sin, living instead for the Lord Jesus.  This will give us that good conscience that Peter is speaking of in verse 16.

Let’s take a moment to highlight verse 15.  Throughout this passage Peter has been encouraging Christians in their conduct and Christ-like walk.  If we are living this way, then it is likely that those who are not Christians we be taking notice.  If we are living for the Lord and allowing His light to shine through us, we will be noticed by the unsaved.  They will want to know what makes us different, what makes us the way we are.  We need to be ready to answer them with Biblical truths.  To do so, it will mean that we must know the Word of God ourselves in order to answer them.

We need to keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, as He suffered unjustly at the hands of evil men  (vs 18).  He was sinless, but suffered for us sinners.  His death may have seemed like a defeat at first glance, but it was actually a victory.  God raised Him from the dead, and through His sacrifice we can now have fellowship with the Father.  Peter, throughout this letter he wrote, encourages Christians to always be ready to share their faith, to suffer for their faith, and if need be, to die for their faith.  Are we willing to do the same?