"Sanctified Life Part Three" Attitude toward Believers In verses 9 to 16, the apostle Paul describes what our attitude and conduct must be toward members of the body of Christ. Clearly, this pattern of behavior is not typical of human behavior, but of those who are indeed a part of God’s new creation—those who have truly yielded their lives to God as living sacrifices and are, therefore, expecting the transforming and sanctifying power of the holy spirit to work within them. As God’s children we will: Express sincere, brotherly un-hypocritical agape love, a love that is always willing to give and expects nothing in return. Failure to love our brethren casts doubt on our love for God (1 John 4:19-21). Hate what is evil and cling to what is good (Psalm 97:10). Be devoted to one another in love (Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22). Honor others above self (Philippians 2:3). Verses 11 and 12: Keep rekindling our spiritual zeal by faithfully serving the Lord. One of the greatest dangers facing the church today is the "Laodicean spirit," an attitude of apathy and complacency, rather than a fervent zeal in running for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Revelation 3:14-19; Colossians 3:1-4). Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Our Lord Jesus instills confidence in those who serve him; though he remains invisible, he is wonderfully real to the eye of faith. This results in the joyful hope of seeing him face to face and sharing in his glory: (1 Peter 1:6-9; Romans 15:13). This hope leads to patience in trials, knowing the temporary nature of this life in contrast to the hope of eternity (Romans 5:3-5). We will continue to receive the strength and grace we need to meet each experience in life as we daily feast on the word of God and remain in constant communion with him through prayer. Verse 13: Share with saints who are in need. Even when undergoing difficult experiences, we should never allow ourselves to become so preoccupied that we become insensitive to the needs of others (Philippians 4:15-19; Hebrews 6:10; 13:16; 1 John 3:16-18). Practice or pursue hospitality. Paul uses the Greek word dioko, which means to pursue or "chase after" opportunities for hospitality. It is when we share our homes with God’s people that we truly come to know one another with an intimacy that cannot be achieved in any other way. Indeed, when we entertain brethren, we entertain our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:11,40; Hebrews 13:1,2 and 1 Peter 4:9). Verses 14-16: Bless those who persecute us, bless and curse not. Again, from the human perspective, this is virtually impossible. But from God’s perspective and by his grace, it not only is possible, it is something we must do (Philippians 4:13; Matthew 5:43-48). Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. We are to share one another’s joys and sorrows (1 Corinthians 12:25-27). Live in harmony with one another; do not be proud or conceited; be willing to associate with the lowly. Because of the diversity within the body of Christ, high self-esteem due to the lack of humility will lead to pride which results in discord rather than unity and harmony within the body. This clearly displeases God who "resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5-9). Indeed, all of us must be clothed with the humility of our Lord and Master (Philippians 2:5-11) that God might exalt us in his due time. (1Corinthians 13:4,5 and Philippians 2:1-4.) Attitude toward Unbelievers This closing passage is directed to the consecrated, sanctified life and our attitudes and conduct toward unbelievers. Verse 17: Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the sight of everybody. The inclination of the flesh is not only to repay evil for evil but to try to go one better against the perpetrator. Our conduct among unbelievers, whether at work, in school, or in our interaction with our neighbors, must never betray the high standards of God’s holy word. Peter says, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9). How do we "inherit a blessing" when we "do what is right" after having evil and insults hurled at us? Clearly, such occasions hold the prospect for witnessing to the love, mercy, and grace of God. It is an opportunity to ask the profoundly important question that we should be asking in all of life’s experiences: What would Jesus do? God "calls us" to pattern our lives, our attitudes and conduct, to the example set by his beloved son. This is clearly set out for us in 1 Peter 2:21-25: "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that ye should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that he might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." Verse 18: The admonition to "live at peace with everybody" is accompanied by two conditions: 1) "as far as possible," and 2) "as much as it depends on you." The lives of some individuals are so filled with conflict and disharmony that it is impossible for them to be at peace. We need to be certain that we are not contributing in any way to this condition. If the peace of Christ and of God is in us (John 14:27; Philippians 4:5,6), we will always seek to be peacemakers wherever we are (Matthew 5:9). We are further admonished by Paul to "pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled" (Hebrews 12:14,15). Verse 19: Clearly, some will take advantage of a Christian’s peace-loving attitude. Even so, we are never to retaliate because vengeance belongs to God. He will take care of it. Verses 20 and 21: Rather than take revenge, we are to respond as Christ would. If our enemy is hungry, we must feed him; if thirsty, we must give him drink. In so doing, the apostle says, we will "heap burning coals on his head." The Greek word for "heap" has the implication of "to weigh down," that is, to become a weighty matter of thought. The intent of returning good for evil is not to condemn, but to cause the person to think about his inappropriate behavior and hopefully cause regret and contrition—if not now, then in God’s due time (1 Peter 2:12). Brethren, as we examine this most incredible and profound checklist of what our lives must be, what our attitudes and conduct must be both within and outside of the household of faith, we must be careful not to become disheartened because we fall short of our Father’s expectation. When our Master described this dedicated walk in the narrow way, the response of his disciples was, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Herein lies the secret of spiritual success: the workmanship is God’s, NOT ours! (Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:13). Transformation, sanctification, growth, and development of the fruit of the spirit, are processes that occur through the power of the Holy Spirit over our lifetime. They are not events that occur overnight. However, it is absolutely imperative that we know what God’s ultimate destiny is for each of his children: to be conformed to the glorious character-likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29). Knowing what his goal is for each of us, we must submit to his workmanship willingly and joyfully, having the blessed assurance and full confidence that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Praise and glory be to his holy name!
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:56:40 +0000
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