The Good Life
Notes
Transcript
David McCullough in his book Mornings On Horseback tells this story about young Teddy Roosevelt: Mittie (his mother) had found he was so afraid of the Madison Square Church that he refused to set foot inside if alone. He was terrified, she discovered, of something called the "zeal." It was crouched in the dark corners of the church ready to jump at him, he said.
When she asked what a zeal might be, he said he was not sure, but thought it was probably a large animal like an alligator or a dragon. He had heard the minister read about it from the Bible. U
sing a concordance, she read him those passages containing the word ZEAL until suddenly, very excited, he told her to stop. The line was from the Book of John, 2:17: "And his disciples remembered that it was written, 'The ZEAL of thine house hath eaten me up'"
People are still justifiably afraid to come near the "zeal" of the Lord, for they are perfectly aware it could "eat them up" if they aren't one of His.
Our Lord is good, but He isn't safe. (McCullough, 1981)
Zeal or being zealous is not a word that we hear frequently anymore. The word means:
Marked by fervent partisanship for a person, a cause, or an ideal (Meriam-Webster)
We are in that never seeming endless election season. It is beginning to heat up as the presidential election will be here before we know it. The negative ads have begun.
There are people that are very pro President Trump. There are people that are very anti-Trump and pro anybody but him. There are people who are very pro Democratic and others who are very pro republican.
There are people that are very zealous for their candidate. Remember the definition “fervent partisanship.”
The problem with partisanship is that it is divisive. It divides people, we see that in Washington right now.
I do not care what your politics are. I operate under the old adage that religion and politics do not mix. I serve one higher than the President of the United States and that is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. I support positions that will demonstrate mercy, grace, love, and justice for all people.
I cannot support someone who takes positions who are antithetical to what we find in the Bible.
I did not mean to start out with a lesson on politics but it is a good lead in to this passage of Scripture. Zeal or being zealous is a good thing when it is applied to good things.
From the opening words of Chapter 1 of this letter, Peter has been writing about hope. He wrote in verse 1 of chapter one
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s chosen strangers in the world of the diaspora, who live in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
Chosen strangers in the world of the diaspora. Chosen strangers living in a time of dispersion throughout the world. These were people that needed to hear about hope. They needed something to hold onto. In verse 3 he wrote that we “have been born anew into a living hope.”
Because of this living hope that we now have, it should change the way that we live our lives. We are a part of the diaspora, we are strangers here, we are aliens. This world is not our home, it is just temporary. This reminded me of an old Gospel song we use to sing all the time in our youth group when I was a teen.
This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore. (Albert Brumley)
The question that this proposes is how do we live this life here and now as we await our eternal home. Peter calls us to live the good life. He actually begins by quoting the Psalmnist in verses 10 -12
10 For those who want to love life and see good days should keep their tongue from evil speaking and their lips from speaking lies. 11 They should shun evil and do good; seek peace and chase after it. 12 The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord cannot tolerate those who do evil.
You could either focus on the negative there or you can focus on the positive. I choose to focus on the positive. Speak truth, do good, seek peace, and chase after peace. If you want to see good days and to live a life that pleases God, then focus on these things.
So Peter in answering the unspoke why question says in verse 13
13 Who will harm you if you are zealous for good?
Paul wrote something very similar in his letter to the Romans. In chapter 8 of that letter, Paul addresses this same issue that Peter is addressing here, and that is of suffering. Both of them recognize that as Christians we may face suffering and persecution.
Paul wrote
31 So what are we going to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He didn’t spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Won’t he also freely give us all things with him?
The obvious answer to Peter’s and Paul’s questions is “No One”
We as Christians have been given an incredible opportunity to be salt and light to a world that is living in darkness because of sin. Jesus spoke about that in his Sermon on the Mount. In some of the courses that I have been taking we have talked about breaking the cycle of violence or breaking the cycle of codependency. As Christian we have been given that incredible opportunity of breaking that cycle of returning evil for evil and change it to returning good for evil.
There is so much evil in our world today. It often appears that evil has the upper hand and is winning. What I have witnessed however is that when you return Good for evil that the one who is doing something evil is disarmed. They do not know how to respond when good is offered.
Peter writes about being zealous for good. That is being passionate for doing good. You will be blessed by living that way, by living the good life. He writes there in verse 14
14 But happy are you, even if you suffer because of righteousness! Don’t be terrified or upset by them.
He says “happy are you” or “you are blessed” if you suffer because of righteousness.
We will suffer for our faithfulness to God. Jesus said
20 Remember what I told you, ‘Servants aren’t greater than their master.’ If the world harassed me, it will harass you too. If it kept my word, it will also keep yours.
That is challenging for us to hear. I don’t think anyone of us wants to suffer for our faith, but we are called to follow Jesus and that may involve suffering and persecution.
During World War II a Christian boy of twelve refused to join a certain movement in Europe. “Don’t you know that we have power to kill you?” they said. “Don’t you know,” he replied quietly, “that I have power to die for Christ!” He had the conviction that no one was able to harm him. (MacDonald, 1995)
Peter reminds us “Don’t be terrified or upset by them.”
Why? Because we will be blessed by God. Peter here in the passage talks about sharing the blessings of God with others regardless of their response to us. This life of blessing, the good life is not meant to be hoarded, but to shared.
Peter writes about three things concerning living the good life.
Sanctify it
Sanctify it
The fist thing in living the good life is to sanctify it. Look there at the first part of verse 15
Common English Bible Chapter 3
Instead, regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts.
The New Revised Standard Version puts it this way
The New Revised Standard Version Suffering for Doing Right
but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord
This is the first and most important aspect of living the good life. Peter writes a lot about holiness and living holy lives. To sanctify is to set it apart. He is saying that we are to set apart our hearts by making Jesus as the Lord of our lives.
The Christian life makes absolutely no sense and it does not work if we do not set apart our lives and permit Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. There is a profound difference between surrendering to Jesus as your Savior from sin and enthroning him as the Lord of your life.
To be a real Christian means that you have made, you have sanctified, set apart your life and made Jesus Lord of your life. Jesus must be Lord of all your life or he will not be Lord at all. You cannot just make him Lord of a part of your life, he is to be Lord of all your life.
That is the reason that Peter uses the phrase “regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts” or as the NIV puts it “in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.” Your heart means the center or core of who you are.
You are to be entirely sanctified. Making Christ the Lord of your life is the best possible defense against whatever Satan may throw at you.
John wrote in his first letter
17 This is how love has been perfected in us, so that we can have confidence on the Judgment Day, because we are exactly the same as God is in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.
Notice what he wrote there at the end of verse 17, “we are exactly the same as God is in this world.” This is love made perfect in our lives. When love is made perfect we are like Christ. That is not some future thing, but it is a promise for us today.
We can live a life of perfect love, of holiness today.
Peter back in chapter 2 referred to believers as “holy priesthood” and “a holy nation.” To be holy is to live differently than the world.
If you are not living different from the people in the world, then you are not really a Christian, a disciple of Jesus.
Paul Cedar wrote:
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 34: James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude Sharing the Hope
To sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts enables us to live the life of holiness. In the truest sense, it allows Christ to live His life of holiness in us and through us.
Lordship is the key to the good life. Jesus is the one who said:
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and don’t do what I say?
We cannot possibly be a Christian, we cannot possible make Jesus the Lord of our lives if we do not do what he says, if we do not obey him.
Authentic, real, true Christianity is lived out by making Jesus Lord of all of our life. It is lived out by radical obedience to Him. If Jesus is going to be the Lord of your life, then He has to be in control of your life. He is the one that calls the shots and we obey His will.
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 34: James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude Sharing the Hope
Samuel Wilberforce once said that lordship could be defined in four words: admit, submit, commit, transmit. Indeed, we must admit our sin and need of a savior; we must forsake sin and submit our lives to Christ as Lord; we must commit our way to the Lord day by day; and we must transmit or share His love and goodness with others.
The second aspect of living the good life is by defending it.
Defend it
Defend it
Look there at the later part of verse 15, Peter writes:
Common English Bible Chapter 3
Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it.
That word defend is comes from the Greek word that we get our word apologetics. To defend it means that we give reasons for what we believe and why we live the way we do.
Stephen on the day that he was martyred for his faith he gave a defense for his faith. Paul stated his defense on several occasions.
Peter gives great advice about witnessing.
It should be reasonable. This means that our witnessing comes from a personal experience with Jesus. As Barclay says: “Our faith must be a first-hand discovery and not a second-hand story.” (Ball, 1966). You cannot tell someones story, you have to tell your story.
You truly cannot not witness effectively for Christ if you have not had a real encounter with Jesus yourself.
Our witnessing or defense must be with respectful humility. If you come across as arrogant you are going to immediately turn that other person off.
Our attitude must be one of reverence or respect. Barclay wrote:
The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Hebrews–Revelation 3. The Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake (3:13–17)
That is to say, any argument in which the Christian is involved must be carried on in a tone and in an atmosphere which God can hear with joy.
The final thing that Peter says about witnessing is that it be done with a good conscience. No amount of words that we might say can replace or speak better than a life that lives out what we say about ourselves.
In other words, actions speak louder than words.
Remember, Peter is writing to Christians who are suffering and even being persecuted for their faith. He is writing about hope. In reality, these people had little reason to have hope from an earthly perspective. However, Christ lived in them and they were displaying hope in their lives even when hope seemed far off.
Is it any wonder that people would ask them why they had hope?
We should always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us. Hope and all of the fruit of the Spirit communicates to people. They will want to know about it.
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 34: James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude Sharing the Hope
Many of us resist the exciting ministry of sharing with others. We are like Charlie Brown’s little sister, Sally, who once said to Charlie, “I’m doomed! I need to write a report on rivers, and it’s due next week, and I know that I’m going to fail!” To that, Charlie Brown responded, “Well, why don’t you work real hard and turn in the best report you can possibly write?” With that, Sally meekly replied, “You know, that never even occurred to me!”
This how many Christians live. They are afraid that someone is going to find out that they are a Christian. Paul Cedar told a story that he heard from a pastor friend of his.
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 34: James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude Sharing the Hope
One of the Christian businessmen from his church was leading a weekly Bible study for presidents of major corporations located in that particular city. The president of a large corporation became a Christian through the impact of the study. He was faithful to the study, but he remained a “secret Christian.” He didn’t want anyone to find out about his Christian commitment.
As he began to grow spiritually, he found it more and more difficult to hide the fact that he was a Christian. His life began to change outwardly, and the influence of Christ was affecting his lifestyle. His associates and friends were asking what was happening to him. Why was he different?
One day, in desperation, he asked his friends in the Bible study group, “Isn’t it possible to live the Christian life in secret?” To that question, one of his wise friends replied, “Friend, it is impossible for you to have Jesus living within you without some of Him leaking out!”
That is exactly what Peter is teaching. Allow the love, joy, peace, and hope of Jesus Christ to “leak out” of your life. And when that happens, be ready to give an answer to those who ask you about it. In other words, share the love, joy, peace, and hope of Jesus Christ with others. Don’t resist it; don’t hide it; don’t ignore it; share the good life!
The third aspect of living the good life is to share it.
Share it
Share it
The good life, the life of Christ living within us is not to be hoarded, it is to be shared with others.
In our everyday life people often ask us questions which can open the door to us talking to them about Jesus and what he has done for us. We do not shove it down their throats, but we share the reason for the hope that we have.
Because of what God has done in us we should have the holy boldness to share this good news with others.
Pheme Perkins wrote in a commentary on this passage:
Many adults today are inarticulate when asked to explain their Christian faith. If a challenger is not silenced by a few Bible verses or religious phrases, people will shrug and change the topic. Such reactions would hardly serve as a “defense” of the faith. One ABC News reporter said during an interview that people are quite willing to reveal the most intimate details of their sexual lives, but most mainline church members have nothing to say about their religion. First Peter indicates that all believers, not only clergy and theologians, should be able to give an account of what they believe. (Perkins, 1995).
I would add that you cannot share what you do not have. If you do not have a real, transformational relationship with Jesus, you cannot share your story because you do not have a story about what Jesus has done for you.
As Christians we have been blessed with the good life. Is it always easy? No, but it is always blessed. We are called to sanctify our lives, set them apart for God’s use. We are called to defend the hope that we have. If we do not live in hope, we are not truly Christians. We are called to share, to share the good life.
Jesus, the light of the world has called us to share our light. We have been given this grand opportunity to be both salt and light to a dark and hurting world.
How are you doing with that?
Is Jesus the Lord of your life? Are you living the good life?
REFERENCES
Ball, C. S. (1966). First and Second Peter . In Hebrews-Revelation (Vol. 6, p. 267). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (pp. 2270–2271). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
McCoullough, D. (1981). Mornings on horseback. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Zealous. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 14, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealous
Perkins, P. (1995). First and Second Peter, James, and Jude (p. 63). Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.