Fearlessly, Radically Righteous: Our Testimony

Fearlessly, Radically Righteous • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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What compels believers to live lives that are easy targets of mockery, slander, antagonism, or even physical violence? It is because we have hope, the only real, lasting hope in this world because of the overwhelming transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ that compels us, that demands we live our lives in a way that is worthy of Christ who has saved us.

Notes

Transcript

Introduction

When we become Christians, we need to get used to new things especially if you’re not from a church background: worship gatherings, Bible study, prayer, singing out loud with other people, fellowship and learning to live in God’s will and denying our own, and so on.

Living the Christian life is not an easy one. It certainly goes against the desires of our sinful human natures. It can also lead us to conflicts in relationships, challenges at work or school where we need to stand against unrighteousness rather than just keeping quiet and going along to get along. Being a Christian forces us to re-evaluate everything according to what God has revealed to us in His Word that teaches us how we ought to live.

In our time and culture, this is not especially challenging, but we can recognize our relative comfort and the religious freedoms we enjoy are in steady decline, while others aggressively seek to erode our witness, even slandering us as bigots or any number of disparaging things.

There are many other places today in the world where gathering like this, for the purpose we are gathered right now is unimaginable given the dangers associated. Christians all over the world will meet today in secret and at great peril to their lives, livelihoods and the safety of their families. So, what compels them and us to meet like this, or to live lives that are easy targets of violence, antagonism, or mockery?

Background Information

In the latter half of the first century, the Church was growing rapidly throughout the empire and the culture didn’t know how to understand these Christians.

Jews were one thing; the empire had dealt with that people for hundreds of years by then. The Romans understood the Jew’s reluctance to worship the Emperor or the pantheon of gods wasn’t so much an act of rebellion as it was their God explicitly forbidding it. As a syncretistic culture, who were they to disparage or challenge another’s god?

But as it came out Christians were not just a Jewish sect but something entirely new, that was a problem, a significant and growing problem. It would not be much longer that Emperor Nero would burn Christians as literal streetlights, among other ghastly horrors. Christians were accused of atheism, ironically, by saying there was only one God, (and it wasn’t Caesar.)

A common lie spread about Christians concerned their cannibalistic rituals of eating human flesh and drinking blood. Christians wouldn’t go along with the cultural influences of emperor worship, sacrifices, temple prostitution, the barbarism of the gladiatorial games, denouncing rampant immoral and sexual perversions, and so much more. Really, the first century Christians stood out, starkly, against significant cultural and societal normatives, and many suffered as a direct result of their faith in Jesus.

It was into this background that Peter writes his First Letter to those spread out, many dispersed because of persecution now in enclaves throughout modern day Turkey:

to encourage believers to stand firm in the faith – not a faith, the faith; fake religion cannot withstand persecution

to live lives worthy of Christ

to order their lives in such a way that reflected the gospel’s transforming power in their households, jobs and their communities

to suffer well

That brings us to

Read 13-17

1 Peter 3:13–17 (NASB95)

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

Even if our witness openly invites mockery, slander, or violence, the transformative power of the gospel demands we live fearlessly, radically righteous lives. We do so to demonstrate to a watching world that what we have in Christ is far and away better than anything the world can offer.

Read 13-17

1 Peter 3:13–14 (NASB95)

We live fearlessly, radically righteous lives in our suffering.

Suffering is part of the human experience. Remember, Peter is addressing believers undergoing persecution for following Christ. These brothers and sisters were suffering. If they weren’t they knew some that were.

If we live lives that are marked by a zealous faith in Christ, it may raise the ire of family members, civil authorities, friends, coworkers, bosses, social media, and so on. Which of those should we fear?

Peter isn’t trying to diminish their suffering or reduce the very real effects of their harm, but he is putting it into perspective, an eternal perspective. To better understand, go back to v. 12 where he quotes

Psalm 34:15 (NASB95)

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.

What harm do we have to fear? They could kill us, but that only destroys the body. As Jesus said in Matt. 10:28:

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both and body in hell.

Peter goes on

1 Peter 3:14 (NASB95)

But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,

How can we be blessed in suffering? Hear James’ word:

James 1:2–4 (NASB95)

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

This endurance yields a visible witness to a watching world. When done in a way that glorifies Christ, that takes the focus off of us, and testifies to the goodness of God despite our suffering, how we suffer becomes a powerful authentication of our professed faith to a world that desperately needs to know there is hope. They will be watching to see if what we claim to have in Christ is better than what the world and its lies pretends to be able to offer.

Or, hear Jesus’ word in the Beatitudes:

Matthew 5:10–12 (NASB95)

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Read 14b

Speaking of prophets, Peter quotes Isaiah 8:12. That prophet carried a message of utter devastation of everything he knew, and the Lord’s word to him is, “Do not fear their intimidation or be troubled”. Any suffering we endure here is temporary and ultimately pales when compared to the kingdom of heaven.

Make no mistake, there are plenty that are driven by all the fury of hell itself trying to intimidate and trouble a stand made in righteousness. They cannot beat us in offering something better, so they must berate or silence what offends or challenges their rebellions.

So then, we live fearlessly, radically righteous lives in our suffering. And the same principle applies to suffering not because of direct persecution but from anything from a sin-cursed world. There is sickness, death, abuse and injustice, and all manners of evil. In our suffering, let it be in joyful submission to the sovereign will of our great, good God.

1 Peter 3:15 (NASB95)

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

We live fearlessly, radically righteous lives in our witness.

To sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts means there is absolutely nothing artificial or convenient about our faith. This the real deal. Mediocre, unsteady faith will not stand and be rightly dismissed by the watching world, that again, wants to, needs to, prove what we claim to have in the gospel is better than anything else offered by the world.

Now, Christ is Lord regardless of anything we do or say. So, this must speak of something deeper than some academic or mental assent agreeing that Jesus is Lord. It is rather, a heart-issue, something at the very core of who we claim we are as Christians that naturally proclaims, “Jesus is Lord”.

Despite raging persecution and satanic influences all around us, we must resolve now, and everyday we are given, to sanctify Christ as Lord in the innermost parts of who we are, allowing that truth to permeate every aspect of our character, our speech, our interactions and so forth.

In so doing, our defense of the hope within us is substantiated with more than flowery speech. The world has enough smooth-talking, gospel-less preachers and other liars sending people to hell in droves straining after the fading, empty riches of this world.

Instead, let our defense point to Christ and what He has done for us and is doing through us. Real, lasting hope cannot be promised by other people, fellow sinners. Only in Christ, do have the glorious, transforming power of the gospel. Our hope is not in 7 steps to our best life now. Our hope is not in ourselves and our abilities. Our hope is founded in the One who died taking our place, facing God’s wrath against our sin, but was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures, that He would be able to justify us in His righteousness.

While we were dead in our trespasses, Christ died for the ungodly. Dead in our trespasses? The gospel is not about making bad people good or good people better. The power of the gospel is in making dead people alive!

That is a reason for hope, for apart from that same gospel, any and all hope is lost. Only despair, eternal despair awaits such a one. And you, O Christian, have the only answer.

Therefore, we must be ready to give a defense, a testimony, to that hope. More than just a hypothetical courtroom scene where a judge would demand evidence for our claim of being a Christian.

Have you heard about Bob?

No, what?

He was accused of being a Christian.

Oh. What happened?

They had to acquit, there wasn’t enough evidence to convict.

Don’t be like Bob.

This reason for a defense can really come from anywhere. Perhaps it’s that coworker that is always really nasty to you going through a rough time and needs an encouraging word. Maybe it’s the Jehovah’s Witness that knocks on your door. Or, that telemarketer that interrupts your day. You may not need an extended warranty, but that person that God loves desperately needs the gospel.

To look at it another way, withholding the gospel is the same as telling another person created in God’s image, “You can go straight to hell.” Remaining silent when a defense is demanded, is the same as denying ever knowing Christ.

In that though, we are commanded here at the end of v. 15, this defense is made in gentleness and respect. In other words, don’t be obnoxious. And on that note, don’t be reckless.

So, we re to live fearlessly, radically righteous lives in our suffering and in our witness.

Read 16-17

1 Peter 3:16–17 (NASB95)

and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

We live fearlessly, radically righteous lives in our conscience.

In making a defense, in clearly living lives that do not compromise, or God help you contradict, the hope of the gospel, our consciences ought to be clear. If the gospel is living and active, Christ is enthroned in our hearts, in our thoughts, speech, actions, we have not cheated or defrauded anyone. We have not withheld the hope we have in Him and are innocent before everyone.

This also includes what we have thought about others or said behind their backs. We must be diligently, constantly weighing our hearts and minds, pleading with our merciful God who is quick to forgive our sin if we are quick and willing to confess them.

Conclusion

So, what compels those that claim to be Christians to live their lives as an open target to mockery, slander or even violence? It must from a place that wholly embraces the promise of the kingdom of heaven and a place of love for the lost who have no hope.

We cannot be a powerful witness for Christ if we are fearful of what others might say about us. As Christians, we are already enemies of the world. Not just enemies, victorious prevailing enemies. Should we seek to compromise to avoid controversy, our witness is disregarded.

Let us never be satisfied with a mediocre faith that would compromise what is good and right. Rather, let us live lives where anyone who knows us, especially the unbelievers, would have to agree, we live our lives fearlessly, radically righteous in our suffering, in our witness and in our conscience.

Invitation

Closing prayer

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