KingdomView, Vol. III, Issue 16
1 Peter 3: 8-12
Cities have food banks and blood banks. They are designed to help other people live. Although these banks are setup to collect, they are not designed simply to hoard and store. The resources they gather help other people to live—either by infusion of food or by the infusion of nutrients from blood.
God has saved and blessed Christians so that we can share the blessings God has given us with others. In essence, we are blessed to be a blessing. In 1 Peter 3:8-12, Peter had exhorted his readers to bless their revilers. The central truth conveyed in this passage is that "Christians can inherit blessings from the Lord." This statement raises the question of how do Christians inherit blessings from the Lord? Moreover, our text reveals three ways:
First, Christians inherit blessings from the Lord by living in HARMONY with other believers, 1 Peter 3:8.
Believers are to live in unity and like-mindedness by being sympathetic, loving the brethren, and ministering to others with compassion as a humble servant of the Lord. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, emulated these very virtues in 1 Peter 2:21-24, which says:
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled their 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 we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed (NIV). Therefore, a major goal for every Christian is to seek oneness of heart and unity with fellow believers.
Second, Christians inherit blessings from the Lord by not seeking RETALIATION for wrongs suffered, 1 Peter 3:9a.
Christians are not to return evil for evil against each other or non-believers, for this is not the way of the Lord (Romans 12:9-21). According to church tradition, all of the apostles with the exception of Saint John, the author of five New Testament books that bear his name, suffered martyrdom, and the church did not retaliate. Moreover, the apostle Paul declared in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, which says,
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (NIV). We must always resist the temptation to retaliate.
Finally, Christians inherit blessings from the Lord by being a BLESSING to others, 1 Peter 3:9b.
The word "blessing" here means to speak well of (Greek: to eulogize). When is the last time you spoke well of a person that had ill will towards you? John MacArthur sheds more light on this verse when he says, "The blessing that a Christian is to give to the reviler includes findings ways to serve him, praying for his salvation or spiritual progress, expressing thankfulness for him, speaking well of him, and desiring his welling being," Selah—Jesus did! (Luke 23:34)
