Series: 1 Peter
Title: Of One Mind
Text: 1 Peter 3: 8-13
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Date: May 15, 2011
I Peter 3: 8: Finally, be ye all of one mind…
OF ONE MIND
In absolute sinless, fidelity, the Lord Jesus Christ in wisdom and holiness, (2: 24-25)--“his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For we were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.”
· 1 Peter 3: 18
· 1 Peter 4: 1…19
Illustration: We say, “My mind is made up”
Has God made up my mind?
Are we serving the world or Christ? Fearful of man or is all our care in the hand of Christ? Are we of the world or of Christ? Then Paul says, “With one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.…stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel (Romans 15: 6; Philippians 1: 27.)
HAVE COMPASSIONION ONE OF ANOTHER, LOVE AS BRETHREN
Every believer is utterly dependent upon the mercy and compassions of God toward us. Then true judgment toward one another is to show mercy and compassion every man to his brother. We are still sinners, but we are brethren.
Illustration
Melinda and I are constantly reminding Emma and Will that they are brother and sister.
It is more true-- everlastingly true--for a child of God. Each one here, born of the Spirit of God are eternally brothers and sisters in Christ. (I Cor 12: 3). Every believer has the same Holy Spirit within them.
1 Corinthians 12: 3: Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5: And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6: And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
Before the Spirit of God entered into each of us, we walked according to the same spirit.
Ephesians 2:2: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
So be of one mind, compassionate, love as Brethren.
Romans 12:15: Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
1 Corinthians 12:26: And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
As Christ loved us so we love. How did Christ love you? Let each believer ask himself/herself this question, “How did Christ love me?”
BE PITIFUL
Ephesians 4: 32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you
· Example of the wicked servant--Matthew 18: 21-35—(v33—compassion, pity)
BE COURTEOUS
1 Peter 3: 9: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Since sin entered in the garden and ALL MEN died spiritually, this has been the way of our flesh: if ignored—ignore back; if wronged—wrong back; if spoken to or about harshly—speak back the same way. But we are to speak CONTRARIWISE WITH BLESSING, KNOWING THAT THEREUNTO WERE YOU CALLED THAT YOU SHOULD INHERIT A BLESSING
We were full of evil and guile toward Christ? Yet God dealt opposite to us than what we did to him. We would not come to him, yet he came to where these evil and guile wretches were. We were busy rendering evil for evil--yet he lived and fulfilled all righteousness for us. We would not submit to God or to anyone but exalted ourselves, yet, Christ laid down his life justifying all for whom he did of all evil and guile. We were enmity against God—yet he called us by his grace contrariwise to us and drew us near to behold all spiritual blessings have been ours since God chose in Christ before the world began. Even now--he will not turn away from us to do us good but our eternal inheritance is reserved for us.. So bless one another contrary to how we may be treated--Love, not hate; Bless, not curse; Have mercy, not Judgment;
FRUIT OF A BROKEN AND CONTRITE HEART
1 Peter 3: 10: For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
This is from Psalm 34:12-16—this is fruit of a broken and contrite spirit.
1. Let him refrain his tongue from evil: Lies, slander, gossip, harsh words, boasting.
Observation
You ever listen to people talk. Have you ever considered how little men and women would say if we were not doing these things? Never speak a critical word of any of your brethren. Little words cause big obstacles
2. Let him eschew evil and do good—
· Does righteousness have any fellow-ship with unrighteousness?
· Does light have any common-union with darkness?
· Does the temple of God have any agreement with the temple of idols?
· Eschew evil and do good
3. Seek peace and ensue it
· First, between me and God—be ye reconciled to God
· Secondly, between me and my brethren
· Thirdly, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Ro 12:18)
1 Peter 3: 12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
Believer, the eyes of the Lord were over us before we knew they were over us. God the Father chose us Christ before the world began, Christ the Son of God redeemed us by his own blood. How much more now that you are reconciled to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. His ears are open to our prayers—because Christ everliveth to make intercession for us.
But the Lord is against them that do evil. This is heart matter—the inward man of the heart—
Mark 7: 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,…an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:…23: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
THAT WHICH IS GOOD
1 Peter 3: 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
“THAT WHICH IS GOOD” IS FIRST, THE PERSON—GOD OUR SAVIOR IN THE BLESSED GOD-MAN, CHRIST JESUS. Secondly, “that which is good” is these words dropping from his lips to us. Who shall harm you? Who shall separate you? No one will truly harm God’s people—really harm us.
Romans 8: 31:..If God be for us, who can be against us…33: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.