1 Peter 3:8-12 (NKJV) Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For
“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
V8 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous…” Being of one mind is not having a church standard that everyone dresses alike, etc. Some things to be of one mind: 1) treatment of each other in love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a and Philippians 2:2), 2) praise God (Romans 15:6), 3) same holy, godly way of life (Law of Christ) in Philippians 1:27, and 4) love, compassion, and courtesy (1 Peter 3:8). There are 5 laws from the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). They are 1) be unified in the Gospel, doctrine, and the Christian life, 2) have compassion for each other, 3) have brotherly love, for we are one family, 4) be tenderhearted showing mercy and truth, and 5) be courteous.
V9 “…not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” Peter gives an example of speech and action regarding retaliation. Give a blessing instead. Telling the truth is important, but arguing will not accomplish a good witness. Another law of Christ.
V10 “For “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.” Helpful advice for anyone. Be careful and thoughtful about what and how we say something (Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 27:17-18, and Psalm 39:1) and to tell the truth. Compare Proverbs 12:22, Proverbs 14:5, and Micah 6:11 (lying in actions).
V11 “Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” Evil are those things that are opposite of V10. We are to turn away from evil, lies, selfishness, etc. when a tempting opportunity arises. We are to seek peace if possible. We are to pursue it (make it a priority). See Psalm 34:14, Matthew 5:9, and Hebrews 12:14.
V12 “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” How amazing is the greatness of God to know each believer, what we are doing, thinking, and experiencing. He knows how to make an individual plan for every believer to optimize our faith. God sees everything, even our motives. God hears everything, even our thoughts.
We learn:
- God’s standards for our thinking, our speech, and our actions
- God knows everything about us
- Sin has consequences