Holy Living

Holy Living

Mitch Marlowe / General

Holy Living starts right now

It Starts Right Now

1 Peter 3:15–17 NIV84

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

In your hearts...SET

There has to be intention.  There has to be purpose.  You have to mean to do it!  How do you position your heart to set apart Christ as Lord?  What is Lord of your life? 

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume 1 Peter 3:8–15

We sanctify the Lord God in our hearts when we with sincerity and fervency adore him, when our thoughts of him are awful and reverend, when we rely upon his power, trust to his faithfulness, submit to his wisdom, imitate his holiness, and give him the glory due to his most illustrious perfections.

Matthew 6:9 NIV84

“This, then, is how you should pray:

         “ ‘Our Father in heaven,
         hallowed be your name,

Isaiah 8:13 NIV84

         The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
         he is the one you are to fear,
         he is the one you are to dread,

1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary b. Trust Christ (3:14b–15a)

To reverence Christ as Lord means really to believe that Christ, not one’s human opponents, is truly in control of events. To have such reverence in your hearts is to maintain continually a deep-seated inward confidence in Christ as reigning Lord and King, who even now has ‘angels, authorities, and powers subject to him’

The Letters of James and Peter The Christian’s Security in a Threatening World (1 Peter 3:13–15a)

Christians are people for whom God and Jesus Christ are of prime importance in life; their relationship to God in Christ is life’s greatest value. If people’s hearts are set on earthly things, possessions, happiness, pleasure, an easy life and comfort, they are of all people most vulnerable. For, in the nature of things, they may lose these things at any moment. Such people are desperately easily hurt. On the other hand, if they give to Jesus Christ the unique place in their lives, the most precious thing for them is their relationship to God, and nothing can take that from them. Therefore, they are completely secure.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Preparing for the Best! (1 Peter 3:8–17)

It is Matthew 6:33 and Romans 12:1–2 combined into a daily attitude of faith that obeys God’s Word in spite of consequences. It means being satisfied with nothing less than the will of God in our lives

Matthew 6:33 NIV84

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Romans 12:1–2 NIV84

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Be Prepared

Once a Boy Scout, always a Boy Scout!  For many years, I had the honor of being involved in scouts.  The very foundation of the scouting world is its motto:  BE PREPARED!

Paul is giving us the the scout motto here way before scouts existed!

How can you be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have?

We have a couple of distinct imperatives here.

1 Peter 3:15 NIV84

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have."

If someone were to ask you why you have the faith you have, what would you say? 

Perhaps you have the faith that your parents had.

Perhaps you have the faith you have because it felt like the right thing to do.

Or, just maybe you have the faith you have because you can remember a time in your life where you realized you were a sinner and needed to have a Savior, you repented from your sin and asked Christ into your life.

I think that is the answer Paul was looking for!  What is the reason for your hope? 

Think with me for a moment, does the hope you have make so much of a difference in your life that others notice it?

If one is hopeful, what does that look like?

•    There is strength and courage

Psalm 31:24 NIV84

         Be strong and take heart,
         all you who hope in the LORD.

•    There is patience

Psalm 33:20 NIV84

         We wait in hope for the LORD;
         he is our help and our shield.

•    There is renewed strength

Isaiah 40:31 NIV84

         but those who hope in the LORD
         will renew their strength.
         They will soar on wings like eagles;
         they will run and not grow weary,
         they will walk and not be faint.

•    There is encouragement

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV84

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

•    There is goodness

Lamentations 3:25 NIV84

         The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
         to the one who seeks him;

•    There is boldness

2 Corinthians 3:12 NIV84

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

•    There is faith and love

Colossians 1:3–6 NIV84

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

Peter gives the admonition to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have, but he goes a step further to describe how we should give that answer:  with gentleness and respect.

When you give others answers for the hope you have, do you give that answer with gentleness and respect or do you give that answer with a cocky, know-it-all attitude? 

Proverbs 15:1 NIV84

A gentle answer turns away wrath,
         but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 25:15 NIV84

         Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
         and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

Paul was explaining this further to the Corinthians when he teaching them how to live in 1 Corinthians 4.

1 Corinthians 4:12–21 NIV84

We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.
I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

Philippians 4:5 NIV84

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Peter reminds us that when we give the answer to the hope we have, we are admonished to do so with gentleness AND respect.

Aretha Franklin said best, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, FIND OUT WHAT IT MEANS TO ME! R-E-S-P-E-C-T"

1 Peter 2:17 NIV84

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Leviticus 19:32 NIV84

“ ‘Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.

Are you prepared to give an answer for the hope you have?

This was a very tumulteous week for our country.  People bashing each others' beliefs and thoughts.  There was an absence of gentleness and respect. In fact, through out the whole election process, there was an absence of gentleness and respect.  How are you doing with your scores in gentleness and respect?  Peter tells us that we are to answer for the hope we have in gentleness and respect, "keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 

Notice here that Peter does not say if or when those that speak.  He is implying that it will happen.  Have you ever had someone speak maliciously against you?  How did you react?  Have you ever spoken maliciously against someone?  Did you honor Christ when that happened?

There is another song from the 60's written by Peter Scholtes, a Catholic priest, that describes what will happen if we take this passage from 1 Peter seriously:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

Have you set apart Christ as Lord and are you prepared to give an answer for the hope you have to everyone which you come in contact?  Are you doing this with gentleness and respect?  Don't you think it is time to do so?