1 Peter 3:8-12
8 “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.10 For,
‘Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’
Be of one mind: Peter has in mind the whole church, men and women. Christians are to have mutual respect and love for one another regardless of gender. Males and females must be united under the lordship of Christ. This behavior verse, along with all others, encourage Christians to live according to their new nature. Ultimately, these verses are timesavers. God simply wants us to save ourselves from turmoil which comes from choosing to live in a way that is no longer compatible with our natures. God has worked righteousness into us, and consequently, wants us to live in accordance with this nature. This will produce good days for the believer as they live from the Spirit and experience the unceasing joy given to us by Christ.
Evil with evil: Christians are not to fight back against opponents. Instead, they are to know the blessing of Christ’s indwelling life and to choose to love despite any insults that come our way. We can choose to not be concerned about our status and to instead forgive insults given to us and choose to live from the inner person that we are in Christ. If we understand God’s opinion of us, then the opinion of humans doesn’t matter.
Tongue for evil: The mouth determines the health of our relationships. Our words have the ability to sooth and edify people, or cause harm. Likewise, our tongues can tell truth or lies. Lies will always lead to distrust in relationships. Truth, however, always edifies. Speaking truth will reflect our new natures in Christ.
Seek peace: Christians are to seek edifying relationships with one another, and the world even though it will always inherently resist the claims of Christ.
Eyes of the Lord: God is not in a swivel chair. God’s eyes are always on the eyes of His children. Likewise, His ears are always attentive to our prayers. His face, however, is against all who have rejected the Son of God. God hates sin and is forever against it.
