I've seen verses 1 & 2 lived out in the life of a dear lady that I knew when I was growing up. For years she faithfully attended church and faithfully prayed for her husband. It was years before he came to confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. But it happened.
The verses that jumped out to me were:
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t
repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult
you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called
you to do, and he will bless you for it. 10 For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy lifeand see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”
Especially the part "...pay them back with a blessing."
19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when "God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
ReplyDeleteThis is all so very esoteric. :-)
1 Peter 3
ReplyDelete4 Rather, beauty is something internal that can’t be destroyed. Beauty expresses itself in a gentle and quiet attitude which God considers precious.
15-16a But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear.
17-18 After all, if it is God’s will, it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong. This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit.