Slides: How Goodness Wins (1 Peter 3:8-22)

⁸ Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but 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 his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.¹¹ He must turn from evil and do good; he 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.”¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” ¹⁵ 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, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.¹⁷ It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,¹⁹ through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison ²⁰ who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

How goodness wins

• Stay unified with fellow believers.

• Bless enemies as God blesses you.

• Do good, pursue peace, and pray.

• Fear the Lord; dismiss other fears.

• Be ready for wise, winsome witness.

• Count on Jesus’ saving death and resurrection, pledged in baptism.

Bless opponents as you’re blessed

⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Do good, pursue peace, and pray

Whoever would love life and see good days … must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. (3:10-12)

Fear God, not others

Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 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. (Isaiah 8:12-13)

Be ready for wise, winsome witness

• Explain gospel

• Share testimony

• Show reasons

• Walk the talk

Jesus and baptism

Count on Jesus’ saving death and resurrection, pledged in baptism.

Christ died for sins… and was made alive by the Spirit… … in the ark a few people were saved through water. This symbolizes baptism.

Preaching to spirits

1. Christ preached through Noah to people imprisoned by their sin?
2. Christ preached to people killed by Flood, offering second chance?
3. Christ preached his victory to evil angels imprisoned after Flood.
   
   

How goodness wins

• Stay unified with fellow believers.

• Bless enemies as God blesses you.

• Do good, pursue peace, and pray.

• Fear the Lord; dismiss other fears.

• Be ready for wise, winsome witness.

• Count on Jesus’ saving death and resurrection, pledged in baptism.