Again the opening words grabbed hold of my attention. Growing out of the call to live holy lives in chapter 1, Peter continues, Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. This recalls to mind Jesus’ comment about ‘living as innocent as doves’ (Mark 10:16).
We are to strive to live as genuinely good people, people in whom there is no guile (1Peter 3:10). For me this takes work, it is not a natural human impulse. I suspect this is why Peter seems to be hammering this point and the Spirit seems to be hammering it in me, too.
‘Rid yourselves’ is an imperative directed at me… I have work to do to get the vile God-dishonoring traits that live in me out of me…
Peter seems to set his point deeply in verse 12. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. The 4-letter word ‘such’ nails it. We are not to simply live good lives, but SUCH good lives… There should be nothing in us that allow non-believers to mock our faith or the Lord. They may disagree with us. Our faith may run counter to their faith, or way of life or even the culture in which we live to the end that we are accused of doing wrong. BUT, even in their accusations our good deeds should be seen and bring glory to God.
Being a Christ-follower may cause us to be counter-cultural, but we should be so without malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander and the like.
To do this I must examine my life and work on those areas that are not good, excellent and God-pleasing… I have much internal work to do.
How about you?
Father God, all I can do in this moment is cry, ‘Help me! I cannot possibly do this on my own. I need the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit overtime in my life.’
I pray this in the name of Jesus, my Lord, and Redeemer and the One to whom I swear allegiance. Amen.
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