1 Peter 3:9-12 - Righteous

“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.”

Sometimes the bible is very complicated and difficult to understand. This passage is not one of those times. Do you want a blessing in your life? Then do not repay evil with evil or insult for insult – give a blessing instead. Pretty simple…

This promise reminds me of the passage in Matthew 6:14-15 that says you will be forgiven if you forgive others. And the passage in Matthew 7:2 that says you will be judged by the same measure you use to judge others (yikes!). If you forgive and bless, you will be forgiven and blessed. If you repay evil with evil, refuse to forgive, and judge others…not so much.

Keeping with the straightforward nature of this passage: Do you love life and want to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. As Christians, we often think living a faithful life is not doing bad things – which is very true. But it is only part of the truth. Doing the good that God has called us to do is every bit as important. Staying away from bad and doing good are like the opposite sides of a coin – you must have both.

I love the picture painted in verse 12 – which is actually part of Psalm 34:12-16. I imagine God sitting across from me (today we are sitting in a couple of easy chairs in front of a cozy fire – yes, it’s snowing again). As we talk, He looks directly at me with his full attention and He is leaning forward listening intently to what I have to say. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and he is attentive to their prayers.” When you are righteous, you have God’s full attention.

Unfortunately, I don’t consider myself very righteous. I may look pretty good on the outside (and I DO look good!), but I know the real me. I know my pride, my selfishness, my cowardice, my lack of faith, and dozens of other unrighteous things. Knowledge of self prohibits me from accepting the name “righteous”.

While that paragraph is true, there is another truth that supersedes it. A little truth that I often forget: all that unrighteousness was crucified with Christ. I am no longer defined by my sin and faults; I am defined by the Spirit of God who lives in me. When God looks at me, he doesn’t see my sinfulness; He sees the perfect righteousness of Christ. I am righteous because Christ is righteous.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4

“…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” – Philippians 3:9

Followers of Christ are new creations. Do you get that? You are not what you were. The old has passed; the new has come. If you follow Christ, you are the righteousness of God – right now. Salvation is a free gift; we can only accept it by faith in Christ. Righteousness is the exact same way.

So how does that affect your life today? One, it should cause you to drop to your knees and praise God for His mercy and goodness. Two, you should meditate on that truth and allow it to replace the lie that God is angry with you or thinks you are bad. And three, accept on faith the truth of this passage – you ARE righteous!

Now, go into the world and live like it…