1 Peter 3:8 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.
Peter was a very close friend of Jesus. He walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, and ate with Jesus. He was one of the three disciples who made up Jesus’ “inner circle” along with James and John. In his first letter, he writes “one another” five times. These “one another” texts reveal what it means to be a Christian in all ages. Over the coming months I will be pondering these verses in the Kibbie News Letters. Why must we suffer for doing good? Well, doing good requires a great amount of humility, which is to sacrifice our egos. Peter addresses, “all of you” that means everyone! To be like minded, sympathetic, compassionate, humble, and a blessing to those who hurt you, you have to set your ego aside. To truly love one another, we have to put the interest of others before our own. In that, like Jesus, we suffer. He who gave up his own life for the sake of others, is our perfect example. Later verses 17 says, 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil, 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
May we “love one another” as Christ so loved us to bring us to God.
Loving You All, Pastor Vern