Today's Scripture
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Psalms 87 -88; 1 Peter 3
Doing Good – 1 peter 3:13-22
13 Who will harm you if you are zealous for good? 14 But happy are you, even if you suffer because of righteousness! Don’t be terrified or upset by them. 15 Instead, regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts. Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. 16 Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander you. 17 It is better to suffer for doing good (if this could possibly be God’s will) than for doing evil.
18 Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit. 19 And it was by the Spirit that he went to preach to the spirits in prison. 20 In the past, these spirits were disobedient—when God patiently waited during the time of Noah. Noah built an ark in which a few (that is, eight) lives were rescued through water. 21 Baptism is like that. It saves you now—not because it removes dirt from your body but because it is the mark of a good conscience toward God. Your salvation comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at God’s right side. Now that he has gone into heaven, he rules over all angels, authorities, and powers.
What does this passage mean to me/us?
are reading through 1 Peter (Sorry for not keeping up).
At the end of today’s reading, Peter charges believers to do good. He says, “Who will harm you if you are zealous for good?” (v. 13)
What is ‘good’? Is it the good work we do in this world, like charity? Yes, charity and service are included in being ‘good,’ but Peter talks about a broader meaning of God.
Good is to follow God’s will. Peter shares how the purpose of Jesus coming to this world is to “bring [us] into the presence of God” (v.18). Remaining in the presence of our Lord, ables us to shine the light of God. Our life, actions, and service reflect the ‘good’ of our Lord. Our service should stem out of our relationship with God. Therefore, to be ‘good’ we also need to be zealous to be in the presence of God.
Am I zealous to love God and others?
Prayer
Lord, help us to love you more than anything in this world. Then send us to love others and do good. In Christ name we pray, Amen.
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