“Blessing unto Blessing” – 1 PETER 3:8-13

Looking for meaning in the cross allows us to make sense of our faith and our lives.

But for the cross, you would not care what is written in this email. But for the cross this email would not even be written. Since God had a purpose for Jesus and the cross (John 12:27) and Jesus was God’s grace gift to mankind (John 3:16) then the cross has purpose for you and for me. Peter writes here about that very purpose (3:9). The purpose of the cross is that believers should inherit a blessing from God (3:9b). Answering the call to that wonderful blessing, the child of God must be a blessing to the world (3:9a).

The good that Jesus intends for us to share with the world zealously (3:13) is the pathway of peace, righteousness and love of life (3:10-12).

Looking through the cross to heaven, the child of God in Christ must be a blessing to the world by proving zealous for harmony (3:8). Speaking to the church, Peter makes it clear that unity in mindset is critical for us to be a blessing to the world.

Looking through the cross to heaven, the child of God in Christ must be a blessing to the world by proving zealous for sympathy (3:8). Mindset alone accomplishes nothing. The church will bless the world when that harmony is blended together with mutual compassion.

Looking through the cross to heaven, the child of God in Christ must be a blessing to the world by proving zealous for fraternity (3:8). If the church does not love, then we can neither bless nor be blessed. Brotherly love in the church spills over into the world as love for all people.

Looking through the cross to heaven, the child of God in Christ must be a blessing to the world by proving zealous for pity (3:8). Just as God took pity upon sinful man and purposed in the cross to remedy our alienation, the church must have pity upon the world. Our purpose is not condemnation, but blessing.

Looking through the cross to heaven, the child of God in Christ must be a blessing to the world by proving zealous for humility (3:8). Self-righteousness is what the world expects from the church. Haughtiness feeds the evil and the insults, but humility serves to disarm their attacks. The church blesses the world when our attitude reflects how fortunate the world is to have a Savior, not how fortunate the world is to have us!

Looking through the cross to heaven, the child of God in Christ must be a blessing to the world by proving zealous for inequity (3:9). Sound strange? The world is not fair, and the scales will never equal out for the Christian. As others do evil, we do not have the liberty to repay in kind. No equity in insults. No equity in revenge for wrongdoing. In fact we cannot even be neutral in the matter. Our response – with zeal – is to make the inequity even greater by returning a blessing for evil and for insult.

Looking to the cross, we see how unfair it all is.

We give so little and Jesus gave everything for us.

He calls us to a great purpose as He calls us heavenward.

How unfair! After all, by the grace of God the child of God gets it all!