April 27, 2008

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

by Rev. Dr. Jim Carlson
1 Peter 3:13-22

Opening Illustration – My defense experience.

1 Peter written to encourage churches who were suffering endless humiliation.

Author tells them not to give up, reminds them of the prize waiting for them – eternal life.

Problem is that Christians were suffering for doing what was right. They weren’t harassed before they became godly people.

Now that they have chosen to live godly lives, they are being harassed. No good deed goes unpunished.

Egged on by the Zealots.

Don’t be a zealot. Speak about your faith with gentleness and reverence. Do U.S. Christians respond to criticism with gentleness and reverence?

Suffering for doing the right thing is what Christians do. Jesus suffered for doing the right thing.

Common Jewish and Christian belief that souls of rebellious angels were imprisoned by God in Hades.

Angels came down to earth, had children with human women. Children became giant titans.

Evidence of belief that these titans could not be fed, so they started feasting on humans. That’s why God flooded the world – maybe how sin entered the world.

Christ saved the world through his death. Rather than simply being rewarded, he went to Hades to preach to these imprisoned spirits. They have the opportunity to repent.

If Christ suffered the worst humiliation, not death, but going to Hades to offer salvation to these most wretched souls, then the least the Christians can do is put up with the harassment for Jesus’ sake.

Christians are compared to Noah, who was saved from the flood. Baptism is like Noah’s experience of being saved through water.

Baptism has a spiritual dimension. It is a promise before God to live a godly life. Doing so keeps your conscience clean.

Kind of hard for us to relate. We are free to practice our religion. Government can’t interfere or harass us.

Christian life is still difficult. Some of the stumbling blocks are self-imposed:

Act in a way which causes people to question our integrity.
Allow other interests and people to crowd out the Christian life.

Passage has clear implications for Christian life today.

First – Christians should not be seeking confrontation or responding to criticism in a belligerent manner.

A belligerent, confrontational Christianity does not reflect Jesus.

Jesus was confrontational in the temple and with religious leaders, but not with civic leaders. Neither were his followers.

Jesus was silent at his trial. Did not argue with Herod or Pilate. Video of Alabama Courthouse Confrontation.

Our faith must be communicated with reverence and gentleness.

Second – at the root of Christian experience is suffering for doing what’s right. It shouldn’t surprise us.

Nothing we suffer in life is as bad as what Jesus suffered. Not trying to diminish peoples’ problems.

This does not mean we cannot work for justice. We can seek to end mistreatment and discrimination. Just do it gently and reverently.


Third – We get through the tough times because we know something greater awaits us after this life.

That doesn’t mean we don’t care about this world.

It means we live knowing that someday we won’t suffer anymore.

Final Illustration –

The message is clear – when you find it difficult to be a Christian, remember that Jesus found it tough too.

When you begin to doubt your faith, when people raise questions about whether or not your faith is legitimate, remember that people said the same thing to Jesus.

Don’t respond angrily or disrespectfully to people who challenge your faith. People aren’t just paying attention to our words. They also want to see if Jesus is present in our actions.

If you can weather the tough times this way, with God’s help, your conscience will be clear, and your life will reflect the one who saved the world through his own suffering.