The Fight for Righteousness

June 6, 2021 Preacher: Luis A. Cardenas Series: First Peter

Topic: English Passage: 1 Peter 3:13-16

Every year, an organization known as OpenDoorsUSA publishes a list of 50 countries where following Jesus will bring the most persecution. They call it “the World Watch List,” and you can look at it online. Nations are ranked based on how restrictive or oppressive they are in a believer’s private life, family life, community life, national life and church life, as well as the violence done against Christians.

One of the countries listed in their top ten is Nigeria. According to the report, “More Christians are murdered for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country. Violent attacks by Boko Haram [along with] other Islamic extremist groups are common in the north and middle belt of the country, and are becoming more common farther south.”

The article goes on to say: “In these attacks, Christians are often murdered or have their property and means of livelihood destroyed. Men and boys are particularly vulnerable to being killed. The women and children left behind are very vulnerable and are living testimonies to the power of the attackers. Perpetrators are seldom brought to justice. Christian women are often abducted and [abused] by these militant groups, and sometimes forced to marry Muslims.”

About two weeks ago, I read an online article talking about what is happening there in Nigeria, and the title of that article was “Why doesn’t our media or government care about the slaughter of Christians?” That article pointed out how the elites in our culture list Christians as “oppressors” in this world, but we are in fact on of the most persecuted groups in the world.

“In places like Nigeria,” the article states, “this has become overwhelmingly apparent as nomadic Islamic groups from the north have pushed toward the Christian-majority south in the last decade, committing atrocities I would rather not think about (let alone type out).”

Then there was an embedded YouTube video describing what’s happening. The video is titled “Radical Muslims Wage War for Control of Nigeria.”

The article continues: “In the first four months of 2021 alone, Islamic jihadis murdered 1,470 Christians and kidnapped over 2,200 more. In the latter case, many are taken for ransom. Others are girls and young women who are sold to be "married" off to men.

“[The Nigerian] President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim, has been accused of being sympathetic to violent Islamists—so much so that [our previous president] directly confronted him in 2018 about Buhari's lackluster response to the genocide.”

In describing that exchange with former president Trump, President Buhari said: “I was in his office, only myself and himself. Only God is my witness. He looked at me in the face. He said, ‘Why are you killing Christians?’”

Why are you killing Christians? For as long as the word “Christian” has existed, there have been people trying to kill them. Most of you have seen that as you have bene reading through Acts.

Theologically, these attacks go all the way back to Satan in the garden. God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.”

The hostility from those who belong to Satan against those who belong to God was evident in the very next generation when Cain killed Abel. First John 3 tells us Cain was “of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.”

That same hatred is what, humanly speaking, led to the death of Jesus Christ. To the Jews who would later reject Him, Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.”

Knowing the satanic hatred against Him, Jesus told His disciples, “They hated Me, and they are going to hate you as well. You will be hated because of My name.”

Satan is the prince of the power of the air. He is the god of this world, and so, this world hates Jesus Christ. We’re seeing more of it in our culture, and we’ve seen it before in the history of Christianity.

The Roman Church began to fall from the truth, and most people didn’t understand Christianity anymore. They only wanted to accept some perverted version of it. Then, when the true message of Christ was recovered in the Reformation, severe persecution came.

It’s all a cycle, and this is where the world is heading. The world is at war with Jesus Christ. And if you belong to Him, they will be at war with you.

Now, as we have been studying Peter’s letter to persecuted Christians, we’ve seen him use language about a war. But despite the world’s animosity toward Christ and His truth, we are not at war with the world. The Bible doesn’t describe our relationship with the world as one of war. We are ambassadors to the world. We want to see people be reconciled to God just like we have been. Our primary battle is not against people; it’s against error and against sin. We’re not fighting against unbelievers. We are fighting for the truth and we are fighting for righteousness.

Peter says it is the passions of the flesh that wage war against our soul. Paul said our struggle is not against flesh and blood. So, again, we’re not fighting a war against unbelievers. We’re not fighting a war against the culture or against the government. We are fighting against sin, and that particularly the sin in our own hearts.

The significance of that battle, you should know, is heightened in times of persecution. That’s the point Peter is making in the letter. We need to pursue holiness in a hostile world. We need to fight for righteousness. That’s what God has been telling us through Peter’s letter, and that’s what we’ve been talking about for the past couple weeks.

If you follow Christ, you are called to holiness. If you’re a an employee, you’re called to treat your boss with submission and respect. If you’re a wife, that means you demonstrate submission and respect as well. If you’re a husband, holiness means seeking to understand your wife, treating her with compassion and showing her honor. We are all called to a life, like we’ve said, marked by righteous responses to sin, righteous words, righteous conduct, and righteous relationships. You need to fight for that kind of righteousness.

In order to help us do that, our passage for today gives us 5 motivations to fight for righteousness. Whether you are facing a hostile unbeliever, or a disagreement with your spouse or your coworker, here are some truths that the Spirit of Christ can use to help you fight for righteousness.

Number 1, you should fight for righteousness because it promotes favor with man. Righteousness promotes favor with man.

Just to put it more directly, people are more likely to respond positively to you if you are a person of righteousness. Even in a sinful world, there is a respect for people of integrity. And that’s why verse 13 has a rhetorical question: Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?

Usually, the term zealot has a negative connotation. But here it’s being used positively. This is someone dedicated, not to some legalistic standard, but to demonstrating the love and righteousness of Jesus Christ.

If you are zealous for righteousness and kindness and humility, why would someone want to hurt you or attack you?

Proverbs 15:1 says “a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 25:15 says, “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.”

Righteous words and righteous responses are powerful. That’s part of what Peter meant when he said a wife can win over her husband without a word. Her conduct is winsome.

It’s very difficult to be hostile toward someone when they are treating you with patience and respect and kindness, isn’t it? Righteousness promotes favor with man.

One excellent example of this is the early church, which a lot of us have been reading about. The Jewish establishment hated the message of Jesus and the Resurrection. And so, there was in the general population a disdain for Christians. They kept them at a distance. That separation went to a whole new level when Ananias and Sapphira died. What happened to them? God killed them.

Here’s what Acts 5 says happened next. “Great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things… None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” Isn’t that interesting?

Earlier in Acts 2:47 it said that the church was “praising God and having favor with all the people.” Same idea.

You’ve got two principles here that seem to oppose one another. On the one hand, the world rejects Jesus, but, on the other hand, they respect those who walk in righteousness.

I remember talking to a man who worked for an airline at the ticket gate. And he was talking about the people who got upset with him and would even scream at him because of something that made them unhappy. And he said, “I don’t understand why they would yell at me. I’m the one person who can help you right now, and you’re screaming at me. What is that gonna do?” That’s very practical advice.

Instead of complaining, instead of getting defensive, instead of shouting back, instead of responding to evil with evil, we are called to respond in humility and righteousness. And if that’s what characterizes you, rather than hostile belligerence, you will stand out. And that righteousness will promote favor with man.

Now, is this a guarantee? No. It’s just a general principle. There are people and systems that will are so against Christ, that no amount of love will affect them. And so, in those situations, you have a second motivation.

Number 1, you should fight for righteousness because it promotes favor with man. Number 2, you should fight for righteousness because it brings favor with God. Even if man rejects your humility, God accepts it. Righteousness brings favor with God.

We’ve already been talking about this over the past few weeks, so I’m not going to linger here very long. But notice what Peter says in verse 14—But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.

That can’t be talking about a human blessing, because it’s applying it to a time when you will suffer for righteousness. That’s talking about a divine blessing. It’s the same blessing Jesus mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Suffering for righteousness brings the blessing of assurance of salvation. It enhances our heavenly reward, and it pleases our heavenly Father.

And, just like last week, I want to make sure you understand this. This is not talking about earning salvation. This is talking about a greater experience of the blessings of salvation.

As a child, my behavior did not determine whether or not I was my father’s child. When I sinned, I didn’t stop being my father’s son. I felt a guilty conscience. I experienced some fatherly discipline. But that doesn’t mean I stopped being my father’s son or that he stopped loving me. What my disobedience did, however, was change my experience of his love. Instead of experiencing my father’s approval and favor, I experienced the love of His discipline.

And the same is true with our heavenly Father. Our behavior doesn’t change our standing before Him. But it does change how we experience the blessings of His salvation. And our stubbornness, or our obedience, affects our Christian growth. So, fight for righteousness because righteousness brings favor with God. It brings His blessing.

Let’s move on now to our third motivation. You should fight for righteousness because it demonstrates devotion to Christ. Righteousness demonstrates devotion to Christ.

Let’s look now at the end of verse 14 and the beginning of verse 15—Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.

When we are being attacked, we have a choice. We can fear the person who is attacking us, or we can fear the Lord. Generally speaking, to fear something means that it dictates your response. You fear what you are primarily focused on.

So, when the attack comes because of your righteousness, Peter says, “Don’t panic. Don’t freak out. Don’t let that intimidate you.” Your greatest response should be to the Lord Jesus Christ who is superior to everything and who loves you and redeemed you.

Instead of responding to the attacks, Peter says, sanctify Christ the Lord in your heart. Set Him apart. Honor Him. Respond to Him.

Listen to what Jesus said as He contemplated the fact that He was going to be put to death. He said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

That’s taken from John 12:27-28. Jesus knew the pain was coming, but his prayer wasn’t, “Father, get me out of here.” His prayer was, “Father, use this for your glory.”

If Jesus feared the Jewish leaders and the Roman soldier more than He feared His heavenly Father, He wouldn’t have gone through with it. But His devotion to the Father led to His obedience. That doesn’t diminish the pain of what He was suffering, but it enabled Him to endure and to obey.

And that’s what you and I are supposed to do. Our fear of those who attack us could lead us to sin. We might step into something that dishonors God, or we might step away from something that honors God. Either way, that’s sin. It could be the result of intimidation or some kind of peer pressure, but it doesn’t honor Christ.

The focus of your heart needs to be on Christ. He is your Lord. He is your Master. He is in charge of your life, not whoever may be threatening you.

Listen to something else Jesus said. This is from Matthew 10:28—Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Who would you rather disappoint? An enemy with limited power? Or God with unlimited power and authority?

If you have been responding to attacks in an unrighteous way, stop it. Your wife, your husband, your children, your boss, your neighbors, and whoever else cannot dictate how you respond. They aren’t supposed to have that kind of authority in your life. None of us ever have the right to say, “Well, I responded like that because he made me so angry! He was pushing all my buttons.”

That kind of justification is saying that that other person compelled you to sin. It’s evidence that you are responding more to them than to Jesus Christ. And that is sin. Honor Christ the Lord as holy. Demonstrate in your response that you are devoted to Jesus Christ.

Now, as Peter continues, he mentions one specific way to demonstrate that devotion. And this brings us to our fourth motivation to fight for righteousness. You need to fight for righteousness because, number 4, it provides opportunities for evangelism. Righteousness provides opportunities for evangelism.

When you and I respond to oppression and hostility with righteousness, it stands out. And it will prompt questions in people. So, verse 15 says we honor Christ “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

God placed us on this planet as His representatives. An He reconciled us to Himself and gave us His Spirit so that we would proclaim His excellencies. We are here to glorify Him on the planet by calling people to respond to the truth of Jesus Christ.

If you’re visiting with us today, and you’re wondering what the whole point of our church is, the answer is not that we are here just to be better people. God has us here so that we would tell people about the reality and the necessity of Jesus Christ.

All of us are sinners before a holy God. We could never be good enough to meet God’s standard. We have all rebelled against Him one way or another, and there’s nothing we could do to fix that. But in love, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to live the perfect life we couldn’t live. And then Jesus died to take the place of sinners. He bore the punishment that sinners deserve.

And on the third day, God raised him from the dead as an affirmation that He accepted that sacrifice. And now, if you will turn from your sin and trust in and surrender to Jesus Christ, He will forgive you. He will wipe your sins away. He will reconcile you to a holy and infinite God. This is not a message you can afford to ignore. Come to Jesus today. Talk to someone after the service if you want to follow through.

Every member of our church has expressed that commitment. They serve Jesus Christ. They trust in Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, those of you who believe this message, you need to be ready to share it with others. Sometimes the questions of the world will come from a genuine heart. They see your righteousness, and they’ll ask, “Why are you different? Why don’t you just scream back at that lady?”

That’s an open door for the gospel. That’s a chance to say, “Because I serve Jesus Christ who died for my sins. He showed me so much patience and compassion and forgiveness. He’s promised me a future reward. So, why can’t I show that lady the same kind of love? Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you know how to be forgiven for your sin?”

That’s what happened with the Philippian jailer in Acts 16. When the earthquake came, the jailer expected Paul and Silas to escape, just like any other accused man would have done. But they didn’t do that. So, the jailer said to them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And Paul was ready with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that man came to salvation, along with his entire household.

So, sometimes the questions will be legitimate. Other times, those questions will be in the form of an attack. “What’s wrong with you? Why do you put up with that guy? Why don’t you just leave him already and be done with it?”

Rather than get defensive, we need to see that as an open door for the gospel. They want a reason for the hope that is in us. Why would they ask about our hope? Because they’ve seen our righteousness, our holiness. Do you remember what I said the last couple weeks? Our future hope drives our present holiness. They see our holiness, so when they ask about it, we tell them about our hope.

A bad answer would be, “Well, that argument just isn’t worth it. I want to be a nice guy. I don’t like getting into fights.” That’s a missed opportunity. That’s an answer focused on you instead of one pointing them to the hope you have in Jesus Christ. Be ready for attacks and intimidations. Be ready to respond in righteousness, and then be ready to speak up for Jesus Christ.

This understanding that righteousness provides opportunities for evangelism helps reorient you. When life gets tough for whatever reason, consider the possibility that God is using this time so that others would see you respond and come to Jesus Christ.

God may use your righteous response to a car accident or to cancer or to a disobedient child to open a door for the gospel. So, let’s keep fighting for righteousness.

We’ve got one final motivation to fight. This will be number 5, and we don’t have a lot of time left. You need to fight for righteousness because it disarms attacks from enemies. Righteousness disarms attacks from enemies.

Even if someone responds to your holiness with hostility, even if they reject the gospel of Jesus, that doesn’t mean your righteousness was wasted. After talking about making a defense for the gospel, Peter says, “yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”

Proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ is not about winning a debate. It’s not about scoring points against them. It’s about calling them to the truth in love. So, Peter says, we do it with gentleness and respect. We don’t patronize them. We don’t belittle them. We don’t insult them. We treat them with dignity because they are made in the image of God. We treat them with the kindness Christ has shown us. We keep a clear conscience. We respond with righteous words and a righteous heart.

Why? Why does that matter? Why not just go out there like Jonah did with the Assyrians? “You are gonna burn! God is gonna get you!” That’s not the heart of Jesus.

We treat people with respect and kindness because it proves the foolishness of their attacks. It neutralizes their insults and their lies.

Your coworker might be out there telling everybody else, “Oh, she is just a goodie-goodie. She thinks she’s better than us!” If you walk into there, arrogantly demanding that people believe in Jesus, and refusing to associate with them or help them unless they do it, you’re only proving them right. You’re a self-righteous hypocrite. You’re just like the Pharisees.

But if you g into that situation with humility, serving others, showing them kindness, bearing their burdens, buying them a box of donuts, you’re going to prove their rumors wrong. Someone is going to realize that Christians aren’t what our culture makes them out to be. And they are going to look foolish. Your righteousness disarms attacks from enemies.

I hope these are powerful motivators to fight for righteousness. Our fight for righteousness promotes favor with man. It brings favor with God. It demonstrates devotion to Christ. It provides opportunities for evangelism. And it disarms attacks from enemies.

This is what’s at stake. Think about what’s lost if we stop fighting. If we stop fighting for righteousness, we forfeit favor with man and God. We demonstrate that Christ is not our Lord. We forfeit opportunities for evangelism, and we fuel the attacks from our enemies. What a tragedy that would be. Don’t do that.

We live in a hostile world, but we are called to fight for righteousness.

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