1 Peter 3 8-18 - How to have Hope, How to have Witness

8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

 10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

 11 He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

 13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?

 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."

 15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

 17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

 2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

 3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

 6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

 9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

 11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

 15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;

 16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

 20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

 21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

 22 The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Seek peace and pursue it

“It may be hard to find, this peace we’re supposed to be looking for, but we should hunt it down as you would hunt for a favorite book that you can’t find. You should follow after as you would follow a dog that runs off in a busy town. Don’t expect peace to come to you when you whistle. You have to do the work. You have to learn the new habit. You have to learn it because it will be all to easy to lapse into the way may people behave.

Here is the irony: Christians are supposed to stand out as distinctive, but when we do, and are mocked or criticized for it, we are tempted to mock and criticize right back – and the we are no longer distinctive, because we are behaving just like everyone else!   The new habits of heart and life are to be learned in the comparatively safe environment of the church itself so that they can then be practiced and applied in the wider world.”