The Second Letter Of Peter- 12

Subtitle: A Final Exhortation

A link to the audio can be found at the bottom of this article.

2 Peter 3:14-18.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, October 11, 2026.

Peter finishes this letter with a final exhortation to believers on how we should now live in light of the future that God has planned and revealed to us.

Let’s look at our passage.

Be diligent to be found by Him in peace (v. 14)

This verse opens with the condition, “since you look for these things…”  The word for looking here has the sense of an expectant attitude.  It could be translated as “looking forward to these things.”  This should be our condition of heart.  As opposed to the earlier scoffers, we hold on to the promise of God’s judgment and look forward to it.

Peter’s main exhortation is for us to be diligent, or exert ourselves, to be found by Him in peace.  The second part helps us to understand what kind of exertion we are to give ourselves.  To be in peace refers to a particular state or way of life that is marked by God’s peace in our life.

This peace originates internally.  We are no longer enemies of God but are at peace with Him through Jesus.  This reality is the bedrock of our inner life.  It is then supposed to express itself through a life of peace towards others.  Even when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and points us to repentance, we can respond in the reality of His grace towards us.  His purpose is not to destroy me and cast me out.  His purpose is to teach me, train me, help me to grow into the character and faith of Jesus.  We can repent with the peaceful joy that this is His desire, and we will be accepted.

We also need to live at peace with the wisdom and timing of God’s judgments.  Many people scoff at the word or even turn back from following Christ because they allow their hearts to be stirred up in turmoil against the judgments of God.  Rather than kicking against them and falling back into a life of scoffing unbelief, we are to trust Him and hold onto the peace that comes into our heart when we know that we are at peace with God.

In reference to the idea of being found by Him, it is easy to jump to the belief that this is talking about the Second Coming alone.  Thus, it would have the idea of being diligent so that Jesus will find you living in His peace when he arrives.  This can definitely be a part of what Peter is saying.  However, the verb “to be found” has the sense of an inspection or examination.  Yes, the return of Christ will be a day that reveals the results of God’s inspection and examination of every heart.  However, the Holy Spirit within believers is helping us every day to hear the Word of God and inspect our own hearts.  This co-laboring process ensures that we will be found on the ultimate day, whether his coming or our death, in his peace.  In fact, the phrase “by Him” is literally “to him.”  It has a sense that we are inspected and found “in his estimation” to be in peace.  It doesn’t matter what the world thinks about us, but what Christ thinks about us.

Peter then adds two extra descriptions of this state of peace: spotless and blameless.  It emphasizes the imagery of a sheep that is being inspected by the Good Shepherd.  It can even emphasize a sacrificial lamb that is inspected by the Priest in order to determine if it is worthy of offering (notice that Christ is both our High Priest and Good Shepherd).  We want our lives to be a holy offering unto God that, when inspected by the Priest (Jesus), is found worthy.  That is not something that we wait for the end of our life to discover.  It is a daily spiritual walk with Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Remember also that in 1 Peter 1:19, Peter had reminded them (us) that they were redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”  Just as the life of Christ was found acceptable as a sacrifice that would redeem others, so we should want our lives to be acceptable to him by following his path.  Of course, our sacrifices cannot pay the price for the sins of others, but they don’t need to do so.  Jesus has already done that.  Our sacrifice in a lesser but still important way can help people to see and embrace the forgiveness of sins found in Christ.

How can I live a life of sacrificial love that is spotless and blameless?  We won’t do it in the same way that Jesus did it, i.e., without error.  However, we can be spotless and blameless by walking in God’s love through repentance and forgiveness.  This is not just between us and God, but also between us and others.  We need to be quick to ask forgiveness from people we have wronged.  We also need to be quick to give forgiveness to those who ask.  Our goal must be to draw people into the peace of Christ and help them remain there by the love of Christ. 

By the way, this is not blameless in the eyes of people, or even yourself.  You may ask forgiveness and turn away from prior sin, but some people may never let it go.  They may continue to blame you as a bad person because of something you did in the past.  This is blameless in the eyes of Jesus.  He sees your heart and your attempts to make things right with people.  They may hold on to blame in your regard, but they will have to answer for their lack of forgiveness.  None of us will stand before Christ blameless because we have never sinned.  We will do so because we have followed the Holy Spirit on the path of repentance and following Jesus, the path of loving God and loving others.  It is only the judgment of Jesus that puts us in a place of being spotless and blameless in his peace.

The Lord’s patience is salvation (v. 15a)

In verse 15, Peter reminds us of the earlier point that the Lord’s seeming delay is actually patience making room for salvation (2 Peter 3:9).  We are to consider, regard, the Lord’s patience (the long time of not coming yet continued to this day) as the opportunity of salvation for those who are even now perishing.  Each day that he doesn’t come is another opportunity of salvation for the lost.  In fact, each day that a person wakes up on the right side of the dirt is a gracious opportunity of salvation.

The “delay” of Christ should not be called a delay.  It is truly an exercise, a gift, of patience.  It is an opportunity of salvation.  It is a cause for rejoicing and not complaining to God or scoffing at His promises.

Working for the Lord in this life is meant to be a joyful thing.  Even when people bite your head off simply for pointing them to Jesus, we can rejoice as Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12.  “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  We rejoice because we have a ministry of reconciliation that can turn enemies into fellow brothers and sisters.  We rejoice because we are in good company and have a sure reward for our labor.

Paul’s letters (v. 15b-16)

Peter brings up the Apostle Paul and the letters that he had written to these same Christians.  Paul had founded these churches and was the primary apostolic influence.  Peter emphasizes that what he tells them is no different from what Paul had already written to them.  God had given Paul wisdom, which he had shared with these believers in person and in letters.  It was a message that agreed with Peter and the other apostles.

This is important because there have been attempts by certain teachers through the years to present Paul as having hijacked the early Church.  They accuse Paul of changing the Gospel.  Yet, this is not the testimony of Peter who had sat at the feet of Jesus as he taught.  The early apostles were clear on the reason why Jesus had not come back yet.  Christ had not come back yet because God was patiently keeping the door of salvation open for the lost.  Yet, this would not be without an end, which is the main point of this chapter.

In verse 16, Peter mentions that some of the things that Paul has written are hard to understand.  Paul was trained in the Scriptures to a high degree.  When this was surrendered to the Holy Spirit, it gave him a deep understanding of what God was doing in Christ and how that connected to the Old Testament.  People (apparently even Peter) found it hard to follow his train of thought and line of argument.

We should also notice that Peter includes Paul’s letters in the category of Scripture: “some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures…”  The Apostles knew that their teaching was inspired by the Spirit of Christ.  The duty was upon them to lay the foundation of faith for the Church, once and for all.  Their writings about the Gospel were inspired (God-breathed) and binding upon those who would follow Christ.

Let’s broaden our perspective on this.  When Paul wrote a letter to the churches that he had founded, his letters were not out of the blue without any context.  He had taught them many things and answered many of their questions.  They knew his mind about many things. 

Even if his letters were hard to follow, they understood the bottom line of what he was teaching.  They could not twist Paul’s words to mean something other than what he had already taught them and remain intellectually, even morally, honest.  However, those who were untaught and unstable had no such guardrails.  Even if they were told of Paul’s true meaning, their wisdom and flesh would pull them away from that meaning to a distortion, a lie.  You cannot live out lies and find life.  It always leads to destruction, for yourself and for those who follow you.

The scoffers earlier in the chapter are in this category.  They were distorting, perverting, and twisting Paul’s words to mean something that he did not mean.  The Judaizers in the book of Acts similarly twisted Paul’s words.  In this case, they were accusing Paul of teaching error.  They accused him of promoting lawlessness and destroying the Law of Moses.  Of course, Paul was not doing this.  Anyone who knew him knew that this was not the case.

Be on your guard (v. 17-18)

Both Peter and Paul have done their job to forewarn Christians of the danger posed by those who twist Scripture and the words of the apostles of Jesus.  Thus, we must be on our guard against such false teachers.  However, the guarding begins in our hearts.  We must know the Word of God and refresh our memory in it every day.  We must prayerfully work it into our lives by the various helps of the Holy Spirit.  Yet, this guarding has an external aspect.  We are to reject false teachers as they surface in our lives and in the lives of our Christian communities.  Church elders must clearly stand against any false teachers who come into their assemblies.

If we do not stay on guard, then we (or others) can be carried away by the error of these “unprincipled” men.  He calls them unprincipled because they are a person who refuses laws, boundaries, and wisdom in order to gratify the desires of their flesh.  They cast off sound teaching, or twist it to support their desires, in order to follow paths that are not from the Lord.

Earlier in the letter, Peter had mentioned Balaam in connection with these false teachers (2 Peter 2:15).  They stray from the path of Jesus onto the path of Balaam.  The path of Balaam was a path of trying to gain riches through God’s Word.  The lie behind this is the same lie that the devil told Eve.  You can get something better by going your own way, rather than God’s Way, i.e., Christ’s Way.  This lie always leads to destruction, unless we repent and turn back to the Way of the Lord.

Not only can we be pulled down a path of error, but it can also be described as falling from our steadfastness.  Believers have been securely set upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus.  As long as we remain in Him, we are secure.  However, we can be deceived, seduced, discouraged into following a path of error.  We step off the foundation of Jesus and the place of security that God has given us.  It would be as if one of Noah’s sons jumped off the boat as the flood waters began to rise.  Those who have faith in Jesus remain in the place and life that God has set them.  They hold to the truth despite the chatter of unbelievers and false Christians.  This is what Peter is warning against.

Peter closes with the call for Christians to grow, to increase and become greater, in grace and knowledge of Jesus.  The grace of Jesus is the foundation upon which we grow to become more like him.  Grace is the whole measure of God’s good gifts, particularly salvation.  It is the constant supply with which we are enabled to become more like him.  This is true as individuals but also true for us as a local expression of the Church.  We are all called to be a part of God’s grace to one another.

Knowledge of Jesus is primarily what Jesus taught.  We come to know this through the faithful work of the apostles recorded in the New Testament.  However, it is also how that teaching (knowledge) affects our life and makes us more like him.  Therefore, it is a knowledge that comes from experience and relationship with Jesus and his teaching.

Peter reminds us of just what Jesus is to us.  He is Lord.  That not only meant that he had authority over all powers on the earth (Lord of lord and King of kings), but also in the heavens (save the Father Himself).  It was also understood to directly tie into the covenant name of God at Sinai.  He is Yahweh of the Old Testament, the LORD.

He is also Savior.  He is the one who has delivered us, or rescued us, from sin and the slavery in which we were stuck.  He has rescued us from the path of error and destruction while placing us in a place of being children of God.

He is also Christ, the Messiah.  He is the Anointed One of God sent to redeem humanity back to its rightful place of direct relationship with the Father and Imagers of His dominion upon the earth.

Peter lastly declares that to Jesus be the glory now and forever.  Our aspirations in life should be to give him all the glory, the credit, the praise.  But also, we should desire that our life itself be lived in a way that causes Him to be praised.  Thus, we glorify him in the present, but everyday until eternity.  The idea is not that it stops when eternity starts, but that it continues to eternity.

May God help us to live lives that are growing each day to be more like Jesus.  May we bring glory to him and may we praise God for all that Jesus has done for us.

Remember this.  The wrong things that happen in the Church or are done by Christians, happen because someone wants the glory, the praise, of others.  Don’t give people the praise that belongs to Jesus alone.  In short, let him who boasts boast in the LORD Jesus!

Final Exhortation audio

The First Letter of Peter- 22

Subtitle: Closing Words

1 Peter 5:12-14. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, May 3, 2026.

As we finish this letter, we have reached the place where Peter gives his closing words to the recipients of it. 

It is mostly a basic closing of a letter. It mentions the carrier of the letter and gives greetings to people in the churches of Asia Minor from Peter and others with him.

Yet, there are a couple of items in this passage that have created some controversy. 

Let’s look at our passage.

Peter’s closing words (v. 12-14)

Peter first explains that the letter has come to them through a man named Silvanus.  Silvanus is mentioned as a fellow worker with Paul and Timothy in 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians.

We should also make the connection between this Silvanus and the shortened form of his name used by Luke in Acts, Silas.  Though Peter and Paul use the longer form, Luke seems disposed to using a more intimate and informal name for him.

Silas was a Jewish Christian who was among the men of Jerusalem in the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15.  He accompanied Paul back to Antioch in order to verify the decision of the Jerusalem Council.  Luke describes him as a prophet and teacher who is clearly of Jewish descent.  Silas ends up accompanying Paul on his 2^nd Missionary journey through the areas addressed by Peter’s letter.  He would know the people and be familiar to them, having ministered among them with Paul.

Peter refers to Silvanus as a “faithful brother” and comments that this is his opinion or estimation of him.  The gist of this is simply that the one these churches know as a faithful brother already has also been found by Peter to be faithful as a brother in Christ, i.e., a spiritual brother.

By the way, this is how the New Testament really began.  Letters were written by apostles to particular churches or group of churches in a region.  We are not told how Silvanus distributed this letter to so many churches.  Did he come bearing multiple copies?  What church did he go to first?  Some of these questions we cannot know.  However, it is most likely that the letter was first given to a particular church, which would most likely make a copy of it.  Since Silvanus is well acquainted, it is most likely that he personally saw to the distribution.  It would allow him to touch base and minister to the churches similar to Paul’s attitude in his missionary journeys.  Thus, Silvanus would come to a particular town, a church member would make a faithful copy, and he would then take the letter to another town, most likely taking time to exhort the church on the contents of the letter.

Similarly, Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth would slowly be copied and shared with other churches in the region.  At some point, the Church felt it was important to assemble the verified letters of the apostles that had long acceptance in different regions into a collection.  This ultimately became the New Testament.  By the time this assembling happened, it would have been impossible to make up a letter that was not original to the apostles and pretend like it was.  Too many churches had copies of these letters over too long of a time.  The cry of “foul” would have been deafening from the churches if such was attempted.

Peter then summarizes his purpose in the letter.  He has both testified and exhorted them in the true grace of God.  He testified in that he declared what he heard and saw.  He has exhorted in the sense that he is calling them to stay true to what they have received.  This is what I know to be true, and this is what you should do.

So, what is the true grace of God?  We can start with pointing to Jesus.  Jesus as the Son of God and Son of Man had come as God’s Anointed to save Israel and the Gentiles.  This is opposed to all the false claimants to be God’s Messiah.  Jesus is the true Christ versus the false Christs that came before him, and those that came after him.  Peter gave faithful testimony to the person, work, and teaching of Jesus.

These teachings were taught and written down for the strengthening of those who believed.  These Scriptures are an analog revealing Jesus the Messiah to those who read it.

However, it is not enough to receive the truth about Christ in verbal and written form.  We must remain firm in our faith. 

Some versions differ between Peter giving a command, “Stand firm in it,” and Peter simply declaring, “in which you stand.”  The difference between the two is a couple of letters in the verb “stand.”  We do not know how the difference came about in some of the old manuscripts.  Regardless, both are good and true.  They had received the Gospel, so it is entirely appropriate for Peter to testify and to exhort that this is the true grace of God, in which you currently stand firm.

Yet, they will need to be faithful until the end of their lives.  Over time, threats will come against the true grace of God.  They will need to stand firm in what they have received.  Thus, it would be entirely appropriate to voice this as a command.

For us today, we may not know which form Peter initially intended.  However, we do know that Scripture challenges us with both ideas.  It is good for believers to be standing firm in what the Scriptures reveal about Jesus, but it is also important for us to persevere in standing firm to the end of our life.

There is generally nothing controversial in a section that sends greetings, but we have such here.  Peter’s phrase, “She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you,” has two areas of contention.

The first has to do with who or what is the pronoun “she” referencing?  This has been generally interpreted as referring to the body of believers where Peter is, i.e., the church he is at.  The word for church in Greek is a feminine term and thus takes a feminine pronoun.  It is singular because the group is spoken of as a singular entity, a local expression of the greater Church of Jesus.  This also fits with the fact that we know Peter is addressing churches in Asia Minor.  A pronoun without connection to a person or name would more naturally connect to another church.  In fact, the description of being chosen together with the recipients of the letter further strengthens the idea of “she” referring to the local church in Peter’s location.

It wasn’t until later that the idea was floated that “she” could refer to Peter’s wife.  The problem with this is that she is never mentioned in the letter, and it would not be the most natural interpretation of Peter’s words.

Just as the early church referred to each other as brothers and sisters (spiritually), churches were commonly referred to as sisters.  This ties into the Hebrew usage in the Old Testament of the current citizens of a city being the daughters of the city (seen as a mother), e.g., the daughters of Jerusalem etc.

Another example of this in the New Testament is in 2 John 1:13. “The children of your elect sister send you greetings.”  The current believers who make up the chosen sister church where I am at send you greetings. 

I think it is most natural and most fitting with the evidence of history to see this as a reference to the believers of a particular church.

The second question in the above phrase is the identity of Babylon.  Is this a literal reference to Babylon or is it a symbolic reference to Rome?

The earliest evidence we have that still exists is from around AD 313.  Eusebius in his Church History cites an earlier work from Papias.  He states that Papias had written a five-volume work called Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord.  Eusebius claims that Papias, along with other early church fathers, believed Babylon in verse 13 to be a symbolic reference to Rome.

We should also note that there is no known counterclaim that literal Babylon was intended.  Thus, the evidence of history at this point would be on the side of a symbolic reference to Rome.

However, it is not implausible that Peter could have gone to literal Babylon.  There was a large Jewish community in Babylon that eventually became the source for the Babylonian Talmud.  It would make sense that the Apostle to the Jews could be sent by the Holy Spirit to testify there.  Yet, there is no evidence from history that states such.  It is simply a conjecture that could only be substantiated if we assume Babylon is literal here.

John has a similar thing in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  There is a reference to “Mystery Babylon” which sits on seven hills.  The testimony of the early church is that this referred to Rome.

Babylon was prophesied against by the Old Testament prophets.  But, a close reading of those prophecies will note that Babylon comes to be treated as a Symbol or a System that is created by a rebellious spirit behind it.  This spirit of empire and domination by wicked spirits is used of an end-time city/powerhouse that will be destroyed by the Beast.

Why has this become an issue?  The Reformation led to many arguments between Protestants and Roman Catholics.  A main contention between them had to do with the authority of the Pope.  Did God give him authority to command all the Church of God on earth?  Roman Catholics say yes and Protestants say no.

In arguing these cases, several lines of arguments cross this verse.  The Roman Catholics point to Peter as being the Rock (foundation) of the Church.  They also claim that he was the first Bishop of Rome.  He then handed his authority down to the next Bishop upon his death.  They then claim an unbroken line of succession from Peter to the current Pope.  The authority of Peter belongs to the current Pope.

Protestants may argue against Peter ever being in Rome, except perhaps at his execution.  They will also argue that Peter was never a bishop in Rome, definitely not the first bishop.  In fact, the New Testament never speaks of Peter going to Rome.  Even when Paul goes to Rome at the end of Acts, it already has a church of believers there.  If there were not already a bishop of this church, then he would have definitely set some faithful elders into those positions, as was his way among all the churches he started.  Peter is not mentioned as residing there.  He is most likely still in Jerusalem or that region.

Regardless of all of the above, Protestants can be polarized into believing that they have to believe this is literal Babylon in order to prove the argument of the Romanists wrong.  I believe this is a fallacy.  Regardless of whether this is a symbolic reference to Rome or a literal reference to Babylon, this does not matter with the argument over Papal succession and authority.  The truth is the truth, and men are quite capable of taking a true statement and using it to substantiate a false claim.  It is the claim that is false and not the statement used to support it.

Ultimately, it has no bearing on our faith where Peter is writing this letter.

Peter then gives them greetings from “my son, Mark.”  Mark is not his literal son, but his son spiritually.  This is the nephew of Barnabas who abandoned Paul’s first missionary journey into Asia Minor.  He eventually became a helper with Barnabas and then later with Peter.  Mark with Peter was similar to the way Timothy was for Paul, a younger minister that aided them in their ministry.

This Mark is the same one who wrote the Gospel of Mark.  Mark was too young to know all that Jesus did, but his Gospel has historically been described as the account of Jesus from Peter’s perspective.

Peter takes advantage of the greetings that he gives in order to remind them to greet one another with the kiss of love.  Now, the kiss of love is the opposite of the kiss of betrayal given by Judas to Jesus.  The kiss of betrayal is a superficial pretense that covers wickedness underneath.  Christians are to greet one another with a kiss of love, not hypocrisy. 

Of course, how cultures greet one another are various.  It was common in those days to kiss on the cheek those you meet.  In our culture, we might say to greet one another with a handshake of love.  We should not be outward jerks to one another, but neither should we be fake with one another.  Christians must do the inner work of being able to love other Christians.

Personality clashes and events that happen between two people can muddy the waters of our love for one another.  It takes forgiveness and repentance for a group too remain in the love of Christ for one another.

Finally, Peter blesses them by saying, “Peace be unto you all who are in Christ.”  The Christian has peace with God because they have believed upon the One that He has sent to save us.  When we embrace Jesus, we are no longer enemies to God, and He is no longer an enemy to us.  If this is rightly understood and believed, it gives a person an inner sense of peace by the Holy Spirit regardless of the chaos and threats of suffering that surround them.  It is a peace that passes all understanding.  If you know that you are okay (right) with God, then the threats and slander of men are easier to ignore.

Yet, Peace also describes the eternal purpose of God for those who belong to Jesus by faith.  We are in Christ like Noah and his family were in the ark.  Judgment is coming upon this earth, but the one who believes and follows Christ is in the safe place that God has provided for them.  Jesus is not just a way to avoid judgment.  He is one with whom we have a relationship through the Holy Spirit.

Our challenge is to hold fast the proven and true Word of God we have received from faithful believers before us.  Yet, that word teaches us how to know the Lord Jesus and how to follow him.  May we stay faithful to Jesus, the Faithful One, until the end of our life!

Closing Words audio

The First Letter of Peter- 14

Subtitle: Our Witness before the World- Part 6

1 Peter 3:8-12. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, February 22, 2026.

Peter has been looking at specific relationships that Christians would have in those days.  In each one, he gives specific instructions. Today’s passage sums all of this up.

Let’s look at our passage.

All of you should be of one mind (v. 8-12)

Peter uses a phrase that is generally translated as “to sum up” or “finally.”  Having reached the end of the relationships he wanted to address specifically, Peter now gives advice on how, as believers in Jesus, we ought to approach our relationships regardless of whether or not we are in the strong or the weak position.  This would include our relationships with other believers and those who are unbelievers.  However, unbelievers are not going to be hearing Peter’s instructions much less adhering to them.

The first thing we run into is to be “harmonious” (NASB).  The word is literally “same-minded” and has the sense of operating from the same thinking.  Though it is not specifically stated in this verse, it is the mind of Christ and the example that came from it that Peter has in mind (see 2:21-25).  To further support this, Peter will use some phrases in this section that were used earlier regarding Jesus.  Thus, it is particularly the mind of Christ that we are to have.

Our approach in our relationships needs to start with the question, “What would Jesus have me do?”  “Jesus, how can I be a boss, an employee, a husband, a wife, etc. that is following your mind?”

Paul says it this way in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”  Relationships are better when both parties are thinking like Jesus.  We should be focused on the purposes of God rather than on the purposes of our natural desires.

To be clear, we are not talking about trying to be a good boss as defined by lazy employees, nor are we trying to be a good employee as defined by harsh employers who expect all of your time, even when you are off the clock.  It is defined by Jesus and the trusted Word that we have written down for us in Scripture.

I can have the mind of Christ even when the other person doesn’t.  God will help us to be a witness for Jesus to them by how we act and respond.  No matter what people may do to get ahead of you and push you down, we can entrust ourselves to God.  Will they get away with it?  It may look like it to us, but they haven’t gotten away with it.  God is our defense and reward.

Let’s be clear.  What Jesus experienced was bad.  You too will go through things that are not right.  It is not that God wants these bad things to happen to us but that He promises to work them to the good for us and others.  This is what it means to have the mind of Christ.  It means that we cease using the sin of others to justify our own sin.  Rather, we choose to honor the righteousness of God in the situation and entrust our future into His hands.

Peter continues with a list that describes what it means to have the mind of Christ.  “Having compassion for one another” involves being able to identify with the suffering of another person.  It touches us deeply.  The opposite would be to have a hard and insensitive approach to others.

He then mentions “loving as brothers.”  This refers to the familial love that we should have for one another.  This is best understood within the family of believers.  Of course, familial love has lots of ups and downs, especially in our spiritual infancy.  Brothers will get on each other’s nerves, step on each other’s toes.  Yet we are family.  You don’t kick people out of the family.  You work to reconcile.  Thus, spiritual parents are important.  Mature believers have a duty to help immature believers embrace the righteous path of asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness.  Yet, in the end, our Heavenly Father will ultimately hold us to the reality of learning to love our brothers and sisters.

We are to be “tender-hearted.”  Similar to compassion, this has the idea of having deep feelings toward one another.  Our love should come from the depths of our heart.

With the last description, we have a manuscript issue.  Some of the early manuscripts have “humble in spirit” and others have “friendly.”  We won’t go into the details of all of that.  I think we can agree that both could be attached to this list without inserting error.  Whether Peter meant humility or friendliness, I would say that they are both good.  The humble person approaches others without arrogance or thinking of yourself as more important than others.

Peter then moves to a couple of negative issues, i.e., things from which to refrain.   He uses the wording about Jesus from 2:22-23.  Jesus did not respond with evil for evil, nor did he revile those who reviled him.  We mentioned back then that reviling has the sense of strong verbal abuse to it.  We are quickly becoming a society that is treating verbal abuse as more and more acceptable.  A Christian must refrain from this activity, even if the other person is abusing us.

In fact, even Christians can have misunderstandings or see things differently from one another.  We are to restrain ourselves from the natural inclinations of our flesh and take hold of the same mind that Christ had when he restrained himself.

Instead of returning evil for evil and reviling for reviling, we are to return a blessing to them.  This a clear allusion to the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:44. “Love your enemies and bless those who curse us, pray for those who spitefully use you…”

Yes, this may seem unfair, but unless the other person repents, they will be in a world of hurt in the Judgment.  Don’t let the tragedy of another person’s spiritual destruction pull you down into that destruction as well.

So how can I bless someone who is “cursing” me?  Ultimately, we are seeking to be a good thing in their life, whether they see it as that or not.  We should start by praying for them.  “Lord, I know that you don’t like what they are doing.  I pray that you help me to speak your words, draw them away from their sin and towards you.”  If done well, we can be a good thing in their life by warning them of the judgment that hangs over their actions.  Lastly, we can find something that is tangible to do for them.  In all of this, we need to ask for the wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot do this in a fake and superficial way.  It must be real and sacrificial.  It must come from the heart of God.

Peter mentions that those who do this “will inherit a blessing.”  He basically says, “If you want to inherit a blessing, then live your life in such a way as to be a blessing to others.”

There is a certain inheritance in this life.  It is up to us how much like Jesus we want to be and therefore the ways He will bless us in this life.  Yet our full inheritance will not come until the Resurrection.  Any blessing in this life is only a bitter-sweet foretaste of something that will have all the bitterness removed in the future!  To dwell with God and His goodness for eternity in immortal, imperishable, bodies is a great inheritance indeed!

Peter then quotes Psalm 34:12-16.  He is essentially showing us that Scripture backs up what he has been saying.

This psalm was written by David when he pretended to be insane in front of the Philistine king in order to save his life.  What was David doing in the Philistine territory?  King Saul of Israel accused David of disloyalty and sought to kill him.  This eventually drove David out of Israel into the enemy’s territory.  This isn’t just about people, but about the devil and his angels too.

It was the fear of the Lord and the desire to be blessed by God that helped David to restrain himself.  Yes, David was not as good as Jesus, but he would be an example from the Old Testament that they could remember.  More than an example, the words of David (the lessons that he discovered in this time) are instructive to us going through something similar.

This section challenges those who want the truth.  Do you desire life, to love and see good days?  If you do, then you must restrain yourself from doing evil and choose to do good, seeking and pursuing peace with others.  Why?  God is watching all that happens.  He will ultimately judge our actions in these things.

God’s eyes are depicted as being towards the righteous.  This is a reference to being favorable to Him.  He is watching us and hearing our prayers in order to “attend” to them.  However, the face of God is against those who do evil.

David simply trusted God.  Saul’s evil actions meant to kill David.  They even pushed David into dangerous territory.  It would be easy for David to justify evil actions toward Saul.  However, David had the mind of Christ (at least in this situation).  David knew that he could not kill Saul and remain guiltless.  God had raised up and anointed Saul, and therefore, God would remove Saul in a way that David could remain pure (see 1 Samuel 26:8-12).

It is difficult to trust God and wait upon Him.  God is far more gracious than we would be.  King Saul didn’t deserve all the grace that God gave him, but David recognized that God would eventually deal with him.

This brings up a powerful question in all of our relationships.  God is watching me and the other person.  The way we treat one another is making a case to God for good or for bad.  We are choosing to be on the side of the righteous or on the side of the wicked.

It is better for us to do what is right (even if the evil continues to be poured out on us) and receive the blessing of God, then to come under the curse and judgment of God.  We all need His grace.  God’s delay of judgment with the wicked is a grace to them.  They may even yet repent.

Perhaps you repented at one point and chose to follow Jesus.  That is great!  Yet repentance needs to be a present attitude with you and me.  We are continually ready to judge when God is not.  It is not just the external enemies who threaten to pull us away from Christ.  It is the internal enemy of our own sinful nature that really threatens to pull us down.

Can we simply be a repenting people who sacrifice themselves in order to pursue peace with others?  Can I serve the purpose of God in the situation rather than the purpose of me?

Others may think that you are foolish, but it is never foolish to stand with Jesus and live out his righteousness.  Of course, we can only do this by the help of the Holy Spirit, through keeping our faith in the mind of Christ, and when we entrust ourselves to the truth that God is our vindication.  Our greatest times of witnessing to the greatness of Christ is when we lay down our desires and pick up his.  This is when the world truly sees Jesus in us!

Our Witness 6 audio

The Letter to the Colossian Church- 11

Subtitle: Living out Your New Identity- 2

Colossians 3:12-17.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

In the previous section, Paul had given us a list of the things that Christians need to put off, or to take off.  He generally mentioned in verse 10 that we should then put on the new self that is being renewed into the image of Christ.  The section before us gives a summary list of the virtues and character of Christ that we need to put on.  Essentially, we are putting off everything that is not Jesus and putting on everything that is Jesus.  In order to do that, we will need to get to know him by reading the Word of God and by spending time in prayer with him.

Let’s look at our passage.

Those who have been chosen of God (v. 12-14)

Back in verse 1, Paul used the conditional “if” to challenge them.  “If you have been raised with Christ, then set your mind on the things above.”  This was talking about having a heavenly perspective about things on the earth, doing earthly things for God’s purpose.  This is what the Lord’s prayer is getting out.  “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

The conditional is not used to disqualify them, but rather to underline the importance of the command.

In verse 12, he does something similar.  Here, we have, “As those who have been chosen of God, then…”  This has the effect of tying the theological truth (you have been chosen of God) with a practical result in the way we live life- we will get to what that is in a moment.  Our theology should be logically connected to the way we live our life.  Our walk needs to line up with our talk.  We cannot claim to be a child of God while living like the devil.

So, who are these chosen ones?  God has chosen all those who will put their faith in Jesus, the Christ. 

There are some who challenge this understanding of God’s choice.  They believe it puts us in the place of saving ourselves.  They will typically say that the only reason you choose to follow Jesus is because God first chose you individually.  If He had not chosen you, then you would have never truly believed in Jesus.  At least, this is what they would say.  The problem here is that God from eternity past knew who would do what.  Yet, the contention of such theologians is that God chose people without any thought about what they would do.  He sovereignly chose some and didn’t others.  You may appear to choose Christ, but it is only because God first chose you.

I believe this is a misunderstanding of God and of His sovereignty.  All through Scripture, God is calling for us to choose Him.  “Choose this day whom you will serve!”  “Whose on the Lord’s side?  Come over here!”  The Gospel of Jesus is always presented as something we need to believe without coercion.

Thus, the character of God is such that He will not force us to come to Him.  Both because He is loving and because He is just, it is wrong to conceive of God controlling our ability to choose Him.  However, in the name of upholding the sovereignty of God- by saying He controls everything without anything from us- they actually end up limiting the sovereignty of God.  Essentially, they are saying that God cannot be sovereign enough to carve out a place wherein people can be free to choose Him. 

Truly, we cannot save ourselves even by believing.  The only reason faith can save is because God through Jesus did a real work of paying the price for sins.  A simple analogy is that of a meal.  If God never cooked the meal and put the plate in front of us, none of us are capable of feeding (saving) ourselves.  However, when God in His sovereignty cooks the meal, spreads the table, and calls whosoever will respond to eat at His table, the responding person is not saving themselves.  Rather, they are submitting to the sovereign choice of a God who is demonstrating His saving love to them.  When God puts the plate of grace in front of a person, they are able to believe and respond.   We are not save by our faith, but we are saved through it.

Paul further describes them as holy and beloved.  When you put your faith in Jesus, you become holy.  This does not mean that you walk on water and never sin.  A holy person is a person who has been set apart by God for His purposes.  Similar to a holy bowl in the temple of old, an Israelite should never take the holy bowls from the temple in order to impress people they are having over for dinner at their home.  The distinction is that there are common things that we all do, and there are holy things.  Christians are no longer to live their lives like everyone else, the common people.  We are to live our lives solely for the purposes of Christ.  In fact, the New Testament actually increases the concept of being holy because everything in our life becomes holy now.  We are to do all that we do for the purposes, glory, and honor of Christ.

You are also a loved one (beloved) of God.  The word for beloved is speaking of something done in the past that has continuing effects into the present.  You have been dearly loved by God by the work of Jesus Christ and the bringing of salvation to your door. 

In all of these things, being chosen, holy and loved of God, it is not intended to make us look down our noses at those who do not believe.  God’s love calls all to join the chosen and holy community.  He calls all to repent and join those who have stepped into Christ by faith.  Of course, none of us deserve to be in this place of His love.  However, we have been brought in through the work of Jesus and through our faith in him.

This leads up to a “therefore” moment.  Since you are chosen of God, holy and beloved, you should put on some things that we will get to in a moment.  This begins a list of virtues, or rather, the character of Christ.  It is using the language of clothing that was started earlier in the section on the vices we need to “take off.”  We undress our lives of the things of this world, and we dress ourselves with the character of Christ, the image of Christ.  We are taking off the works that our flesh generates and putting on the character and works that the Lord Jesus Christ generates through the Holy Spirit working in us.

Let me take humility- which we will talk about in a bit- for an example.  We are not called to put on humility as we might define it, or as the world defines it.  We are called to put on humility as it is defined by God and especially revealed through the words and actions of the Lord Jesus.  It is His image we are donning.  We look to him to understand the what and the why of humility.

This world loves to give lip service to love, toleration, justice, equality, and inclusivity.  However, the definition of these things, and how they are actually lived out, often lead to a perverted expression of them.  Seeking these things for the sake of saying we are doing them puts us in the driver’s seat.  It is a form of self justification.  Society will continue to adjust the definitions of these things according to the desires of their sinful flesh.  Christians are called to embrace Christ and let his humility be lived through us.

So what are we putting on?  First, we put on a heart of compassion.  There are two words here, even though some translations will translate it with one word.  The first word refers to a deep place in the guts of a person.  It is best translated as heart, but we might get a glimpse of the meaning in our description of “getting the butterflies.”  Notice that we do not speak of the butterflies as being in our heart, but rather our stomach.  So, the type of compassion they are describing comes from a deep place that is deep within you and is accompanied by a feeling in the pit of our stomach.  In this case, it is not the butterflies (nervous excitement of what is ahead).  It is compassion for someone’s predicament.  You did not cause their plight, but their misery has touched something deep within you and motivated you to action.

Compassion is the first word that God uses to describe Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6.  That Hebrew word also has the emphasis on a deep-seated compassion for those in misery.

We want to be careful of only having a heart of compassion for people that we like, or for people in which it is socially acceptable to help.  Putting on the compassion of Christ will put you at a Samaritan well talking to a woman who is very far from God.  The people around you (even the woman herself) may protest that you shouldn’t do this.  However, Christ expressed the great compassion that God the Father had for her by giving her his compassion in the moment.

We are also told to put on kindness.  Kindness somewhat speaks for itself, but it speaks of a general disposition of goodness towards others.  A person who is kind has a kind of default setting.  They are predisposed to being good, benign towards others.

We are to put on humility as we said before.  This is a lowliness of mind towards others (and God).  Our position or standing does not influence the way we speak and deal with people.  We do not approach them as superiors, nor even as equals.  We come with lowliness of mind, knowing that God helps the humble, but resists the proud.

It is easy to think that you are humble when you think about God.  The real test is in our relationships with one another.  When we think we are smarter than others around us, when we compare ourselves to them and think that we are better than them, we will act in ways that are anything but humble.  How smart and how much better than us Is Jesus?  Yet, how humble was he in the face of men who were clearly wicked?  Did you deserve Christ to come down and serve you by taking your place on a cross?  No, you do not; none of us do.  Lay down your pride and judgments and simply serve others for Christ.

We also put on gentleness.  The gentleness of a person says nothing about how strong they are.  Gentleness at its core is not about weakness, but about control of strength so as not to cause injury.  What is true in the physical is also true in the way we approach one another.

Of course, we should remind ourselves that these virtues of Christ are not some kind of law.  When Jesus whipped the men out of the temple, it did not look gentle.  We are to be gentle with one another, but sometimes a strong word and strong action is necessary.  However, it must be the image of Christ and the Spirit of Christ that is governing our words and actions in that moment.

We are to put on patience.  The word here has the idea of a long fuse.  We need to be slow to anger (another virtue that God uses to describe Himself in Exodus 34:6).  You need to take off your short fuse and put on a long fuse, and not long as you define it.  We put on the long fuse of Christ with one another.

In verse 13, Paul moves deeper in the virtues, showing how they lead to virtuous actions.  It is not enough to think virtuous thoughts.  Such virtues will and must always lead to virtuous action.

Bearing with one another is the picture of someone who may need to be carried from time to time.  It is never convenient to have to carry someone, but love compels people to use our strength to help the weak in whatever form it occurs.  In fact, we all need to be carried, whether metaphorically or literally, at times.

What do I mean about a metaphorical carrying?  None of us are perfect, despite the attitude of some.  There is a certain heaviness that others experience in those less than perfect moments.  The choice to either overlook, i.e., not make an issue of something, or to bring up the issue, but with an attitude of love, is a heaviness that others must carry in the presence of my differences from Jesus.  Some of these are sin.  I am disobeying the commands of Christ.  Others are simply offenses.  My personality is grating on yours, and of course, those differences can lead to overt sinful choices.  When we ask for forgiveness and extend forgiveness, we are choosing to carry the weight of one another.  When we step in and help in moments that were even caused by the lack of foresight of the other, we are choosing to carry them.  We should make room for one another by not holding on to the sins and the offenses that others have done to us.  Perhaps we should think of it this way.  Our sinful flesh would rather hold on to the weight of the sins and offenses, never letting go, when Christ would have us drop the list we are keeping and carry a different weight, the burden of love for a person.

The best way to begin carrying a person is to pray for them.  Ask God to change your heart.  Ask Him to help you see what you can say, or not say, do, or not do.  Be committed to a good relationship in the name of Jesus.  Ask for wisdom on how what things should be overlooked as trivialities and what things need to be addressed in love.  Ultimately, be committed to carrying the weight of working things out with a person who may not be easy for you.  In fact, I am sure that all of us have people who have found it hard to carry us in such a way.

Paul’s next point of forgiveness is a natural next point as I mentioned above.  We all need to learn to forgive each other.  Of course, there are times when people persist in belligerence and refuse to get along.  However, Paul is calling us to this commitment of love.  Love forgives.  Love refuses to hold on to a record of wrongs.  Love never quits!

Paul says the same thing in another way.  “Whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”  Think about this.  Did Christ forgive you of your sins because you became perfect?  No.  It was first because he loves you and secondly because you responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  We must be quit to let go of complaints in forgiveness.  If a person refuses to deal with offenses, we are still to move forward by keeping the door open for reconciliation.  Here is a prayer to try.  “Lord, this offended me, and it is hard to let go.  I turn this over to you and trust you with whatever happens.  Let me do only what you want me to do.  Let me say only what you want me to say.”

Verse 14 then states, “Beyond all these things…”  Some versions say “Above all these things…”  Since Paul has been using the language of clothing, it may be better to translate this as “On top of all these things…”  This final thing is like the outer cloak that everyone would recognize as your cloak.  It is the signature touch to getting dressed in the Character of Christ.  We are to put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Thinking of love as if it were clothing may seem strange.  However, it makes sense.  Love is something that is not generally welling up from within our soul.  It is often the conviction of the Holy Spirit pointing us to this thing called love that challenges us to pick it up and clothe ourselves with it.

Although love will help people to have a bond of unity, this most likely refers to love as the virtue that ties all of these character traits together into a bond of perfection, or a unity of full maturity.  If we only contemplated these character traits as individual items on a list, they may be twisted beyond the point.  It is love that teaches us when gentleness must give way to a firmness and perhaps to a harsh word.  All of these things should be seen as facets of love which ties them all together into a perfect man, the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Love is being committed to the good and well-being of another as God defines it.  Jesus said it best.  “Love one another as I have loved you!”

How did Jesus love us?  He did it with his whole heart, even when it hurt, sacrificially, undeniably, outwardly, etc., etc., etc.  He is calling us to love one another this way.

Some further exhortations (15-17)

In verse 15, Paul gives them an imperative. However, it is an imperative about letting something happen to you that God will do, if you yield.  You are the question here, not God.

We are told to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.  The word for “rule” here has the idea of an umpire.  In other words, let the peace of Christ have such a position in your heart and mind that it is calling the shots and grading our attempts.

The Colossians were dealing with some men who were coming into their church and making judgments about how they were serving Christ and what they believed.  Some disconcerted Colossians were listening to these men and following their judgments.  Yet, Paul knew that these men were leading them into the philosophies of men and the legalism of religionists.

This admonition to let the peace of Christ call the shots in your life would be a protection against those who would try to trouble our hearts about whether we were acceptable to God or following Him correctly.

The peace of Christ can be seen in different ways.  First, it is the peace that Jesus creates between us and God the Father.  In Jesus, we can know that God the Father does not see us as an enemy.  He sees you as His child.  This knowledge can be a protection when others try to scare you about how God sees you.

However, the peace of Christ can also be seen as something that is an internal experience.  Just as Jesus stood up in the boat and cried, “Peace!  Be still!,” so we have many times when we need the Spirit of Christ to silence the internal troubled waters.  This comes as we spend time in prayer, seeking His wisdom and direction.

Finally, the peace of Christ can also be the external experience that believers have between one another. In the context of this passage, all of these have their place.  They work in a three part combination.  My relationship with God the Father leads to an inner experience, which can then lead to working for the external peace between brothers and sisters.  We have been called to this peace of Christ in one body (vs 15) by One Lord and One Spirit!

This is the work that the Spirit of God will do and is even now doing in our fellowship with one another.  However, you, I, need to cooperate with this purpose of His.

He qualifies this activity with the phrase, “and be thankful.”  This is the first of three times that he reminds the Colossians (us) to do these things while also being thankful.  Have you ever done something you were supposed to do, but with the wrong heart, perhaps begrudgingly?  Yes, we need to work for peace between us, but we need to do so without complaining to God about others.  Yes, this is hard, but God is in it.  Trust Him!  Give thanks that you are not doing this by yourself.  You are partnering with One who is greater than anything you may face!  Give thanks!

The second thing that we need to let happen is that we need to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly.  The Word of Christ is firstly the Scriptures.  Not just the words that are in red, but the whole thing.  All Scripture is God-breathed, and the spirit of prophecy is Jesus.  Read it and bring it into your heart and mind.  Take ownership of this need to have God’s Word dwelling in you.  Yes, churches and pastors are handy, but take time to go further.  Ask God for a love of His Word.  The idea of the Word dwelling richly in our hearts has to do with the fruitfulness of the Word of God.  It is a seed that is intended to grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  Take time to prepare the soil of your heart.  Till up the hard parts, roll out the big rocks, and spend some time weeding in your heart so that God’s Word may be fruitful in your life.  This is its normative effect.  This is why we do not read the word as a mere exercise in quantity.  Rather, we spend time praying about what we read and meditating on it.  We spend time fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit over what the Word is saying to us.

Paul adds to do this with all wisdom.  This does not mean our wisdom, but the wisdom of Christ.  This too is a part of our prayers and meditations.  They had received wisdom about the Scriptures from Christ and his apostles.  When others come along later and try to trouble the waters, wisdom would say to be careful.  You already have everything you need in Christ.  Turn back to Him instead of looking to a man on this earth.

He continues telling them to be teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  Of course, we can teach and admonish without singing, but there is something about singing that takes God’s Word to the next level.  In some ways, it is a spiritual warfare that pushes out the enemy.  It is easy to say words that you don’t believe, but it is much harder to sing them.  In fact, a person may begin singing half-heartedly, but songs have a way of lifting us and calling us to a higher place of worship. 

Yet, notice the second occurrence of thankfulness.  “Singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  In the midst of heavy brothers, offenses, and forgiveness, in the midst of attempts to take off cruddy clothing and to put on the attire of Christ, we can sing with thankfulness and gusto because we are doing it for Christ!  He ain’t heavy; He’s my brother!  How can a heart sing this, say this, without first coming to grips with the Lord who has carried us all and made us to be brothers to Himself?  Even in the midst of stony hearts and hurtful actions, we can be thankful that the God is working out His salvation in us and through us!

Singing to Christ about the glories of who He is, what He has done, and how we are called to be like Him, can drive the devil out of a situation and put our hearts in the right way.

Verse 17 then becomes a summation to this section.  “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  Everything I do or say should be done in the name of Jesus.

What does that mean?  “In the name” speaks to doing these things in His place.  You are to be Him in the lives of others.  Your goal should be to let Jesus do through you what He would do if He were there.  It also has the idea of doing it in the reputation of Christ.  Everything we do can affect how people see Christ.  Of course, this can be intimidating because we are not perfect.  Still, I am representing Him and should not act in such a way to dishonor Him.  What do I do if I have acted selfishly and not as Christ would have me?  Be honest.  Confess your error and ask for forgiveness.  Point people to the truth of Christ rather than yourself.

Finally, “in the name” also speaks to doing these things in His purpose, as an ambassador, and as a service unto Him.  If we were more conscious of this in everything we said and did, we would be far more circumspect in our actions towards one another.

He then reminds us for the third time to be “giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”   How can we get a heart like this, a heart that does tough stuff with a thankful and cheerful heart?  We can only get it from Jesus, one day at a time, one dying to self at a time.  May God help us to truly believe that He can help to transform our hearts over time and lead us in living out the image of God that He so perfectly revealed and is even now inspiring within us.

New Identity 2 audio