Who Will Harm You? 1 Peter 3:13

After telling the “scattered” Christians, “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil”, the apostle Peter in chapter three and verse thirteen of his letter ask them, “who will harm you?” where we read:

And who is he that will harm you, if you be followers of that which is good?

The verse begins, “And who is he that will harm you,...” Peter began with the words, “And who” or “also, even, indeed, so then, therefore what person or human being” “is he that will harm” or “oppress, afflict, maltreat, embitter and render evil affected” “you” which refers to the “scattered” Christians. Since the Lord God Almighty is watching over the Christians, Peter's question was who could come against Him?

The verse continues, “...if you be followers of that which is good?” Peter added the word, “if” which is a conditional word that means “in case and provided that” “you be followers” or “imitators” “of that which is good” which means “of good constitution and nature, useful, salutary, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent and distinguished”. In other words, “provided that” people “imitate” “good” things, they will be protected by God.

When we think through these words of Peter, we may wonder at this beautiful promise. Our part is to “imitate” “good”, and we are reminded that Jesus said “there is none good but God”. So, we are to “follow” or “imitate” Him. When we do, His question is, “who will harm you?”. Let us be people who not only know the Lord Jesus and His ways, but “follow” Him closely as well.

Next time Peter shares what happens when we “suffer for righteousness”, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.