And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
Who can truly harm those who follow what is good, so they have ground for confidence and need not fear or expect harm from others. This safety rests on the Lord's watchful care, for His eyes are over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil. The protection holds while believers remain loyal and obedient to God, who can restrain hostile powers and turn intended curses into blessings, as when Balaam could not curse Israel while they were faithful, but when they sinned and separated from God they were left to feel the destroyer's power. It does not promise freedom from suffering, for if believers suffer for righteousness they are blessed and happy, yet even then they cannot be permanently injured, since no power of earth or hell can move those who fear God and are true to Him from Gospel hope or destroy their peace. Following what is good means the inward ornament of a meek and quiet spirit rather than outward display, lived in unity with compassion, love, pity and courtesy, blessing instead of returning evil, restraining the tongue, turning from evil to do good and pursuing peace, while actively staying engaged in Christ's service, shunning evil habits, and faithfully performing every duty toward others. When opposed, believers are not to fear terror nor be troubled, but to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts and always be ready to give every asker a reason for their hope with meekness and reverence and with a good conscience.
Assurance of Divine Protection
The question who can harm those who follow what is good gives ground for confidence in facing opposition, so that followers of good need not fear harm nor expect harm from others. This confidence rests on the Lord's watchful care, for His eyes are over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil. Those who follow good are thus under His keeping care and need not fear that enemies can ultimately harm them.
That protection holds while believers remain loyal and obedient to God, who can restrain hostile powers and turn intended curses into blessings. Balaam could not curse Israel while the people were faithful, which shows this restraining power, but when they sinned and separated themselves from God they were left to feel the destroyer's power. No power can prevail against followers of good while they remain loyal and obedient to Him.
The verse does not promise freedom from suffering, since the next verse adds that if believers suffer for righteousness' sake they are blessed and happy. Even if suffering comes for doing right, sufferers should not fear terror nor be troubled. They are instead to continue doing good, to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts, and to answer with meekness.
Even when suffering comes, followers of that which is good cannot be permanently injured. As long as a person fears God, pleases Him, and is true to Him, no power of earth or hell can move them from the hope of the Gospel or destroy their peace in Jesus, because He who is in them is greater than he who is in the world, and faith that grasps the promises comes off triumphant, so there is nothing else to fear and everything the soul requires is secured. The faithful may be harassed and persecuted because their godly lives rebuke sin, but through faith they belong to God's family and become more than conquerors through Christ. When God calls to difficult or dangerous duty where obedience involves risk, those who walk in God's way receive heavenly help to overcome temptation as Christ did.
Meaning of Following Good
Following what is good is inward before it is outward, the hidden ornament of a meek and quiet spirit rather than display of hair and gold and apparel. It is lived in unity with compassion and love and pity and courtesy, blessing instead of returning evil for evil. It restrains the tongue from evil and guile, turns from evil to do good, and seeks and pursues peace.
It also means actively pursuing good by entering into the spirit of the work and staying engaged in Christ's service, without making the unworthiness or defection of others an excuse for inaction. This requires shunning every evil habit and putting away whatever weakens influence or causes others to stumble. At the same time it faithfully performs every temporal and spiritual duty toward others, since neglecting even the least duty in the moral vineyard injures Christ's cause and is registered as lack and found wanting. The calling belongs to every believer and not only to preaching ministers, each to stand approved as a workman rightly dividing the word of truth.
Following good means obeying God's will in both small and great matters. It is reached through love for God and for those for whom Christ died, and through not merely claiming belief in truth but living and practicing it. Those who follow it remain sober and watchful and prayerful because of a constant spiritual battle that allows no letting down of guard. In home life this closes God's instruction by calling believers to cultivate a character that symbolizes the church above and secures future happiness by serving God now, after the manner of Sarah who obeyed and did well without fearful amazement. It summons husband and wife to a higher and holier experience whose ambition is not to meet the world's standard or seek its applause or appear superior, but to do the heavenly Father's will and be a blessing to all with whom they come in contact.
Faithfulness in Trial and Duty
Following what is good gives confidence when opposition comes, yet without promising escape from suffering, since the word that follows speaks of suffering for righteousness. Even then those who suffer for doing right are blessed and happy. They are not to fear terror nor to be troubled, but to keep on doing good. Instead of fear they are to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts, honoring Him within.
They are always to be ready to answer everyone who asks a reason for their hope, and to do so with meekness and reverence. They are to keep a good conscience in Christ, so that those who falsely speak evil against their good life are put to shame. It is better to suffer for well doing than for evil doing. In this they follow Christ, who once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring sinners to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.
The chapter carries a message of great importance and encouragement to be presented to gospel ministers, ministers' wives, and church workers in their labor. Every minister is called to search deep and make clean work for eternity, because dangers will follow, often coming through unsanctified, unconverted companions. Ministers are to labor with zeal for the conversion of such companions, and the same zeal is called for in the churches. Unless the convicting, converting power of the gospel searches ministers and their families, an irreligious element will remain in their homes. The wise worker is helped by it to confess error when mistaken and to make change and repentance for wrong, rather than supposing that strong faith in an accepted idea or doctrine means never changing.
Who can truly harm those who follow what is good, so they have ground for confidence and need not fear or expect harm from others. This safety rests on the Lord's watchful care, for His eyes are over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil. The protection holds while believers remain loyal and obedient to God, who can restrain hostile powers and turn intended curses into blessings, as when Balaam could not curse Israel while they were faithful, but when they sinned and separated from God they were left to feel the destroyer's power. It does not promise freedom from suffering, for if believers suffer for righteousness they are blessed and happy, yet even then they cannot be permanently injured, since no power of earth or hell can move those who fear God and are true to Him from Gospel hope or destroy their peace. Following what is good means the inward ornament of a meek and quiet spirit rather than outward display, lived in unity with compassion, love, pity and courtesy, blessing instead of returning evil, restraining the tongue, turning from evil to do good and pursuing peace, while actively staying engaged in Christ's service, shunning evil habits, and faithfully performing every duty toward others. When opposed, believers are not to fear terror nor be troubled, but to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts and always be ready to give every asker a reason for their hope with meekness and reverence and with a good conscience.
Assurance of Divine Protection
The question who can harm those who follow what is good gives ground for confidence in facing opposition, so that followers of good need not fear harm nor expect harm from others. This confidence rests on the Lord's watchful care, for His eyes are over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil. Those who follow good are thus under His keeping care and need not fear that enemies can ultimately harm them.
That protection holds while believers remain loyal and obedient to God, who can restrain hostile powers and turn intended curses into blessings. Balaam could not curse Israel while the people were faithful, which shows this restraining power, but when they sinned and separated themselves from God they were left to feel the destroyer's power. No power can prevail against followers of good while they remain loyal and obedient to Him.
The verse does not promise freedom from suffering, since the next verse adds that if believers suffer for righteousness' sake they are blessed and happy. Even if suffering comes for doing right, sufferers should not fear terror nor be troubled. They are instead to continue doing good, to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts, and to answer with meekness.
Even when suffering comes, followers of that which is good cannot be permanently injured. As long as a person fears God, pleases Him, and is true to Him, no power of earth or hell can move them from the hope of the Gospel or destroy their peace in Jesus, because He who is in them is greater than he who is in the world, and faith that grasps the promises comes off triumphant, so there is nothing else to fear and everything the soul requires is secured. The faithful may be harassed and persecuted because their godly lives rebuke sin, but through faith they belong to God's family and become more than conquerors through Christ. When God calls to difficult or dangerous duty where obedience involves risk, those who walk in God's way receive heavenly help to overcome temptation as Christ did.
Meaning of Following Good
Following what is good is inward before it is outward, the hidden ornament of a meek and quiet spirit rather than display of hair and gold and apparel. It is lived in unity with compassion and love and pity and courtesy, blessing instead of returning evil for evil. It restrains the tongue from evil and guile, turns from evil to do good, and seeks and pursues peace.
It also means actively pursuing good by entering into the spirit of the work and staying engaged in Christ's service, without making the unworthiness or defection of others an excuse for inaction. This requires shunning every evil habit and putting away whatever weakens influence or causes others to stumble. At the same time it faithfully performs every temporal and spiritual duty toward others, since neglecting even the least duty in the moral vineyard injures Christ's cause and is registered as lack and found wanting. The calling belongs to every believer and not only to preaching ministers, each to stand approved as a workman rightly dividing the word of truth.
Following good means obeying God's will in both small and great matters. It is reached through love for God and for those for whom Christ died, and through not merely claiming belief in truth but living and practicing it. Those who follow it remain sober and watchful and prayerful because of a constant spiritual battle that allows no letting down of guard. In home life this closes God's instruction by calling believers to cultivate a character that symbolizes the church above and secures future happiness by serving God now, after the manner of Sarah who obeyed and did well without fearful amazement. It summons husband and wife to a higher and holier experience whose ambition is not to meet the world's standard or seek its applause or appear superior, but to do the heavenly Father's will and be a blessing to all with whom they come in contact.
Faithfulness in Trial and Duty
Following what is good gives confidence when opposition comes, yet without promising escape from suffering, since the word that follows speaks of suffering for righteousness. Even then those who suffer for doing right are blessed and happy. They are not to fear terror nor to be troubled, but to keep on doing good. Instead of fear they are to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts, honoring Him within.
They are always to be ready to answer everyone who asks a reason for their hope, and to do so with meekness and reverence. They are to keep a good conscience in Christ, so that those who falsely speak evil against their good life are put to shame. It is better to suffer for well doing than for evil doing. In this they follow Christ, who once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring sinners to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.
The chapter carries a message of great importance and encouragement to be presented to gospel ministers, ministers' wives, and church workers in their labor. Every minister is called to search deep and make clean work for eternity, because dangers will follow, often coming through unsanctified, unconverted companions. Ministers are to labor with zeal for the conversion of such companions, and the same zeal is called for in the churches. Unless the convicting, converting power of the gospel searches ministers and their families, an irreligious element will remain in their homes. The wise worker is helped by it to confess error when mistaken and to make change and repentance for wrong, rather than supposing that strong faith in an accepted idea or doctrine means never changing.