[Biblemat] ARTICLE - Long Life and Good Days

[GLClair at aol.com]

LONG LIFE  and GOOD DAYS 
glclair at aol.com 
TEXT: 
1 Peter  3:10-17, 
“10 For, He that  would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his 
tongue from  evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 
11 And let him turn away  from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and 
pursue  it. 
12 For the eyes of the  Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears unto their 
supplication: But the face  of the Lord is upon them that do evil. 
13 And who is he that will  harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is  
good? 
14 But even if ye should  suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed (are ye:) 
and fear not their fear,  neither be troubled; 
15 but sanctify in your  hearts Christ as Lord: (being) ready always to give 
answer to every man that  asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in 
you, yet with meekness and  fear: 
16 having a good  conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may 
be put to shame who  revile your good manner to life in Christ. 
17 For it is better, if  the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for 
well-doing than for  evil-doing.” ASV 
INTRODUCTION: 
I have wondered more  lately about going to see the Lord. I have no unusual 
sickness or maladies that  might shorten my life, yet I do consider myself to 
have attained to the 3 score  and ten years that God said could be mine because 
of faithfulness and grace -  Psalms 90:10: "The days of our years  are three 
score years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore  years, 
yet is their strength labor and sorrow [RSV, "trouble"]...." A similar meaning 
appears in Proverbs  22:8: "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity ['awen]: 
and the rod of  his anger shall fail." [Vine’s] 
I do not know how to  understand all that is involved in this point of 
Scripture, but there is  something to be said for the promise of life and extended 
life that is advanced  in these texts. I cannot understand these two passages 
as guaranteeing every  Christian 70 years of life nor can I say for sure that 
the Christian that lives  a perfectly clean and godly life will live beyond 70 
years of age. Perhaps the  statements are general statements that imply that 
clean and godly living will  lengthen a person’s lifespan where an ungodly 
lifestyle will shorten a person’s  lifespan. Perhaps we can better understand 
these two verses when we undertake a  survey of life and consequences of choices 
that we make during our sojourn  here. 
CHOOSING  A WAY OF  LIFE: 
We all come  into the world the same way; by birth. We have no choice in 
where, when, or to  whom we are related nor do we have any choice as to the 
upbringing that is ours  for the very early years of our existence. Before we become 
mentally accountable  for our choices in life many good or bad things may 
[i.e. could]  happen to us that will effect our future life and health. We are 
debtors to our  parents for our early care and protection [i.e. whatever it is – 
whether  good or bad], for without good care while a small child we cannot 
grow  as we ought. 
CONSEQUENCE OF  UNGODLY {i.e. Unrighteousness} LIVING: 
If a person is  capable of making choices [i.e. implying normal intelligence –
 not having  genetic flaws], that person will become subject to a lifestyle 
of their  choosing. Whenever a person attains to maturity each choice that they 
make while  living without Divine guidance will be determined by worldly 
input. God says of  the world and its lifestyle certain things, please note the 
following  texts: 
Jeremiah  10:23, 
“O Jehovah, I know that  the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man 
that walketh to direct his  steps.” ASV 
Titus  2:11-12, 
“11 For the grace of God  hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 
12 instructing us, to the  intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly 
lusts, we should live soberly and  righteously and godly in this present world;”  
ASV 
1 John  4:5, 
“5 They are of the world:  therefore speak they (as) of the world, and the 
world heareth them.”   
1 John  3:4, 
“4 Every one that doeth  sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
  ASV 
1 John  3:7-8, 
“7(My) little children,  let no man lead you astray: he that doeth 
righteousness is righteous, even as he  is righteous: 
8 he that doeth sin is of  the devil; for the devil sinneth from the 
beginning. To this end was the Son of  God manifested, that he might destroy the works 
of the  devil.” 
1 John  2:15-17, 
“15 Love not the world,  neither the things that are in the world. If any man 
love the world, the love of  the Father is not in him. 
16 For all that is in the  world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the 
eyes and the vain glory of  life, is not of the Father, but is of the  world. 
17 And the world passeth  away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the 
will of God abideth for ever.”  ASV 
CONSIDER  THIS: 
Dear friend, do not choose  to live your life in the world or according to 
the world’s concepts. You can see  from these verses of Holy Scripture that 
living a worldly lifestyle is dangerous  to your health. Facts suggest that 
fornication, drug use and selling of illegal  substances is dangerous, that alcohol 
use will lead to liver disease and  addiction that will shorten life, that sex 
outside marriage may lead to sexually  transmitted diseases that will shorten 
life and make it miserable, marriages  will fail many times where there is no 
Biblical understand and a lack of love  and consideration because of 
previously mentioned evils in one’s lifestyle.  Indeed, there are many problems 
associated with worldly living without God.  “Don’t choose a worldly lifestyle!” 
CONSEQUENCE OF GODLY LIVING  [i.e. Righteous Living]: 
Now, living a  righteous lifestyle is simply living life as a follower of God’
s teachings that  are revealed via the Written Word. The Godly lifestyle 
consists of   
    1.  Being a  Christian -  Acts 26:28, “Then  Agrippa said unto Paul, 
Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”  - 1 Peter 4:16,  “Yet if any man 
suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him  glorify God on this 
behalf.” KJV - Acts 11:26, “and when he had found  him, he brought him unto 
Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a  whole year they were gathered 
together with the church, and taught much  people, and that the disciples were 
called Christians first in Antioch.” 
    2.  Choosing a mate  that is a Christian - 2 Cor 6:14, “Be not unequally 
yoked with  unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? 
or what  communion hath light with darkness?” ASV 
    3.  Being faithful in  service to God – Hebrews 10:23-25, “23 let us 
hold fast the  confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that 
promised: 24  and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good 
works; 25 not  forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, 
but exhorting  (one another); and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing 
nigh.”  ASV 
    4.  By faithful  attendance –  Hebrews 10:25, “not  forsaking our own 
assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting  (one another); and 
so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.”  ASV 

    5.  By worshipping God  according to His instruction – John 4:24, “God 
is a Spirit: and they that  worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”  ASV 
    6.  By refraining from  the lusts of the flesh - 1 Peter 2:10-11, “10 who 
 in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not  
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beseech you as  
sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the  soul;” 
ASV 
    7.  By bringing up  your children according to God’s instruction - Eph 
6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not  your children to wrath: but nurture them in 
the chastening and admonition of  the Lord.” ASV 
    8.  By loving the  brethren - 1  John 3:14-16, “14  We know that we have 
passed out of death into life, because we love the  brethren. He that loveth 
not abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother  is a murderer: and ye 
know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.  16 Hereby know we love, 
because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to  lay down our lives for 
the brethren.” ASV 
    9.  By loving God with  the whole heart - Mark 12:30, “and thou shall 
love the Lord thy  God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all 
thy mind, and with  all thy strength.” ASV 
    10. By loving your  neighbors -  Mark 12:31 – “The  second is this, Thou 
shall love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other  commandment greater 
than these.” ASV 
    11. By being an  example to unbelievers in manner of life - 1 Tim 4:12, “
Let no man despise thy youth;  but be thou an example of the believers, in 
word, in conversation, in charity,  in spirit, in faith, in purity.” KJV 
    12. By letting your  light shine and being the salt of the earth [i.e. 
wholesome influence in the  world in which you occupy]. - Matt 5:13-16, “13 Ye 
are the salt of the earth: but  if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith 
shall it be salted? it is  thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and 
trodden under foot of  men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a 
hill cannot be hid. 15  Neither do (men) light a lamp, and put it under the 
bushel, but on the stand;  and it shineth unto all that are in the house. 16 Even 
so let your light shine  before men; that they may see your good works, and 
glorify your Father who is  in heaven.” ASV 
    13. Give of yourself  and your money to further the cause of Christ – 
EXAMPLE  -      1 Corinthians  16:1-2, “1 Now  concerning the collection for the 
saints, as I gave order to the  churches of Galatia, so also do ye. 2  Upon 
the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he  may 
prosper, that no collections be made when I come.”  ASV 
    14. Striving to keep  the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace within 
the Body of Christ  - Eph  4:2-3, “2 with  all lowliness and meekness, with 
longsuffering, forbearing one another in  love; 3 giving diligence to keep the 
unity of the Spirit in the bond of  peace.” ASV 
    15. AND - other things that are  lovely and acceptable to God - Phil 
4:4-8, “4 rejoice in the Lord  always: again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your 
forbearance be known unto all  men. The Lord is at hand. 6 In nothing be anxious; 
but in everything by prayer  and supplication with thanksgiving let your 
requests be made known unto God. 7  And the peace of God, which passeth all 
understanding, shall guard your hearts  and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, 
brethren, whatsoever things are  true, whatsoever things are honorable, 
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever  things are pure, whatsoever things are 
lovely , whatsoever things are of good  report; if there be any virtue, and if 
there be any praise, think on these  things.” ASV
CONSIDER  THIS: 
In our lives we will  either choose to follow the world’s lifestyle or the 
lifestyle set for us by  God. In the list that I have prepared here for the 
Christian lifestyle one may  say that that is a whole lot to remember about being 
right with God and  man.          Perhaps it would have been simpler for me to 
have written in the place of  the 15 points previously listed, “JUST BE A 
CHRISTIAN, FOLLOW THE  INSTRUICTION OF GOD VIA THE SCRIPTURES and you will always 
be right with  God.” 

Will you  seek “Long life and Good Days? {1 Peter  3:10}



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