TOPIC:"The Stern Face of the Savior"
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:I Peter 3:8-12
"The face of the Lord is against them that do evil" (I Peter 3:12)
The vivid metaphors used in this verse - the eyes and ears and face of the Lord - set forth the true character of our Savior. They are a blending of physical and spiritual factors. They are the symbol of His personality. Such picturesque language reminds us of the intimacy of God's relationship with His people.
Here in the verse before us the Apostle Peter quotes from the 34th Psalm. He makes a contrast between the righteous and those who do evil. The eyes and ears of the Lord show God's personal concern for His own, while His face turns away from those who do evil. It implies our Lord's withdrawal of grace and a refusal to hear their prayers.
What I desire to do now is to find out something of our Lord's character from these words of our text: "The face of the Lord is against them that do evil."
I.
Consider, first of all, the FIRM TESTIMONY we have of our Lord's stern face against evil. Give ear again to Peter's words: "The face of the Lord is against them that do evil." Weymouth in his fine translation renders it this way: "The face of the Lord is set against evil-doers." Think how this truth is played out first in the Old Testament and then in the New Testament.
There is the example of God's dealing with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God was pleased with His creation of man and woman. There in the Garden He had wonderful fellowship with them. We read in chapter 1 verse 28 these words: "And God blessed them." And in verse 31 these words: "And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good."
But before long, sin entered their hearts and their fellowship with God was broken. They lost their innocence and they lost Paradise. There in their guiltiness and lostness, we behold them making effort to cover their nakedness. Now homeless, they endeavor to hide from God among the trees. But the all-seeing and all-knowing knew exactly where they were hiding.
The God of the stern face is saying to them, "If you are going to have your sin then you can't have my smile." You see, my friend, God can't smile on sin! Sin separates us from having fellowship with God. And that truth is still the same today. It reminds me of the words found in Isaiah chapter 59 verse 2: "But your iniquities . . .