Lesson 15 – I Peter Chapter 4:1-7
In chapter 3, we were taught about having submission in the home. This is especially important to the wife who has a husband that is an unbeliever as her continued witness before him could be used by God to save him.
The Christian husband is to treat his wife with love and respect, having an attitude of submission to his wife. A marriage will flourish if both are willing to submit to one another as a couple, as well as in worshipping God together.
Then for believers in general, we’re to have an attitude of submission when it comes to suffering for Christ, meaning a willingness to endure any kind of persecutions that might come as a result of being a follower of Christ.
And finally, “…sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” If Jesus is the One who has the “steering wheel” of your life, then you will always have an answer for anyone who asks about the “hope” that you hold on to. Leaving you with a “good conscience” in the Lord.
Chapters 4 and 5 deal with God’s grace in suffering. Peter has already touched on the everyday suffering that Christians can face. Persecution was very real for Peter’s readers, and he wants them to know that there are blessed benefits that come with suffering for Christ.
I Peter 4:1-2
“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
“So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.” (NLT)
Peter starts out by using a familiar term, “therefore,” prompting us to keep in mind what he has already showed us about suffering.
All this might be hard for a brand-new believer, hearing about all this suffering stuff, but a heart totally sold out for Christ will receive the truth of Scripture with a willingness to serve God. Knowing how to face such trials is critical to a believer’s growth and joy. [A little side note, when leading someone to Christ, we should make sure they understand that becoming a Christian means more than just saying a prayer. As a believer, we need to be devoted to God and willing to live for Him… and that suffering for Him is a reality.]
Since Christ has suffered in the flesh…
We talked about this in the last chapter, about how Jesus went to the cross on our behalf, and how gruesome death was on the cross… that on the cross Jesus became sin for us. This meant being separated from the Father for that moment in time, and was perhaps more painful than any physical suffering He faced.
Gal. 3:13
“But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (NLT)
Jesus felt the full force of “sin’s” evilness. The sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf was absolutely perfect, appeasing the wrath of the Father, thus never needing to be repeated… “once for all time.” (Heb. 9:26)
Arm yourselves also with the same purpose…
Peter is proclaiming a call to strength, to our steadfastness, that we would have an unwavering firmness, such as the soldier who enters into battle.
To arm yourself… means to furnish with arms. In this case, we stand firm as a soldier would… a soldier for Christ.
From the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne):
“The Army Values are the basic building blocks of a soldier’s professional character. They help us judge what is right or wrong in any situation. The Army Values form the very identity of the soldier, the solid rock on which everything else stands, especially in combat. They are the glue that binds together the members of a noble profession.”
When Christians arm themselves, it is first based on the “solid rock” …Jesus Christ. We are prepared to “stand firm” for battle, just as Jesus was prepared to endure the cross.
Eph. 6:11-13
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
When we arm ourselves with the same attitude Jesus had, we can face every battle with confidence.
Also with the same purpose… or “with the same attitude He had.” Jesus knew that He was going to drink the “full cup of suffering.” Thousands of martyrs throughout history have been willing to stand up for Christ, ready to suffer or die for their faith. Listen, God’s purpose isn’t to make our journey on earth more pleasurable or to make all our dreams come true. God’s purpose is for us to conform to the image of His Son. Just as suffering preceded a crown for Jesus, any suffering we endure precedes a glorified life with Christ.
Because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin… Jesus suffered in His body, and the believer suffers in their body as well. In this, we identify with Christ… we are to be done with sin.
Because of Christ’s death…
Romans 6:6-7
“Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”
Bible commentary says, “Believers can face death with the same attitude their Lord had, that when it comes they will have entered into an eternal condition of holy perfection, free from all sin’s influences and effects.”
II Cor. 5:1
“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.” (NLT)
So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God…
Pastor Jon Courson says, “When you go through tough times, realize, first, that suffering loosens sin’s grip on us. That is, when you first go through suffering, you no longer give in to the lusts of the flesh; you no longer succumb to sin with the same ease, the same vulnerability you experienced previously.”
What is the will of God? That we walk in obedience. Every time we sin, we’re rebelling against God, and giving in to the lusts of men. How can we change our wicked heart?
Romans 12:2
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
To live… (bee-ah’-o) is a reference to an earthly life. With the remainder of time we have left on earth, we are to live it in obedience and in the pursuit of holiness, no matter the suffering that might take place. Believers are armed for victory when they pursue holiness and the will of God.
Rom 6:8-12
“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,”
If we are to not let sin reign in your mortal body, it requires a life of devotion on our part. Yes, it means we need to put in time and effort. Those who say, “Let go, and let God,” have it all wrong. The popular idea of “letting go” is to adopt a sort of spiritual inactivity wherein we do nothing, say nothing, feel nothing, and simply live, allowing circumstances to just roll over us. Paul says…
I Tim. 6:12
“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
On the other hand, we can do lots of “stuff” and assume we’re doing it for God, but if we are doing it in our own power, we get the credit, and there is little or no eternal value to it. There’s a balance to this… we should be diligent, active, and heartfelt, we should make every effort to overcome our sinful tendencies in order to prove that we are truly God’s children. Living in God’s will is good for us, and it is God’s plan to grow and mature us into the people He wants us to be.
I Peter 4:3
“For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.”
For the believer, life is to be no longer in B.C. mode (before Christ). Hopefully, our old habits are in the past.
Perhaps some of you were saved at a young age, and didn’t sow the seeds of the flesh. But for many, as it says in the New Living translation, it was all about “their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.” Truly a picture of people being slaves to sin, which is a life that will end facing God’s judgment.
Eph. 2:1-3
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil – the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” (NLT)
Peter is saying to us that this all needs to be in the past, and stay in the past. Before we were saved, our conscience was somewhat dull. This takes us back to chapter 3. One of the first things that happens after we first believe, is that our conscience becomes sensitized, the opposite of dull.
So while certain things didn’t bother us before, we now realize they’re sinful, unrighteous, or immoral. Why then, would Peter warn us to leave the past in the past? He knows that we all have the propensity to drift away at times. Jesus gave an even stronger warning:
Matt. 7:13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
The path through the narrow gate involves leaving our past behind, not looking back. Jesus told His disciples the story of Lot’s wife and how she looked back to her past. Lot’s wife lost her life because she “looked back.” It was more than just a glance over the shoulder, it was a look of longing that indicated reluctance to leave or a desire to return to her past. Whatever the case, the point is, she was called to desert everything to save her life, but she couldn’t let go, and she paid for it with her life. In Judaism, Lot’s wife became a symbol for a rebellious unbeliever. Thus Peter warns us… You have had enough in the past of the evil things.
Hebrews 2:1
“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”
I Peter 4:4
“In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;”
To put it bluntly, the world thinks you’re crazy for not following their ways. Sin is such a “normal” way of life for unbelievers, that they are amazed that Christians can find any enjoyment in life.
C.S. Lewis: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
Into the same excesses of dissipation… we don’t talk like that, we don’t say, “Hey man, you have excesses of dissipation.” But that expression vividly pictures a large confusion of people racing forward, to what one commentator describes as “a euphoric stampede of pleasure seekers.”
From an internet article about pleasure seekers:
Clubbing is a controlled rave experience:
“We find that the effects of the deafening music, the ingestion of Ecstasy, the energetic dancing, and the management and organization of space combine to produce a calculated, highly sought-after, shared experience and a temporary suspension of the rules and norms of everyday life,”
A pretty good example of excesses of dissipation.
And they malign you… malign literally means to blaspheme, to slander or defame someone, speaking evil of someone. A good way to put this would be, one-time “friends” become your enemy and malign anyone who doesn’t run with them. We need to understand that a changed life for Christ can provoke hostility from anyone who rejects the gospel. Personally, I would rather have a great divide between me and the world, than with God.
I Peter 4:5
“But they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
This Scripture should be on every billboard across the country, for that matter, around the world!
The “world” will have to answer to God one day. Surprisingly, when I typed that phrase on Google, A.I. said, “that it is a profound statement.” A.I. won’t have to face God’s judgment, but the world at large will.
Romans 3:19
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;”
In keeping with the text, Peter is stating that those who have maligned believers with their vicious attacks are accumulating a debt to God that they will spend an eternity paying back. Those who have rejected the gospel by blaspheming the Holy Spirit will ultimately face God’s judgment… the White Throne Judgment.
Rev. 20:11
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”
Anyone not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, will be thrown into the lake of fire, along with satan and his demons.
II Thess. 1:6-9
“For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”
The world needs to know that God’s judgment is coming, but they choose to ignore it just as in the days of Noah.
I Peter 4:6
“For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.”
For the gospel has for this purpose been preached…
The gospel is the message of salvation, it’s the message that pierces our heart, it’s the switch that turns on the everlasting light. The word gospel literally means “good news” and occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New Testament. Broadly speaking, the gospel is the whole of Scripture. To zero in on the gospel, it is the finished work of Jesus, His victory over sin, death, and satan. Narrowly speaking, it’s John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” The gospel is a divine message, not a man-made invention.
For this purpose… what is the purpose of the gospel?
The gospel reveals the grace and mercy of God, so that if people are to reject it, they will ultimately have no excuse, because to reject the gospel means to automatically reject the grace and mercy of God. The gospel is the only way to God. The gospel exists to seek and save the lost… that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ.
Even to those who are dead…
Previously in chapter 3, we learned how Jesus made a proclamation of His victory to those who were in hades; this isn’t what is being referred to here. Peter is talking about those who had heard the gospel and believed, but had passed on. Peter said this to give assurance to those who were concerned about their loved ones who are dead.
Paul addresses this as well…
I Cor. 15:3-6
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;”
For those who have ever contemplated what happens right after a believer dies, Paul gives us comforting words to hold on to…
II Cor. 5:6-8
“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord… for we walk by faith, not by sight… we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”
God has promised us that through death we will finally overcome sin. Rather than facing the wrath of God, all believers (those who heard the gospel and believed) will be ushered into the presence of God for all eternity.
That though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God…
Peter’s point is, even though as a believer you may face various trials and tribulations, and perhaps some unjust treatment at the hands of man, they can destroy your body, but they can’t harm your spirit or soul. Meaning, even if your life has been taken, your eternal spirit enters into everlasting life in heaven.
I Thess. 4:13-18
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Are you comforted by these words? I am.
John MacArthur, “No pressure from enemies of the gospel and no unjust persecution by an ungodly world can steal the believers’ victory; rather, all their suffering for righteousness’ sake has a perfecting power, increases their spiritual strength, humbles them, drives them to prayer, enriches their reward, and, in the event the enemies of Christ take their lives, they have reached their ultimate goal and God’s eternal purpose… they have forever “ceased from sin.”
II Cor. 4:16-18
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Amen!
I Peter 4:7
“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”
The end of all things is near…
When you read this, does it get you excited, or does it terrorize you? Years ago, I remember seeing on the morning cartoons a man carrying a “sandwich-board” saying, “The end is near.” Back then, being a little kid, I didn’t have a clue what the sign meant.
When Peter says “the end” it doesn’t necessarily mean the termination of the world or the chronological conclusion of the earth, but more specifically, it points to the “fulfillment” of something or “a goal being achieved.” In this context it is referring to one of our favorite subjects, the second coming of Christ.
James 5:8
“You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
Romans 13:12
“The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
We’ve been talking quite a bit about suffering for Christ. When we go through tough times our bodies ache, finances run short, or worldly stresses close in on us… seasons of suffering, all these things cause us to long for heaven. We begin to see that life’s trials serve a purpose, that they have a way of driving us closer to God. We say, “I don’t belong here. I’m longing for heaven.” When Peter says, the end is near, we should perk-up and start thinking about being with God.
In the United States, 39% of adults say they believe “we are living in the end times,” while 58% say they do not believe we are living in the end times, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Americans without college degrees are more likely than college graduates to believe humanity is approaching its end, as are Americans with lower income levels when compared with those with higher incomes. And Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more likely to believe the end is near than Democrats and liberals.
In hearing these statistics one could conclude that those who belong to Christ are in favor of the “fulfillment” of time on earth. (this isn’t to say that Republicans are saved and Democrats are not)
I Cor. 15:51-53
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
We can see the fulfillment of time as the end of the “church age,” when Jesus will come atmospherically “in the clouds” and rapture His church. Paul says it’s going to happen very quickly, in the twinkling of an eye… that’s fast. Before we even have time to think about it, we will be with our loved ones who have gone before us, and we’ll all have the glorified bodies we’ve been waiting so long for.
With all this in mind, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer…
Just as we learn from other books in the Bible, in this verse Peter is directing us to holiness. In the beginning of I Peter, he called us to be holy (I Pet. 1:16).
Be of sound judgment… comes from a term that literally means, “be in one’s right mind.” The person who has sound judgment is someone who is under control… we could say, “They’ve got it all together.” This is because their mind is clearly fixed on spiritual priorities and righteous living.
Matt. 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Psalm 105:4
“Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.”
To get to this place requires us to set our minds toward God. The setting of the mind is just the opposite of mental coasting. It is a conscious choice we make to direct our heart toward God. This is a characteristic of a person having sound judgment.
And sober spirit… this is very similar to sound judgment in that it implies a person being spiritually observant. Jesus inferred this to His disciples when He said…
Matt. 24:42
“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
Being spiritually observant is definitely being on the alert. Having a heart for God (seeking His kingdom) and being spiritually alert guides us into the purpose of prayer…
When it comes down to it, prayer is our “lifeline” to God. When we read the Bible, God is speaking to us, and when we pray, we are speaking to God… it’s our only form of communication to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
I John 5:14-15
“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
Holy living takes place when believers take the time to read and meditate on God’s Word and pray daily. If it doesn’t happen daily, ask the Holy Spirt to change your heart in this direction. If we apply this to our lives we will find that our communion with God will be much sweeter, and we will have a the desire to live within His will.
The purpose of prayer is to connect us to God… you can do it in an instant. Each time we see prayer in the Scriptures, let it be a reminder to do it more.
As we leave this place tonight, let’s remember to “arm ourselves” with the same attitude as Jesus.
Let’s never look back to a time when we didn’t have Christ in our life.
When people slander you, remember to treat them with the love of Christ.
The end is near… it could be tonight. God is going to judge the world… there are so many people who don’t belong to Him. Spread the gospel. Pray about all these things.