1 PETER 4: 1-6 [Renewing Hope Series]
ARMED AGAINST SUFFERING
[Romans 6:1-8]
Peter’s helpful and encouraging teaching on the subject of suffering continues in chapter 4. We have been learning to hope and trust in our Lord, even in unjust suffering. Hope keeps us faithful and growing during suffering. We have the certain hope that ultimate victory lies just ahead so we continue to trust in Jesus Christ our Lord!
Suffering does not take place in a void nor does it take place without purpose in the life of a believer. We have the confidence that all things work together in our lives for good if we are trusting in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:28). And we know that if we trust in the Lord with all of our heart and lean not upon our own understanding, but instead, if we acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, He has promised to direct our steps (Prov. 3:5–6).
Sometimes our Lord allows suffering to come into our lives. Just as it was His will for Christ to suffer for doing good, it is sometimes His will for His children to suffer for doing good also (1 Pet. 3:17). We need to be prepared for and arm against the suffering that comes into our life so that we might grow in the grace God grants His suffering children (CIT).
The third chapter concluded by sharing some benefits which come to us as we suffer for doing good. In the opening verses of chapter 4 some additional benefits of suffering for Christ are identified. [Cedar, Paul. The Preacher's Commentary Series, Vol. 34 : James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. 1984, S. 172]
I. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF SUFFERING, 1-3.
II. SO GREAT A SALVATION, 4-6.
Suffering for Christ brings transformation. We find in verse 1 the first benefit of suffering which is that it helps us turn away from sin. “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,”
The Greek word [aor mid imper of hoplizô, only NT use] translated “arm yourself” was used for a soldier putting on his armor and taking his weapon. Christians are to arm themselves with the strength that Christ gives so that we can withstand the attacks by the enemy of our soul. With the same determination and care with which a soldier puts on his armor, Christians are to adopt Christ’s courageous purpose or mind-set (ennoian, lit. “thought” Heb. 4:12), an unswerving resolve to do God’s will, even if it should lead to suffering.
For if we suffer with Christ, we will find that we have been blessed with Christ. The cross always precedes the crown. [“The greater the suffering the greater the reward” MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. 2004. Moody Press. p. 225.] The person who has suffered in this way is done with sin, for such painful identification with Christ breaks the hold of a sinful life. Because of Christ’s death, “we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Rom. 6:6-7).
[Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983, S. 852]
Before Christ entered our lives, we had no power to overcome our fallen nature. When temptation came along, we yielded. We were unable to do otherwise. When the weakness of the flesh appeared, we fell into its trap. Though we may have looked strong on the outside, we had no inner stability. But when Christ took up residence in our lives, He gave us strength so that we could cease serving sin as a master. Because Christ now lives within us, we have been released from sin's control. We are no longer enslaved to sin. We've been freed! [Swindoll, Charles. Hope Again. 1996. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN. p. 169.]
[We all have a tendency to feel sorry for ourselves when trouble comes our way and everything seems to be going wrong. One cure for these feelings can be found in remembering what other believers have endured in their service for Christ.
Consider American missionary David Brainerd (1718-1747). He wrote, "My diet consists mostly of hasty-pudding, boiled com, and bread baked in ashes, and sometimes a little meat and butter. My lodging is a little heap of straw, laid upon some boards. . . . My work is exceedingly hard and difficult. . . . These and many other uncomfortable circumstances attend me; and yet' my spiritual conflicts and distresses so far exceed all these that I scarce think of them, but feel as if I were entertained in the most sumptuous manner."
It's helpful to consider what people like David Brainerd have endured, but it's even more helpful to r our Lord Jesus went through for us. The most effective cure for self-pity is to recall the suffering of our Savior on the cross and to think of the great joy we will experience when He returns in His glory (1 Peter 4:1,13). When you think no one has problems like yours, remember what Jesus endured.]
Verse 2 records two result or benefits of Christians counting themselves dead to 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.
A second benefit of suffering for righteousness sake is that helps turn us from wasting our life on the lust of men. An encouraging hope for all Christians is that in heaven we will all cease from sin. But Christians don’t wait for heaven to turn from the lusts of men and serve God, we do so here as we grow in Christ. The suffering in Christ we experience helps us died to the flesh so that we might live to God.
Affliction, when we accept it with humility, can be instructive, a discipline that leads us to a deeper, fuller life. Psalm 119: 67 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your Word.” Affliction can help us with our inability to live out the Word of God.
Far from being an obstacle to our spiritual growth, pain can be the instrument of it-if we're trained by it. It can push us closer to God and deeper into His Word. It is a means by which He graciously shapes us to be like His Son, gradually giving us the compassion, contentment, tranquility, and courage we long and pray for. Without pain, we wouldn't be all that God wants us to be. His strength shines brightest through human weakness.
Has God set you apart today to receive instruction through suffering and pain? Endure this training patiently. He can turn the trial into a blessing. He can use it to draw you close to His heart and into His Word, teach you the lessons He intends for you to learn, and use it to bestow His grace on you.
Whatever God teaches us through pain is gain. God is making more of you-something much better than you ever thought possible. [David Roper. Our Daily Bread]
A third benefit of suffering for righteousness sake is that helps us live for the will of God instead of simply living out our will. Suffering shakes us loose from our fallen human nature so that we can live for the will of God. If we do the will of God then we are investing the rest of our time in the Spirit, for you cannot live out the will of God in the flesh. By living in the Spirit believers possess the power to resist sin and live for God. We may not always understand God’s will for we are not to live on certainties but we are to live by faith as we hope in God’s promises.
Verse 3 contrasts the will of God with the desires of the flesh. “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, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
A fourth benefit of suffering for righteousness sake is that helps us close the door on godless living. We've sowed our wild oats. Most have had enough time to see the end result of this lifestyle of loose living. Peter calls that lifestyle "the desire of the Gentiles." Notice how these old habits, practices, associations, places of amusement, evil motives, and wicked activities -are all practices from their past. The list sounds like your average weekend on some college campus: sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, and drinking parties.
The original terms are vivid. Sensuality or debauchery refers to actions that should disgust and shock public decency that are no longer restrained. Lusts go beyond sexual promiscuity and involve sinful desires of every kind, including the lust for revenge and the lust for money (greed). Drunkenness, carousals, and drinking parties describe a whole miserable spectrum of pleasure seeking consumption, from wanton substance abuse to wild orgies. And we thought these things represented twenty-first century abandonment! When it comes to a shameless, pagan lifestyle, nothing is new.
What is so liberating about our relationship with Christ is that He fills the void in our lives that we once tried to fill with all that garbage. With the void filled, the gnawing emptiness that accompanied it is gone too. And with the emptiness gone, we no longer crave the things we used to crave.
That's where Christians are different from the world. That's where we stand out. That's where the light shines in the darkness. And invariably the darkness reacts to such a light.
II. SO GREAT A SALVATION, 4-6.
An authentic Christian life bewilders the lost as verse 4 states. “And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you;”
What makes life worth living for lost people are things that the authentic Christian has turn his or her back on. The lost cannot understand why anyone would give up the reckless rushes of dissipation or self-indulgence. The unsaved run after the lusts of the flesh while the true believer now runs away from them.
When the crowd is running the wrong way, it's hard to be the oddball who runs THE RIGHT WAY. Most of the participants in the NCAA 10,000-meter cross-country race in Riverside, California, thought Mike Delcavo was heading the wrong way. He kept waving for the other 127 runners to follow him, but only 4 believed he had taken the right turn-the turn that all the other competitors had missed.
When he was asked about the reaction to his mid-course decision not to let the crowd determine his direction, Mike responded, "They thought it was wrong that I went the right way."
Talk about the relevance of Scripture! Peter sounds like he is alive today! Any lifestyle of restraint, no matter how tactful we try to be, makes unbelievers uncomfortable. Sometimes it makes them defensive and angry, causing them to lash out at us as though in living our lifestyle we were judging theirs. This is nothing new. First-century pagans reacted the same way to the changed lifestyle of their Christian neighbors. The lost world still thinks that followers of Jesus Christ are going in the wrong direction. But actually, believers are headed for the victor's crown and a heavenly home (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
So keep on the right path no matter how many are running the other way. For it's better to be right than run with the crowd. The path we're on determines our Eternal destination; One leads to everlasting life, The other to condemnation.
Beyond the unbelievers discomfort and defensiveness, of course, is the inner emptiness they live with, day in and day out. This emptiness is the natural result of a life of lust and debauchery. What emptiness there is when the party's over and everybody goes home! They're left with disdain for the sunrise as they awaken to a head-splitting hangover, the guilt and even some shame as they crawl out of somebody else's bed, wondering what disease they might have gotten this time. And there's always that dark brown taste in their mouth.
It's a horrible lifestyle! I don't care how beautiful the commercials look, it stinks! The fun doesn't last, and it's anything but happy or gay! But if they haven't any power to overcome it, the only thing they have to look forward to is the next party. & if they play the music loud enough & if there's enough booze & drugs & sex, they think they can drown their troubles. Another lie of the Enemy. He's got 1,000s of them.
Do you get the picture? The time already past is sufficient for you to have had your fill of "the desire of the Gentiles." You've tasted it. You've known it 1sthand. But when Christ transformed your life, He filled the void & took away a lot of that drive. It's borderline miraculous, especially if He's enabled you to quick-kick an addiction.'
But when that happens, you stand out like a sore thumb in your neighborhood... in your university dorm .. at the office party. You're noticed. Even without saying a word, you're noticed. Even if you very quietly & graciously request a 7-Up instead of a cocktail, the word gets out.
Why? Because you've been transformed. You're no longer a helpless slave to sin. You're not overcome by your glandular drives. You are now interested in God's will; you have closed the door on godless living. And the pagan sits up like a doberman, eyes open, ears perked. "What in the world is wrong with Tim? Remember when we used to run around together? Now he's got religion." Or, "Shannon's gotten really weird. . . became a Bible-thumper. She was once a ton of fun. Now she's Miss Goody Two Shoes. Next thing we know she'll become a televangelist!"
Brace yourself for such reactions if you're getting serious about Jesus and you've just broken off from a wild bunch of friends. The fact is, He is transforming you. Your old friends will not only be surprised, even shocked, at your new lifestyle, they might also actively ridicule and unjustly judge you for it as well. Expect it . . . it'll keep you from being "mugged by reality."
The terrible irony of our unsaved friends' judgment of us is that they themselves will ultimately face judgment. That the last thing they want to accept but it is oh so true. [Swindoll, pp 171-172]
The route that non-Christians choose may seem right to them, but it leads to eternal loss.
Verse 5, “but they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
Those who assail God’s servants will one day give an account to God for it. When they stand before the great tribunal, before the great White Throne, they will answer for ignoring God and reviling His followers (Mt. 12:36; Luke 16:2; Acts 19:40; Heb. 13:17). When Christ returns He will judge the living or those still alive and He will judge those already dead.
I’ve been told that one of the most dangerous things for a teenager to do is to permanently sever his relationship with an INNER CITY GANG. The other members not only speak evil toward the one who defects, but also in some instances threaten his life. When an individual meets Christ personally and says goodbye to his former way of life, many of his unbelieving associates have a field day “blind siding” him with ridicule or antagonism.
But remember what Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over until its over." Simply put, the Christian knows there is a great day coming. Sadly for the unbeliever it will be a time of judgment and the beginning eternal separation from God. But for those who left the old crowd for Christ, it will signal new life forever with their Savior. This really should give us "cause for concern,” regarding the crowd we follow and where we stand in regard to a God's offer of salvation. We will be eternally grateful one of these days we changed crowds and chose to follow Jesus.
Ask God to give you the courage and commitment to walk with Him and not be afraid. The lost world desperately needs your witness. They need to turn to Christ and leave their sinful lifestyle behind before it is too late.
Verse 6 reminds us of the hope of eternal life for those though now dead who received and were transformed by the gospel. “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.”
Those who are dead refers to either those who are spiritually “dead in sin,” or to those who heard and believed the gospel but have since died.
Rather than facing judgment for their sins, those who had heard and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ faced an altogether different future. The penalty for their sin has been paid by Christ on the cross. The last earthly effect of sin is physical death. Believers still die physically; they are judged or suffering in this life in regard to the body. But for Christians physical death does not lead to judgment but to eternal life. They live . . . in regard to the Spirit. Those armed with a Christlike attitude will live forever in God’s presence.[Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983, S. S. 853.]
IN CLOSING
In order to turn from sin, we must turn to Christ. We must receive Him as Savior and then follow Him as Lord. As we follow Him and allow Him to live in and through us by the [person of] the Holy Spirit, we produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23), and the Lord enables us to do good. When we live lives that are good, and when we do good things for others, we will sometimes suffer for that good behavior.
Part of that suffering comes from the fact that the world and worldly friends don’t understand us. They don’t not understand why we don’t live like them, why we don’t run with them in the same excesses of self-indulgence, squandering our time on the life on this world or age. In spite of how others live or how others treat you, continue to live with faith and hope in God and you’ll receive an eternal reward. Keep trying to win them to Christ before they face judgment for their sin, even the sin of speaking evil of you and other believers.
Have you been growing in grace through your suffering? We know not what our earthly experience may hold, so we need to armor our self with the mind-set of Christ and keep on doing good, even to those who would speak or are speaking evil or you.
Come and ask God to renew you and your commitment to live for Him. One day you’ll be eternally grateful you did.
You come as the Spirit leads....
