TEMPTATION, SIN, REPEAT
1 PETER 4:1-6
INTRODUCTION… http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1631867/
There is a Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton PG13 movie that came out in 2014 which was not well received as far as I remember. In fact, the movie won the 2014 “Golden Shmoe” award for the most “Underrated Movie of the Year.” The director himself described the movie as “Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers.” I saw the movie when it came out and that description is pretty accurate. The title of the scifi movie was “Edge of Tomorrow.” When the movie hit Redbox for rentals, that was not the title that appeared, but it was renamed “Live, Die, Repeat.”
The basic plot of the movie is that an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop-forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again...and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Vrataski take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy! They fight over and over and get better and better each day until victory is achieved.
I thought it was very interesting that the title of the movie changed from when it was in the theaters to when it was rentable at Redbox. I don’t remember that happening before. I am sure it has, I just don’t recall. The basic plot of the movie is indeed “Live, Die, Repeat.” That pattern is played out over and over throughout the movie. Live die repeat. Live die repeat.
I was thinking about that pattern as I read the Bible passage we are going to look at today. The passage presents our world concerned with sinful human desires and not concerned with much else. The pattern of this world is temptation, sin, repeat and has been so ever since the Garden of Eden. Jesus has died for us and has broken that pattern for us and offers us a new pattern for life. We no longer have to live in the temptation, sin, repeat pattern. Let’s read what the Apostle Peter had to say and apply it to us.
READ 1 Peter 4:1-6
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-- living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
I. THE WAY YOU USED TO BE: TEMPTATION, SIN, REPEAT
The Apostle Peter lets us in on what “earthly life for evil human desires” looks like (verse 2). We might be a little shocked to find out that the same sins we deal with now in our modern technologically advanced world were sins that they dealt with in the days when Peter wrote this letter. People in Peter’s day dealt with temptation, sinned, and repeated that pattern. What did Peter specifically point out?
Debauchery. Debauchery is excessive indulgence in pleasures. Debauchery is what is described in Luke 15:11-13 when Jesus tells a story, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” ‘Wild living” has the same meaning as “debauchery.” In the end it is completely wasteful to a person’s life and health. It layers pleasure on pleasure for the sake of pleasure. Usually when we think of this word, it is used to describe someone who layers pleasurable things one on another such as smoking and drinking while watching a pornographic movie in a house that costs more than they can afford. Temptation, sin, repeat. Debauchery exists today.
Lust. Lust is strong sexual desire. Lust is more than noticing the beauty of a man or woman, but actively seeking pleasure in a destructive manner. Lust is what is described in 2 Samuel 11:2-4, “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.” Lust always precedes sexual sin. In our world today we can find lust on magazine covers, movies, TV, the shortness or tightness of clothing, and in song lyrics. Temptation, sin, repeat. Lust exists today.
Drunkeness. Drunkeness is the state of being completely intoxicated. Drunkenness is what is described in Genesis 9:20-22, “Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside.” Drinking until drunk leads to impaired judgment which leads to a whole host of possibilities for bad decisions. Ask anyone who has ever been hit by a drunk driver if drunkenness is a problem. Ask anyone who has ever been abused by a drunk parent if drunkenness is a bad life decision. Ask anyone whose spouse drowns themselves daily in alcohol if drunkenness is a root of evil. Temptation, sin, repeat. Drunkenness exists today.
Orgies. An orgy is a wild party usually where there is excessive drinking and unrestrained sexual activity in groups. An orgy is what is described in Numbers 25:1-3 when it says, “While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against them.” There are clubs, places, and websites one can go to participate in such activities. TV shows and movies portray such activities. Temptation, sin, repeat. Orgies exist today.
Carousing. Carousing is an activity which involves alcohol, but adds to it loudness, fighting, and generally being obnoxious which never ends well. For some reason Mark 6:21-28 popped in my mind as an appropriate example, “On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." 23 And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." 24 She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The dead of John the Baptist," she answered. 25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter." 26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter.” I can imagine a party with dancing and loud oaths and people being beheaded probably qualifies as carousing. Loud parties with drinking and fights happen all the time, just look up what calls the police get on a regular basis. Temptation, sin, repeat. Carousing exists today.
Detestable Idolatry. Idolatry is worship and admiration and love for something. Idolatry is what is described in the strange story in Judges 17:3-6 which says, “When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you." 4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah's house. 5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. 6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” This passage describes idolatry as mixing right and wrong beliefs as well as ‘everyone did as he saw fit.’ The place my wife gets her nails done has an actual idol in it. Anytime we choose our job over God we make it an idol. Every time we decide to have family time instead of come-to-church-time we make our family an idol. Anything we put as a priority before God is an idol. Temptation, sin, repeat. Idolatry exists today.
I mention all of this to say that the sin struggles that the Apostle Peter wrote about to believers long ago are sin struggles that are still present in our world today. To be honest, sin and temptation does not change over the years. The expression of it changes, but the basic sins and temptations are still all the same. We live in a world that is geared towards sin. The basic operating system of the world is to disobey God, live for self, and encourage others to do the same. Peter describes that when someone does not follow that same pattern, most people will notice and will find it strange. They might even get angry that someone is not following the temptation, sin, repeat pattern.
II. JESUS DIED AND CHANGED EVERYTHING
The Apostle Peter tells us in this passage that Jesus Christ suffered in His body on the cross and provided us a way to be “done with sin.” What does that mean? That means you and I do not have to follow the old pattern of temptation, sin, repeat. We are not doomed to live our lives with no hope. In fact, Peter describes life without Christ as a “flood of dissipation.” Meaning in life eventually will ebb away to nothing if life is based on chasing after the sins we just talked about.
Debauchery leads to guilt, emptiness, and the senseless need for more and more pleasures.
Lust leads to perverted sexual sin, treating yourself like a loaf of bread, and self-loathing.
Drunkenness leads to foolishness, loss of self-respect, and the destruction of families.
Orgies lead to disease, low self-worth, and a tarnished soul that is not easily cleaned up.
Carousing leads to jail time, physical harm of self and others, and a complete loss of self-control.
Detestable Idolatry leads to a lost life, surprising emptiness, and eternal danger for the soul.
The Apostle Peter tells us in this passage that Jesus Christ suffered in His body on the cross and provided us a way to be “done with sin.” Jesus provides us a way to “live according to God in regard to the Spirit.” That means we are not bound to the pattern of this world. We can adopt a new pattern out of destructive behaviors and into a pattern than brings us life. Peter was not the only Apostle to think so and teach such truth. The Apostle Paul mentioned such things in Romans and Philippians.
* Romans 12:2 encourages us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
* Philippians 3:17-21 commands us, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
III. THE WAY YOU ARE NOW: SIN, REPENT, LIVE
So what is the new pattern? If the old pattern was temptation, sin, repeat which leads to guilt, emptiness, self-loathing, foolishness, loss of self-respect, destruction of families, disease, low self-worth, a tarnished soul, jail time, physical harm, and loss of self-control… what is the new pattern?
The new pattern is sin, repent, live. Peter tells us in verses 1-6 of chapter 4 that the new pattern comes to us directly from Jesus Christ. Verse 1 says “since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.” Jesus died once for all on the cross for our sins and paid for them. Jesus killed sin. We ought to do exactly the same and have the same attitude. The new pattern of life is sin, repent, live. You will still sin. We all still sin. We all make mistakes. We all decide to follow our own passions rather than God. When we do, Jesus Christ who died for those sins calls us to repent and actively figure out how not to go down that same path again.
I am about to make some specific suggestions based on this passage, and I hope that these suggestions do not reveal how to sin or open doors for you, but rather show you how to put sin to death with an attitude like Jesus. Jesus’ attitude by the way was to completely destroy sin and death.
* If your sin comes from getting drunk from alcohol, stop buying it or going to places where they serve alcohol. Write in sharpie on your bank card… “NO BOOZE” in big letters. Tell your family if they see any in the home to dump it in the toilet. Give up access to your money and have your spouse only give you money you need for the day so you won’t have money for alcohol. That’s better than temptation, sin repeat. That is sin, repentance, life.
* If your friends are a bad influence, get rid of them. God doesn’t care if they have been your friends since kindergarten, especially if on a regular basis they are leading you to sin with them. He is more important. Bad company corrupts good character. Stop calling, emailing, and interacting with them on social media. Cut them out. That’s better than temptation, sin repeat. That is sin, repentance, life.
* If you family goes to the beach or does family things on Sunday instead of making God a priority, stop. Teens, if your parents keep making plans on Sunday and you haven’t been to church in a month, ask them why God has ceased to be a priority in your home. Do it respectfully, but ask. If you’d rather be on your boat than in church, sell the stupid boat for your soul is at stake. If you work every Sunday, then make sure you are in church on Wednesday and don’t let your job interfere with God as #1. If your work makes you so busy you have no time for God, your priorities are messed up. Sin, repentance, life.
* If getting on the internet eventually leads to you to pornography, cancel your internet provider. Get rid of it! You can live without the internet. Sell your computer. If you don’t want your sons and daughters to have pornography in the palm of their hand, don’t get them a smart phone! If you don’t want your teens to be tempted to take naked pictures of themselves and send it to potential dating partners, don’t get them a phone with a camera. Sexual temptation is everywhere, is alluring, and takes 5 seconds to make an unwise choice. Once that choice is made, sexual sin worms its way into your heart and you will be plagued by it your whole life. Anything is better than temptation, sin, repeat. We want sin, repentance, life.
* If having a smart phone leads to you do something sinful, like looking up naked pictures on instagram, get a trac phone that only makes phone calls. If you gossip gossip gossip on facebook, cancel your account. If you constantly whine on social media and put posts like “I know none of you read my posts but copy and paste this if you are really my friend…” just stop. That is getting your self-worth from the world and affirmation from people. Stop it. Deactivate your social media accounts if they lead you to sin. Anything is better than temptation, sin, repeat. We want sin, repentance, life.
The way out of the old pattern is to put it to death. We must actively figure out the paths that lead us to sin and we must get rid of them. We must travel new paths in our minds, hearts, and spirits. That means a change of habits. That means a change of influence. That means different people around you. That means your attention in God’s Word. That means your heart devoted to God. That means you pray when temptation slams your heart. That means when you sin you figure out how you got there and you change it and quit making excuses.
CONCLUSION
