Willing to Suffer for Righteousness 1 Peter 4:1-6
1 Peter 4:1-6 1 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, 2 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.
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. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;
5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 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.
1 Peter 3:19-22 serves as a bridge between what Peter had said in 3:13-18 and what he would say next, in chapter four. Peter immediately picks up on the topic of suffering again.
We re all aliens and strangers who are living in a world that s not our own. Throughout the epistle, Peter encourages his readers to not only endure suffering but also to have the right heart and attitude regarding their suffering.
There isn t only one reason to endure suffering as a believer. In 1 Peter 2:20, Peter says that enduring unjust suffering finds favor with God. In 1 Peter 3:13-18, Peter focuses on the fact that our suffering can draw others to God.
In chapter four, Peter encourages his readers to suffer as a means of avoiding sin. 1 Peter 4:1 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 word purpose comes from the Greek word ennoia (e n-noi-ä). Ennoia (e n-noi-ä) refers to our thinking, our mindset, or our moral understanding. In this context in 1 Peter, ennoia (e n-noiä) refers to having a moral attitude (or approach) that s based on our specific way of thinking.
Christians face persecution because they are followers of Christ.
John 15:18-20 18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you
We re not of this world; we re aliens and strangers. So, we should expect to be misunderstood and persecuted by the world around us.
Philippians 3:10-11 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Paul wanted to experience what Jesus had experienced.
When we are attacked and persecuted for our faith, we should realize that those attacks are part of being connected to Christ. In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Those who would choose to follow Jesus, must do so at any cost, even if it means dying for His sake. As true followers of Christ, we are called to daily die to ourselves for the sake of Christ.
1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed In 1 Peter chapter 3, Peter also reminds us that our godly behavior, in the midst of unjust suffering, can be used by God to draw unbelievers to Him.
1 Peter 4:1-2 1 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, 2 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.
We know that Peter s not referring back to his statement about Jesus when he said he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. We also know that he s not saying that believers who suffer will never sin again.
Those who willingly suffer because of their faith in Christ have demonstrated that they are willing to put away sin and choose righteousness. That doesn t mean that we will always choose suffering over sin. But, it does show that we have the resolve to do so.
1 Peter 4:2 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. As believers, we have to continually choose to live for the will of God, rather than for the lusts of men.
Romans 6:11-14 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness;
but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 12:1-2 1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
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 have the resolve to put away the things of the flesh, we have to renew our minds.
As we think, so we are. Therefore, to the extent that we yield our thoughts to God and His Word, we will be transformed into the image of His Son. Luke 9:23 If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
1 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. As believers, the time to live like the world has passed.
1 Peter 4:4-6 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
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.
Malign comes from the Greek word blasphēmeō (blas-fay-mehʹ-ō). Blasphēmeō (blas-fay-mehʹ-ō) literally means to blaspheme, to slander or defame someone, or to speak evil of them.
Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, At some point, we will all have to stand before God and be judged.
Apart from a personal saving relationship with Christ, we all stand condemned before God and deserve to be punished for our sins. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
1 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. Christians can be killed for their faith in Christ, but they never really lose their life.
Matthew 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.