Grace Means…Glory

1 Peter 4:12-19

Let’s begin by going back in the context of our passage where, in 1 Peter 4:7, Peter says,

1 Peter 4:7 (NKJV) But the end of all things is at hand…

Because we live in the last days, Peter, by the Holy Spirit, reminds us to be sound-minded and sober. We must live our lives for things that matter and not waste them on things that do not.

However, another issue confronts us in these last days. More and more, the world does not tolerate sound thinking. 2 Timothy 3:13 tells us,

2 Timothy 3:13 (NKJV) But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

This “deceiving and being deceived” describes our world. The thought of this deception reminds me of Isaiah 44:20, where the folly of our world is described.

Isaiah 44:20 (NKJV) A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

The world is so lost that they cannot even recognize lies. Into this darkness, we are sent as salt and light. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) And, He also said, “You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13) Light reveals things. Light can show the truth and expose what is hidden by the dark. Salt is a preservative. Salt keeps meat and vegetables from spoiling. As salt, we slow down the inevitable corruption of the world. As light, we expose the evil deeds of the world. And, the world does not like salt and light.

The world and the devil oppose our function as salt and light. Those who do not want the truth revealed fight against us. This opposition is persecution. The more sound thinking confronts the evil of the age, the more the Church is persecuted.

Persecution is not new. Since the time of the Apostles, the world has opposed the Church. All the Apostles except for John were killed for their faith. The twentieth century saw more Christians martyred than any previous century. The world and the devil are still persecuting the Church.

Because the end of all things is at hand, we must be aware of where this world is heading. Persecution is only going to get worse. This world is not our home. As Peter continues to teach us how to live at the end of all things, he shows us that we are here for glory. We are here to glorify God, and, in turn, we will be glorified.

Grace means glory.

1 Peter 4:12-13 says,

1 Peter 4:12–13 (NKJV) ¹²Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

The word “strange” in “Do not think it strange” means foreign. From the idea of something being “foreign” or “strange,” the word also means “astonishing.” So we could say, “Do not think it astonishing…as though some astonishing thing happened to you.”

Let’s consider the idea of something being foreign. Picture with me a field of snowy white sheep with one black sheep in the middle. 

The one black sheep is different, and as such, it is “foreign.” Sesame Street used to have a song, “One of these things is not like the others.”

As a tall, white person, I stood out in Japan, like this lone black sheep. When I was out and about, it was not unusual for children to stop and point, saying, “foreigner, foreigner!” To them, I was “astonishing” or “strange.”

That is what Peter means by strange, something foreign, unexpected, astonishing!

Fiery trials do not fall in this category. Suffering is not strange or astonishing. Fiery trials are to be expected. They are “normal,” white sheep among white sheep.

If we did not experience trials, that would be astonishing (strange). 

Peter says these trials come to test us, and then he says they are cause for rejoicing. 

We should rejoice when we encounter various trials. James 1:2 tells us to consider it pure joy when trials come, and Peter also speaks the same way about trials. In chapter one, he says,

1 Peter 1:6–7 (NKJV) ⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

According to this, we are grieved by trials but rejoice in the benefits to our faith. 

Peter says, “…you have been grieved by various trials.” We all experience many different trials. Persecution is one kind of trial, but it is not the only kind. All trials test our faith and refine us, but persecution is unique. Not only does it refine our faith, but suffering for the name of Christ allows us to partake in Christ’s sufferings. Peter says,

1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV) but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Peter says to rejoice to the extent that we partake in Christ’s sufferings, because when Christ is glorified, we also will experience “exceeding joy.” So far in his letter, Peter has pointed to Christ’s sufferings as our example (chapter 2), our salvation (chapter 3), and our deliverance (chapter 4). Now, he adds that Christ’s sufferings are our glory. Since we partake in Christ’s sufferings, when He is glorified, we too will partake in His glory. The Apostle Paul says this when he says,

Romans 8:17 (NKJV) …if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

 Not only do our sufferings purify our faith and result in glory, but they also fill up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. The Apostle Paul said,

Colossians 1:24 (NKJV) I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church…

Do not get the wrong idea! Christ’s afflictions are more than enough to save us. In this sense, to say something is lacking in Christ’s afflictions is heresy. However, there is still a need (a lack) for our faith to be refined. There is still a need for our generation to be reached with the gospel. Our sufferings fill this need (lack). Our sufferings are necessary because our faith is lacking, and our generation is lost. These sufferings are lacking in Christ’s suffering because we must experience them.

So, we are told to rejoice because when we partake in His suffering, we also know we will partake in His glory.

Peter makes the point that our suffering also brings God glory. 1 Peter 4:14 says,

1 Peter 4:14 (NKJV) If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part, He is glorified.

“On their part He is blasphemed.” The world and the devil hate God because their deeds are evil. In their hatred, they speak evil of God, His Son, and His children. This is how the world justifies the killing of Christians.

However, although the intention is to dismay or stop God’s work, the opposite occurs, Believers are strengthened, the work gets stronger, and God is glorified. 

 

We must clarify. Some suffering is of our own making and not a result of our faith in God. And, not all suffering glorifies God. Peter points this out when he says that suffering as a criminal does not glorify God. 1 Peter 4:15 says,

1 Peter 4:15 (NKJV) But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.

Suffering as an evildoer may cause a person to change his ways, but it is not done to the glory of God. Such suffering is shameful. This is why Peter tells us not to be ashamed if we suffer for the sake of Christ. 1 Peter 4:16 says,

1 Peter 4:16 (NKJV) Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

“Glorify God in this matter” means “praise God that you bear that name.” (Taken from the NIV) The world may call us “Christian” with scorn, but we are to count it a privilege to bear that name.

However, since we bear the name of Christ (Christian), we must live in a manner that brings honor to that name. Criminal behavior is shameful, and if we as Christians suffer as criminals, we disgrace the name of Christ.

This brings us to the necessity of purification. Not only is our faith made stronger by trials, but our trials also purify us.  This process of purification brings honor and glory to the name of Christ. In chapter 1, Peter compared this purification to the fire that purifies gold. Fire burns out the impurities in the gold. In the case of the Christian, the fire is aimed at specific impurities. Look at what Peter says.

1 Peter 4:17–18 (NKJV) ¹⁷For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

God loves us and does not treat us as our sins deserve. However, He does deal with our sin. Peter tells us that judgment begins with us. When we are dominated by sin, God does not ignore us. Hebrews 12 tells us that God disciplines the child He loves.

Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV) For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.

The love of God does not mean life is pain-free. God’s love means God will not leave us alone. We are His children and are far too important to be neglected.  For example, Hebrews 12 also says,

Hebrews 12:8 (NKJV) But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

If God does not correct us, then we are not His children. This is harsh, but I see no other way to understand this passage. Peter implies as much when he says, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.”

In speaking of judgment, Peter directs our thoughts to the unsaved. He says,

1 Peter 4:17 (NKJV) if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

If the unbeliever is suffering and asks, “What does God have against me?” The answer is “your sin.”

“Which sin?”

“Rejecting His Son.”

You see, Jesus died for our sins. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9) But, if we refuse His offer of salvation if for any reason we do not ask Him to save us, all our sin remains. Actually, this is not technically true. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. What God holds against us is the rejection of His son. John 3:18-19 tells us:

John 3:18–19 (NKJV) ¹⁸He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Condemned means judged. The person who does not believe in Jesus is condemned because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

All the suffering in the world is a result of sin. Every disease, every hospital bed, every war, and every death remind us of the horrible reality of sin and judgment. 1 Peter 4:19 tells us what our response needs to be. 

1 Peter 4:19 (NKJV) Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

We must commit our souls to God. 

If we, as believers and children of God suffer, it is according to the will of God, and we must commit our souls to Him. This is what Jesus did, and He is our example. (1 Peter 2:23) We can trust Him, as our Father, to do what is best for us.

If you are an unbeliever, please commit your soul to God, who can save you. He wants to save you. He gave His only begotten Son to save you. Rejecting His Son is the only thing that you have done that He holds against you. Solve this problem by asking Jesus to save you. He promises not to reject anyone who calls on His name.

Grace Means…Preparation

 

1 Peter 4:7-11

The end of all things is at hand, so:

1. Pray
2. Love
3. Serve

1 Peter 4:7 (NKJV) But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

With this verse, Peter begins the close of his letter.

From the opening words of his letter through 1 Peter 4:6, Peter tells about the very great (tremendous) grace of God that blesses us and enriches every aspect of our lives.

Believers are aliens and strangers. We are pilgrims of the dispersion, spread throughout the nations of the earth. As foreigners, this world is not our home, and we suffer under a hostile system. However, we are blessed beyond measure by the grace of God. 

We are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, partakers in His great salvation. We have an inheritance in heaven that will not age, spoil, or change. The power of God keeps us for our residence with Him.

Now, as he begins to bring his letter to a close, Peter gives urgent instructions.

Because “the end of all things is at hand,” Peter calls on us to be serious and watchful. Given the end of all things, he tells us to pray, love, and serve.

What does Peter mean by “the end of all things is at hand.”

Many in the first century Church looked for Jesus to return in their lifetime. In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, Paul, by the Holy Spirit, gives us information so that we know what to look for that will signal the return of Christ. Some false teachers were saying that Christ had already returned.

2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (NKJV) ⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

To reassure them that Christ had not yet returned, 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us that the “man of lawlessness” must be revealed first. And, the “man of lawlessness” cannot be revealed until “He who restrains” is removed. 

There is still confusion over what we mean by “the return of Christ.” Do we mean the end of all things or the beginning of the end?  Before the end of all things, where fire burns everything, Jesus will reign on this earth for one thousand years. And before He establishes this kingdom, the tribulation and salvation of all Israel will take place. 

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 tells us that those who have died as believers and those who are alive will be “caught up” to meet Jesus in the air. This event is the removal of the restrainer, and it signals the beginning of the Tribulation. After the Tribulation, Jesus will return to the earth and sit on the throne of David for one thousand years. 

After these one thousand years, this world and all it contains will burn, and God will establish a new heaven and a new earth.

The prophecies of the Old and New Testaments clearly teach these events. However, throughout history, the untaught and mistaken have been pointing to natural disasters, plagues (pandemics), and wars saying, “Jesus is about to return, and everything is going to burn!”  They seem to think that the scorpions and judgments of the book of Revelation are about to be unleashed.

We must be clear! Tribulation and persecution are not the signals we are looking for. Natural disasters, fires, earthquakes, and tidal waves are not indications that the end has come. These events have been happening throughout history and will continue to occur.

Peter did not expect the immediate destruction of the world in his lifetime. Look at what he says in 2 Peter 3. He says:

2 Peter 3:3–4 (NKJV) ³knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

He also says:

2 Peter 3:8–9 (NKJV) ⁸But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Put these two statements together, and, among many other things, it becomes clear that Peter is expecting some delay. He says that scoffers will come in the last days and that the Lord is delaying because of His patience.

Given these facts, we must assume that Peter’s reference to the end of all things being near does not mean the “immediate” destruction of the world.

However, Christ’s ascension to heaven started the countdown to the end. We are waiting for Him to return. Since we do not know the time of His return, we must assume it is going to be soon.

Even though during Peter’s time He did not expect the end to be immediate, we can learn some things from his statement, “the end of all things is at hand.” 

Three aspects of “nearness” stand out. 

First, the time is near for each of us. We have a limited time, and we do not know how long we have.

Second, all material things are temporary at best.

Third, we will all be judged.

Put these three together, and we realize that, for any of us, the end can come without a moment's notice, and then we will face judgment. No matter how short or long a time we have until the end when we get there, the time will seem to have passed in a moment. Whether we have two days or two thousand years, the end of all things is at hand. Not one of us has a lot of time. The end could be today. We cannot afford to think that things are going to continue as they always have.

The devil works hard to get us to think in terms of “ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” This thought is the foundation of the theory of evolution. We must not think we have time and forget to be serious and watchful. 

This world must stop thinking we have plenty of time. We don’t.

Peter reminds us of the shortness of time and says, “be serious and watchful.”

The words used mean “safe-minded and sober.” “Safe-minded” is the Greek equivalent of “being of sound mind.” “Safe-minded” expresses the idea of thinking clearly, as in, it is not “safe” to be delusional. The word sober means just what it sounds like. Sober means “not drunk.” 

Proverbs says it best.

Proverbs 23:29–32 (NKJV) ²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? ³⁰Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. ³¹Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; ³²At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.

The shortness of our time demands that we be serious and sober. We cannot overstate the importance of our minds. Peter talks several times throughout his letters of using our minds. In 1 Peter 1:13, he says:

1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV) Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober…

And, in 1 Peter 5:8, he says:

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, also speaks of the importance of our minds, telling us to put on the helmet of salvation. We are in a spiritual battle, which Peter emphasizes when he tells us to be serious and watchful. 

We must take care to notice the purpose of our sound thinking and sobriety. 1 Peter 4:7 ends with the words that should be translated with “for the purpose of prayer.” The best translation of this verse is the NASB which says:

1 Peter 4:7 (NASB) The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

Prayer is essential. To be a child of God is to pray. There is no such thing as a Christian who does not pray. Even being angry enough to try to give God the silent treatment is a form of prayer for the child of God. (Consider Jonah who threw a fit before the Lord.) 

The reason for our serious soberness is prayer. The first and most important thing for us to do in view of the end of all things is to pray. This is not the only place that we are told to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV) Pray without ceasing.

When Jesus taught us, He said:

John 16:24 (NKJV) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Jesus did not put limits on what we are to pray for or about. But James 4:3 does tell us what will keep us from getting what we pray for.

James 4:3 (NKJV) You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Praying for our pleasure is never the goal. Praying to know the mind of God and see the will of God accomplished is a good place to start. Praying for God to deliver us from evil is also a good idea. But, what is evil?  What we call evil may be something that God intends for our good. Death is evil, but it is also a move into a much better place for the believer.

We must keep our thinking sound and our judgment sober in order to pray with wisdom and insight. Events are happening faster than anyone can track, and the world needs our prayers. 

Because of the end of all things, we are to pray, and above all things, fervently love each other.

1 Peter 4:8–9 (NKJV) And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” ⁹Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

Peter gives three essential things we must do in preparation for the end of all things. We must pray, we must love, and we must serve.

We do not have a long list of rules. The commands of the Lord are simple. First, we are to love God. (Prayer) And, second, we are to love our neighbor. Moses commanded love for God and others. Jesus repeated Moses’ commands, and the Apostles emphasized the importance of love.

What more can we say about love than has already been said?

1 John 4:8 (NKJV) He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

When the end comes, what will become of all our possessions?

When the end comes, what will become of people?

If we invest our short time in possessions, our time will be wasted. However, there is no waste of time invested in people. If we are to prepare for the end, we must love people.

Finally, we show our love for God and people by serving. But notice, it is not just any service. Consider what Peter says.

1 Peter 4:10–11 (NKJV) As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

In grace, God gives each believer a gift. This gift is for the building up of the Body of Christ.

The devil works to get us to think that we have nothing to contribute. He tells us that we are untalented; he tells us that our efforts and minor mistakes are embarrassing. He points to others and says, “See how much better they are!” Please don’t listen to him. Think about how much you appreciate the things others do. Do you think that we will not be blessed in the same way by you?

The key to this is to serve in the ability which God provides. 

You know what you enjoy doing. Is there any way that can be used to build up the Body of Christ?

Do you enjoy hunting? Could you take a younger believer under your wing and teach him to follow Christ while teaching him to hunt? 

Do you enjoy interior decorating? Could you find a way to make the church building look better? (Be careful; criticism is not helpful. Gracious, loving action is needed.)

Even small things like picking up the trash you see in the parking lot can make a difference.

What Peter is saying can be summarized like this. Everything is coming to an end. We need to apply our heads, our hearts, and our hands to be ready. God’s grace has given us our heads, hearts, and hands so that we can prepare.

Grace Means…Determination

1 Peter 4:1-6

1 Peter 4:1 (NKJV) Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

The word “therefore” tells us to think back on the context. To understand, we must remember the direction the speaker (writer) has been taking. In 1 Peter 4:1, it says, “Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh…,” making it clear that the author is talking about the suffering of Christ and the “since” in this phrase also clarifies that he introduced this subject before this point.

So far in the book, the author has spoken of the suffering of Christ in relation to at least two issues - our persecution and our salvation. In 1 Peter 2:21, it says,

1 Peter 2:21 (NKJV) For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps…

This passage is speaking of bearing up under persecution. 1 Peter 2 is talking about suffering under injustice. Jesus is our example of where to find the strength to face persecution. Jesus told us,

John 16:33 (NKJV) In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

When we suffer persecution, we must learn from Jesus how to stand. Persecution is not a question of if but of when, because, as Jesus says, “in the world, we will have tribulation.” We see how Jesus overcame, and by following His example, we too can overcome. 

The short answer to how He triumphed is found in 1 Peter 2:23.

1 Peter 2:23 (NKJV) when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…

Jesus committed Himself to God, who judges righteously. Jesus’ example of perfect trust will carry us through our troubles.

Peter also speaks of Jesus’ suffering for our salvation. In both chapters 2 and 3, Peter speaks of salvation. However, in chapter 3 verses 18 and following, he narrows the focus down to speaks directly to the question of how Christ’s suffering saves us. 

Please look at 1 Peter 3:18-22. In verse 18, Peter tells us that Jesus died “the just for the unjust.” “The just for the unjust” refers to the price Jesus paid for our sins. Then Peter uses the example of Noah’s ark to explain how believing in Jesus saves us. At the time of Noah, if people wanted to be saved, they had to enter the ark. It is the same with Jesus. If we are to be saved, we must ask Jesus. Jesus’ suffering for our salvation results in a message of warning and invitation - warning of coming judgment, and invitation to enter the “ark.”

Now, as we enter chapter 4, Peter calls us to consider the suffering of Christ once more. He says, 1 Peter 4:1.

1 Peter 4:1 (NKJV) Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

Peter tells us to arm ourselves with the same mind that Jesus had when He suffered in the flesh. Then Peter says, “for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” From this statement, we gather that this time Peter is talking about Jesus’ suffering in relation to our sin or “flesh.” However, this time he is not talking about how Jesus paid for our sin. He has shifted the focus to how we should live in light of Jesus’ sufferings. In other words, Peter is now telling us how to follow Jesus’ example in “ceasing from sin.”

In context, Peter just wrote about the ark. When the eight persons got on the ark, they floated above the destruction of the world. The people on the ark were kept from what everybody else went through. 

However, when we ask Jesus to save us and we enter the “ark” of salvation, He does not float us out of the world. We continue to live in the same house, eat the same food, and wake up in the same bed. However, as Peter explains, our lives must change in keeping with the salvation we receive. Jesus’ example is the key to this change.  Peter talks about Jesus’ suffering in relation to the flesh because sin originates in the flesh.

Let’s recap what we have said thus far. For persecution, we are to trust God. For salvation, we are to ask God. Now, for our flesh, we are to follow Jesus.

The main point Peter takes from Jesus’ example is found in 1 Peter 4:1. This verse instructs us to “arm yourselves with the same mind.”

Let’s start by considering what Peter means by “mind.” The word he uses for “mind” in this context can be translated as “determination” or “intent.” In Hebrews 4:12, this same word is translated as “intentions.” As in, “…a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We are to have the same determination that Jesus had, and that determination has to do with ceasing from sin.1 Peter 4:1 says, “…for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.”

1 Peter 4:1 (NKJV) Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

Jesus suffered perfectly. By “perfectly,” I mean that He did not sin. So in relation to His flesh, He suffered perfectly. Following His example is difficult because we do not suffer perfectly as He did. Hebrew 4:12 explains it this way:

Hebrews 12:4 (NKJV) You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

At this point in our discussion, it will be helpful to consider the meaning of the word “ceased” that Peter uses. The word that Peter chose means “(a) active voice: I cause to cease, restrain, hinder, (b) middle voice: I cease, stop, leave off.”

When Jesus calmed the storm, and the waves stopped, the author of that account used this same word for “ceased.”

Jesus suffered perfectly or completely. He was crucified. In other words, He died in His flesh. To cease from sin, we too must die. We must “mortify” the flesh. That is “kill” it. Romans 12:1 uses the imagery of presenting our bodies as “living sacrifices.”

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…

Refusing the desires of our flesh may involve some discomfort. For example, consider Jesus fasting in the wilderness for forty days. Peter describes our ceasing from sin in verse 2.

1 Peter 4:1–2 (NKJV) ¹for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ²that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

1 Peter 4:2 describes the determination or intention that Jesus had and with which we must arm ourselves. We must determine, set our minds, and make it our intention to 1) no longer live for our desires (lusts) and 2) live for the will of God. We are to exchange living for our will for living for God’s will. Please notice this involves a putting off (the flesh) and a putting on (the Spirit).

We do not live for God’s will in our own strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit. To see this in Peter’s writing, we will have to jump from 1 Peter 4:2 to 1 Peter 4:6. Where it says,

1 Peter 4:6 (NKJV) For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

I have skipped some of what Peter says and will go back to where we left off. But I want us to understand where Peter is going. When it says that the gospel was preached to those who are dead, it is talking about those dead in their trespasses and sins. They are to move from “dead” to “living in the Spirit.” We see this also in verse 5, where it says,

1 Peter 4:5 (NKJV) They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

1 Peter 4:5 says that God is ready to judge the living and the dead. He says, “They will give an account to Him.” All men will be judged. (I am working backward, starting at the end, so please follow carefully.) The “they” of this verse (verse 5) are those of the world that judge Jesus’ followers harshly.  When Peter says, in verse 6, “that they might be judged according to men in the flesh.” He refers back to verse 4, where it says that unbelievers will speak evil of us because we do not run with them in their abominable idolatries.

In pointing out the judgment of the world against believers and the judgment of every person by God, Peter shows us the necessity of making a choice. Either we go the way of men and determine to do the will of the flesh and be acceptable to the world, or we choose to mortify (kill) the flesh and live for the will of God. Either way involves death. We are dead to God, or we die to the flesh. 

The Apostle Paul teaches this same thought in Romans 6:10-11.

Romans 6:10–11 (NKJV) ¹⁰For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Again, let me remind you, we do not do this in our own strength. If we walk by the Spirit, we will put the flesh to death.

Romans 8:12–13 (NKJV) ¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

At this point, I would like to go back to where we jumped forward. In 1 Peter 4:3, it says,

1 Peter 4:3 (NKJV) For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

The word “Gentiles” used here is also translated as “nations.” Another meaning would be “world things” as opposed to “spiritual” or “heavenly” things. This word refers to someone living a “worldly” life. In other words, before we asked Jesus to save us, we lived just like the rest of the world (the nations). 

Living out the values of the world is meaningless. Peter describes the world’s values as lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, and so on. There is no profit in these things. They leave one empty, and the pursuit of such things is endless, tiring tedium. Peter says that no matter how short or long a time we have lived chasing these things, we have spent enough time to know that these pursuits are worthless.

However, the “Gentiles” (the world) think we are crazy for not pursuing the “fun” with them. 1 Peter 4:4 says,

1 Peter 4:4 (NKJV) In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

The Bible defines the things the world runs after as a “flood of dissipation.” Another way of saying this is an “overflowing waste.” Here is the contrast. What God says is an overflowing waste, the world says are the only things worth having. Thus, the judgment of the world; we are evil because we do not chase after the lusts of the flesh with them.

We have a choice. We can follow the example of Jesus and arm ourselves with the determination to do God’s will, or we can spend our lives as an overflowing waste.

Either way, we will be judged. The world will judge us according to the flesh. The world values the flesh. It feeds the flesh. However, spiritually, the flesh is death. The flesh always leads to death. Before we knew Christ, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. The gospel was preached to us who were dead that we might be made alive in God by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.

Have you not had enough of the world?

How long must we wallow in the abominable idolatries of the world before we determine to do the will of God?

Not one of us is perfect. We will still sin, but we must not determine to sin. We must not make sin our way of life. When we walk by the Spirit, He will make our sin known to us so that we can walk free of it. 

There is no need to be dominated by sin. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in paths of righteousness, and He will.