4:6 For to this end was the gospel preached
even to the dead,
A Result of Faith | Persecution |
Activities of Faith | Prayer Love Hospitality Ministering |
Response of Faith | Rejoicing |
Suffer for Christ's Sake
1Peter 4:1,2 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, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Sounds much along the lines of Php 2:5-8 "Your attitude should be the same as that of
Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality
with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found
in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to
death— even death on a cross!" In fact much of the Christian
life
involves such an attitude. Not simply action, but attitude - walking as
Christ walked and with the same attitude, having the same kind of
reasons for doing things as he had, namely doing the will of God
despite the consequences to one's flesh, one's resources, one's dignity.
Also it says, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Gal 5:24 For the grace of God "teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age" Tit 2:12 It is inevitable that for a person to live for the will of God, they will suffer in the flesh. And if for no other reason but that "the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Gal 5:17
People Think You're Strange?
1Peter 4:3,4 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. They
think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood
of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.
As for the sinful lifestyle characteristic of the worldly, there is
no excuse. Peter here says such things "pagans choose
to do". Sinners are so by choice. The wicked, out of their
own free will, choose to live a lifestyle of sin, and so are
accountable. For God would not hold people accountable for things over
which they had no control. Thus sin incurs guilt because sinners choose
to sin.
Likewise Christians are free to choose not to sin. For the
instructions Peter is giving to Christians involves our willingness to
obey. Likewise Paul writes, "Do not conform any
longer to the pattern of this world" Rom 12:2a So "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your
earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and
greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But
now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage,
malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each
other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in
the image of its Creator." Col 3:5-10
As for the world's reaction to our repentance from our former way of
life, Jesus said to his worldly brothers, "The
world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it
does is evil." John 7:7 Whether it be by words or
lifestyle, the Christian testifies of the world's evil, thus invoking
hostility upon ourselves. This is part of the Christian life.
"God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" 2Th 1:6-9 So you who speak evil of the children of God, be prepared with some good excuse. This rhetoric of "us" versus "them" is common throughout the epistles. "They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us." 1John 4:5,6
We're also reminded of the Sheep/Goat judgement of Matthew 25 in which the judgement is based upon how one had treated Christ's brethren.. But understand that not everyone is a child of God. The "you", the percentage of children of God in the world, is at best 5% of the population. "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Rom 8:9 And " He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1John 5:12
And by the way, who is it that will judge the living and the dead? Elsewhere Peter says, "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he (Jesus) is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead." Acts 10:42 Likewise Paul says, "Christ Jesus will judge the living and the dead" 2Tim 4:1b As Paul says, "He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:31
That is, "Share with God’s people who are in
need. Practice hospitality." Rom 12:13 Hospitality
would
have been an essential ingredient in
practicing
Christian love in the midst of the type of persecution many faced those
days. Christians were practically thrown out of Israel and being
homeless
would have had to rely on a good deal of hospitality. But all of us
like
a degree of privacy, so there is the temptation of begrudging such
requests. The Greek lexicon tells us that "grumbling" means "a
secret displeasure not openly avowed" So it's not sufficient to
keep one's complaints to oneself. Having a spirit of hospitality
involves not even complaining in oneself over the matter. And such an
attitude should be characteristic of all Christian work as Paul says, "Do all things without complaining and disputing"
Php 2:14
Gifts - Use them!
1Peter 4:10 Each one should use
whatever
gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s
grace in its various forms.
In my estimation there are characteristically two major roadblocks
to applying this verse. One is the restrictions institutional
Christianity places upon individuals exercising their gifts. And
secondly is the reluctance of individuals to take up the responsibility
to exercise their gifts. In fact some will claim not be gift simply to
avoid doing any work. "But to each one of us
grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." Eph 4:7
When any part of the body stops functioning, the whole body suffers. "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all
things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From
him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting
ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its
work." Eph 4:15,16
A prerequisite for Christian ministry is a sense of our own inadequacy, but also a trust in God to provide us the ability to carry out His ministry. These often develop over time and experience as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit. But God can't direct a ship which is not moving. And if the car is parked, turning the wheel won't change its direction. So let's get moving. And I counsel young Christians not to be too concerning about identifying their gifts, but rather to fulfill their responsibilities and God will reveal their gifts while they do so.
4:1 Since Christ suffered, have the same mind For those who cease from sin will suffer as Christ in kind 2 Do not live your earthly life for your own desire But rather live to do God's will and set your goals much higher 3 You spent enough time in the past doing what pagans do Carousing at drunken orgies and worshipping idols too 4 They think it strange you do not plunge into the flood as they 5 They heap abuse, but God will judge them on the last day 6 For to this end the gospel was preached to those who are now dead Though judged by men they live with God, just like the scriptures said 7 The end of all things is near, I say Watch and be sober so you can pray 8 Love each other deeply, for love covers many a sin 9 Be hospitable without grumbling if someone need to move-in 10 As each one has received let him served one another So that God may be praised by serving your brother. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as God would If anyone serves, let him do as he should With all the strength that God supplied That in all things God may be glorified. |