When I bowed my knee to Christ in 1975, my conversion amounted to my turning my back on how I used to be, turning away from the sin in my life. At first, it was the big things… excessive drinking, smoking things legal and illegal, cursing, uncontrolled anger. As I continued from that time to this, I would realize other things I need to “set aside” that were detrimental to my walk with Christ. 

But there is a price attached to becoming Christ-like. The world will not tolerate it.

Here is the video link for today’s podcast:

1 Peter 4:1-6 Being Christ-like and the price of it all.

The audio links for Spotify and iTunes are to the right, as per usual.

Here is the transcript of today’s episode:

Peter’s major emphasis in this letter is on Christian conduct under persecution. Especially in this section, this is his chief concern.

from ch 3: If we suffer for doing good, know this… Christ also suffered.

4:1-6 Living for God

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, (i.e. become Christ-like) because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 

“He who has suffered in his body is done with sin” is best taken as a proverbial expression and is linked in thought to Romans 6:7 NIV:

because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

By their union with Christ, Christians must understand that their conversion is a death to sin. Thus they are “done with sin.”

When I bowed my knee to Christ in 1975, my conversion amounted to my turning my back on how I used to be, turning away from the sin in my life. At first, it was the big things… excessive drinking, smoking things legal and illegal, cursing, uncontrolled anger. As I continued from that time to this, I would realize other things I need to “set aside” that were detrimental to my walk with Christ. This statement “”done with sin” is not speaking to earthly perfection, as in “Now that I am saved, I won’t sin anymore.” It reflects what Paul said in Romans – that “I am free from sins former dominion over me.”

So what does “being set free from sin” look like in RLRMTR (Real Life Rubber-Meets-The-Road)?

2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 

One’s life after conversion is not to be lived according to human passions, but the ruling principle is the will of God. And what DOES God want? The opposite of verse 3.

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. 

These are all “me-oriented” behaviour patterns. This is the height of selfish living, and is the antithesis of followers of Christ. We are called to be “outward-focused” i.e. towards God – “Lord what do YOU want me to do and be?” and towards those in our periphery – “What can I do to help you?”. Every one of the things listed in verse 3 is about personal gratification.

4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 

The world that surrounds us demands that we condone and participate in the way they live their life. When we do NOT condone their lifestyles and live a life that is opposite of theirs, we become the enemy. Remember that we are ambassadors from a Kingdom that is radically different from the one we are residing in currently. Every time our values clash with those around us, we will become the bad guys. You need to look no further than at those who champion tolerance and acceptance until a Christian announces what they believe. The minute that happens these so-called “champions of tolerance” will have no tolerance for the followers of Christ.

Here is a sobering question… are we living our lives as Christ-followers in a wide-open fashion? Are we not ashamed to let those around us know we are Christ-followers? I’m not talking about being rude and boorish, but simply this – as you walk through your day, is it easy for folks to figure out you are a Christian?

I was eating at a group lunch several years back, and someone made a comment about me being a Christian. This was followed by someone who went off on a tear about the evils of the Church and how Christians were hypocritical. She went on to list thing after thing about why she hated Christianity and Christians. She had to be calmed down by someone at the table. I never said a word. This was a perfect example of what Peter is saying here in verse 4.”…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. 

While in the midst of receiving this abuse, we must remember that there will be a day when your accusers will be judged by God. Some of them will face God’s judgement now, and all will face God’s judgement later.

Deuteronomy 32:35 says:

35  It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
    In due time their foot will slip;
their day of disaster is near
    and their doom rushes upon them.”

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 human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

There are four main interpretations of the “dead” in this passage (cf. comment on 3:18-22). (1) Christ, while in his three-day death, went and preached salvation to all the dead, offering salvation to those who lived in pre-Christian times. (2) Christ, while in his three-day death, went and preached salvation to the just of OT times. (3) The apostles and others on this earth preached the Gospel to those who were spiritually dead. (4) The dead are Christians, who had the Gospel preached to them and who then died (or were put to death). 

In His Grip,

Paige