Before and After 1 Peter 4:1-6

It is a wonderful blessing for us to have the opportunity to study and learn from Peter’s letter to the followers of Jesus who were scattered throughout five provinces of the Roman Empire. Peter knows that many, if not most of those who would hear his letter read to them were not from a Jewish background, they were Gentiles. Gentile culture was very different from Jewish culture. In verse 3, Peter says, “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do…” It’s time to close the door on the old life and live the new life that you now have because of what Jesus has done for you. 

I’m so grateful that we have arrived at this section of Peter’s letter on the day when we are celebrating four baptisms of adults who have made the decision to close the door on their old life and begin their new life of following Jesus. I met with two of the people, Chelse and Hediye, this week. I shared with them the same Scripture that I’ve shared countless times through the years with all of those who make the decision to become followers of Jesus, and before their baptism. I would like to share that same Scripture with all of us this morning because it has much to do, not only with understanding the significance of baptism, but also in understanding the lesson Peter shared with our brothers and sisters living under the Roman Empire so long ago. Turn with me to Romans 6:1-4 and we will read together. 

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:1-4 NIV)

This morning our new brothers and sisters in Christ “were buried with him through baptism into death…” and raised to a new life in Christ. The old life is gone, the new life in Christ has come! Praise God for what He has done for us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus our Lord and Savior! Paul said, “We are those who have died to sin;” We were once very much alive to sin, in fact, God’s Word says we were slaves to sin (Romans 6:16-18), sin was our master, but now we have a new Master and He has broken the chains that held us captive. We will talk more about this when we take a closer look at what Peter has written. Let’s read 1 Peter 4:1-6 now and we will get started. 

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 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. 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 are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, 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 human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (1 Peter 4:1-6 NIV)

The beginning of our Scripture for this morning links what has been said and taught with what is now before us, that is why Peter writes, “Therefore…” If you want to learn to truly understand and apply God’s Word then you need to understand the purpose of the word “therefore.” The word will always point us back to a big truth and then unpack the implications and application of that big truth in the living of life. Whenever we run into the word “therefore” we need to stop and go back to the big truth before we examine what comes after “therefore.” Let me give you a very clear example from God’s Word. Turn with me to Colossians 3:1-5.

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:1-5 NIV)

Paul shares the big truth: “...you have been raised with Christ…” “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Those are the big truths. Look what God has done on your behalf. Then, in verse 5, we read, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Because God has acted on your behalf in these ways, now, therefore, you act in a manner that fits the new you. We can see the same thing in our Scripture for this morning. Peter writes in verse 1.

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. (1 Peter 4:1 NIV)

The “therefore” at the beginning of this verse links back to the truth that Peter shared in 1 Peter 3:18. Let’s go back there just for a moment to refresh our memory. Read it with me.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)

Jesus, the One who was Innocent and righteous, suffered for those who are guilty and unrighteous. He did this “to bring you to God.” Jesus paid a price for our forgiveness that none of us could pay in order that the door might be opened for us to be reconciled, made right with God. 

Now, you need to remember, there were no chapter breaks or verses included when the churches received this letter. We tend to see chapters as ending one idea or scene and beginning a new one, but that’s not the case when it comes to the Bible. Peter follows the idea shared in 1 Peter 3:18, the truth that Jesus suffered for our sins to bring us to God, with “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude…” 

We need to understand what it means to “arm yourselves.” The Greek verb for “arm” is “ὁπλίζω” (hoplizo) and it means “to equip, to make ready.” This is the only time in the New Testament that the word is used, but outside of the Bible the word was often used to describe being made ready militarily. 

The noun form of this word, “ὅπλον” (hoplon), means “weapons.”  You can get a clear understanding that arming yourself and the weapons you and I have been given for this battle we are in are very different from what the world thinks of when they think of arming themselves by taking a look at how this word is used. Turn with me to Romans 6:12-13.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. (Romans 6:12-13 CSB)

We are not to offer our bodies as “weapons for unrighteousness.” Instead, we are to offer ourselves “to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.” Then, in Romans 13:12-14, Paul writes,

12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Romans 13:12-14 NIV)

For those who are here this morning and you have made the decision to become a follower of Jesus, you are called to “put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Paul then goes on to describe some of the deeds of darkness, which by the way are also included in Peter’s list in our Scripture for this morning. 

It is important to remember that Peter was writing to a group of people who were being persecuted because they were followers of Jesus. There is no evidence that the suffering they were enduring was a result of the government applying pressure, although the followers of Jesus had been kicked out of Rome by Emperor Claudius about 15 years earlier and in a few short years Emperor Nero would torture and kill many of Jesus’ followers. The persecution Peter’s audience was experiencing at this time was most likely social pressure applied by their peers because they would no longer participate in the pagan practices of their neighbors. Thomas Schreiner writes,

In the Western world we take for granted the segregation of private and public spheres, but public festivals, in which the gods were venerated, were considered a civic duty in the Greco-Roman world. In particular, veneration of the emperor was simply a mark of good citizenship, and the deifying of the emperor was especially pronounced in Asia Minor. …The readers were mistreated by being socially ostracized. We should not overlook that criticism and social ostracism often lead to more severe action, that sharp words can easily turn into sharp swords. (Schreiner, Thomas. 1,2 Peter and Jude. pg. 204)

Peter wants the followers of Jesus to be prepared for whatever may come. To do this, he reminds them of the persecution and suffering of Jesus. The followers of Jesus need to have the same attitude Jesus had if they were going to be able to endure the persecution they were experiencing. What does it mean to have the same mind, or the same attitude of Jesus? That is such an important question for you and me. 

When Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Philippi, he gave them great guidance on how they were to relate to one another by writing, 

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5 NIV)

How did Jesus relate to others? We can learn the answer to that question by reading God’s Word. Once we learn, we are to follow in His steps. In Peter’s letter, he is calling on Jesus’ followers to have the mindset of Jesus in regards to suffering, not suffering in general, but suffering because they were followers of Jesus. I want to show you a very powerful Scripture which speaks to what Peter is urging us to do. Turn with me to Hebrews 12:1-3.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)

We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the One who “For the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We are to “consider him,” think about Him, meditate on the life He lived, His boldness in the face of opposition, and His unflinching resolve in the face of crucifixion–so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. Why did Jesus endure such persecution, pain, and suffering? It was because of the joy set before Him–that joy was your redemption! Jesus came on mission and His mission was to open the door of reconciliation for sinners like you and me. The only way that door could be opened was through Him suffering the sentence that was really ours. He suffered on our behalf so we might know forgiveness, grace, and reconciliation with God the Father. 

We are to arm ourselves with the mindset of our Lord and Savior who endured the taunts, persecution, and even death with no thought of turning back. How do we gain the mind of Christ? R.C. Sproul wrote,

I know no other way to gain the mind of Christ than to immerse ourselves in His Word. Studying the Scriptures is the way by which we learn the mind of Christ, because the Scriptures reveal Christ. We are living in the most anti-intellectual period in the history of the Christian church. The application of the mind to the search for understanding of the things of God is dismissed in some quarters and actually despised in others. Feeling is substituted for thinking. Christians, we are called to think, to seek understanding of the Word of God; there is no other way to get the mind of Christ. (Sproul, R.C. 1-2 Peter. pg. 123)

Immerse yourself in God’s Word. I bet there are many of us who don’t even know where to start? I met a young man a few weeks ago who told me he wanted to learn more about the Bible, but he didn’t even know where to begin. He held out his Bible and said, “It’s a thick book.” I said, “I would love to help you.” We’ve been meeting for the past three weeks. I gave him an ESV Study Bible, had him get a notepad and pen, and told him to read and reread one chapter of John each week along with all of the study notes beneath the Scripture. I told him to write down what he doesn’t understand, questions he might have, and then we will talk about them. He is learning and growing just a little at a time and that is exactly how we all grow, a little at a time. But let me tell you, you can sit in this sanctuary for twenty years and never grow at all. You must immerse yourself in God’s Word. Let’s move on. Take a look at verses 2-3 with me.

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. 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. (1 Peter 4:2-3 NIV)

Peter tells the followers of Jesus long ago, and he is speaking to us, those of us who have made the decision to follow Him today, to be done with the old life. We are not to live the rest of our lives pursuing evil human desires, but we are to seek to live out the will of God for our lives. It’s time to close the door on the old life. Peter says, “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do…” Then Peter lists some of the things that pagans, or unbelievers, chose to do with their time. Isn’t it interesting that this letter was written almost 2,000 years ago, in the early 60s A.D., and yet these are still the things that are so appealing to many people today. Let me tell you, it’s not just unbelievers who indulge in these types of activities. 

In August of this year, George Barna released the results of the “American Worldview Inventory” study. The study reveals the decline and deterioration of the morals of our society. Barna says, “The indisputable cultural decline is a direct result of the spiritual collapse of Christianity in the nation.” He goes on to report,

Although more conservative on moral issues, as a whole evangelicals reflect fewer lifestyle differences from the culture than often thought. Surprisingly, most evangelicals do not possess a biblical worldview—only about one-third do. In fact, the data strongly suggests that evangelicals are more likely to be shaped by the culture around them than they are to influence or “evangelize” it. (Barna, George. American Worldview Inventory #4. August, 2024).

Jesus said that we are to let His light shine in every aspect of our lives so that others might come to know Him through their relationship with us, His followers. How will they ever see Jesus if we are living just like them? There is no doubt about it, the pull of the world is so strong, but His love is stronger. We can either fix our eyes, our hearts, and our minds on Jesus or we will find ourselves distracted and eventually consumed by the things of this world. 

I mentioned earlier that the extent of the persecution that was being suffered at the time Peter wrote this letter was social pressure and persecution. Peter shares some great insight into what was going on then and what still takes place today in verses 4-5. Read it with me.

4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, 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. (1 Peter 4:4-5 NIV)

So, those they used to run with were shocked when they learned their friend’s relationship with Jesus has led them down a different path. They are no longer willing to participate in the drunken carousing and sexual debauchery that were so common and remain so common in our society. The Greek word used by Peter to describe the reaction of unbelievers to the new way of life now lived by Jesus’ followers is “ξενίζω” (xenizō). This Greek word means “to have an emotional or cognitive impact upon someone by introducing something new or strange.” 

Chuck Colson had it all. He served in the Marine Corps from 1951-1953. He graduated with a law degree from George Washington University in 1959. He started a very successful law firm before he got involved in politics. Chuck Colson was President Nixon’s hatchet man at the age of 38. Looking from the outside, Chuck Colson had the life that so many dream of, but reality was something altogether different. Colson would later write that even though he had accomplished more than he ever dreamed, he felt dead inside. It was then that a friend began to share with him about Jesus and the difference he had made in his own life. This was at the beginning of the Watergate scandal, the scandal that would bring an end to Nixon’s presidency and eventually land Chuck Colson in a federal prison for seven months. 

Colson, after spending time with his friend and reading C.S. Lewis’ book, “Mere Christianity,” announced he had become a Christian. People accused him of trying to get out of going to prison, but the truth is that he offered evidence to the prosecution so they could convict him and he could pay the penalty for his sins. Regardless of the truth, people mocked him from every section of society. One Washington Post writer, Michelle Boorstein, wrote,

So dark was Colson’s reputation that much of Washington laughed skeptically when he announced that he had embraced Christianity. (Washington Post. March 21, 2011)

You and I do not have as big of an audience as Chuck Colson when he announced that he was a follower of Jesus, but the ridicule, skepticism, and harsh treatment may be the response we get as well, if we choose to live our lives for Jesus. 

This past week, after I met with Ali and Hediye and learned about their life in Iran, I Googled, “What if someone converts from Islam to Christianity in Iran?” Here is what I learned.

Converting to Christianity in Iran is illegal and can result in: Arrest and imprisonment, loss of employment, losing your family inheritance, expulsion from school or university, endangerment of family members, converts face societal and official pressure that can lead to the death penalty.

I wish you could have all seen the big smile on Hediye’s face as we read Scripture from a Persian Bible and an English Bible. She and Ali could never own a Bible back in Iran. Some of her Muslim friends may not like the decision she has made to become a follower of Jesus, but Hediye knows that following Jesus is worth whatever ridicule or persecution comes her way. Do you know that as well?

It is time for us to wrap things up for today, but before we get out of here I want to let you know something very important. There are only two ways to live. We can live for ourselves, or as Peter says following our own desires, or we can live our lives according to God’s will, following in the steps of Jesus. They are two very different lives and lifestyles. I have lived both and I can tell you there is no life outside of the life offered to us by Jesus. Haven’t you been in control long enough? Isn’t it time to close the door on the past and walk through the door of a new life offered to you by Jesus? Won’t you hand over the reigns of your life to Jesus and let Him take control? I pray you will do that this morning. 

Mike Hays

Britton Christian Church

October 13, 2024 

“How different the will of God now seems! Once it loomed like a dark prison, curbing our desires, threatening our freedom to do as we pleased. Now we find that his yoke is easy and his burden light. The law of love is the law of liberty.” (Edmund Clowney)