Suffering After the Example of Christ

April 23, 2017

All Scripture from NIV unless otherwise documented

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 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. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and self- controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4: 1 – 11

In chapter 3 verse 18, Peter had just described the suffering that Christ did on behalf of mankind when He was put to death in His body, but made alive in the Spirit, and he wants believers to understand that they should be prepared to experience suffering as well. Since Christ, who was King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Word Who became flesh, suffered in the flesh, why should Christians think that they will be void of suffering in this life?

Therefore, Peter said, arm yourselves with the same attitude that Christ had, which Paul stated in Philippians 2: 8 was an attitude of humble obedience to God. Humble obedience to God. Jesus exampled an obedience in His life that took Him to the cross where He suffered and died. There He conquered sin in the flesh. As a result, Peter said that those who have suffered in their body are done with sin.

I won’t pretend to tell you that I totally understand what Peter was trying to say here. William Barclay stated in his commentary concerning this verse that there are three distinct possibilities that Peter was referring to. I’m sure that other commentators would add to that list. But rather than espousing these theories I will try and explain what I get out of these verses. First, I comprehend the concept that “because Jesus suffered and died on the cross”, through His resurrection He conquered sin and death. Because of what Jesus accomplished through the His death, burial and resurrection, when I accepted Christ as Lord, He covered all my sin, so in that sense, I am done with sin. I think that verse two helps us to understand that although the old sin nature is still here with us, our focus in life, our goal, our desire as a Christian, is no longer to live in sin and let it have control over us. If we are in Christ, we shed the evil human desire to sin and strive to live the rest of our earthly lives doing the will of God.

In doing so, we will suffer persecution from unbelievers. We will as it said in chapter 3 verse 16, have people speak maliciously against us and slander us and persecute us to one degree or another. So Peter told believers that they need to arm themselves with the attitude of Christ that they might endure this suffering. I might also add here that Christians put on the full armor of God mentioned in Ephesians chapter six.
Not only do we need to arm ourselves against suffering with Christ’s attitude, we need to understand that sin has its own way of causing suffering in our lives. Peter listed several sins in verse 3 that bring suffering to our lives. Things, Peter said, that pagans (unbelievers) choose to do and that we, before we had Christ in our lives, chose to do.

The first he called living in debauchery. Webster’s dictionary defines debauchery as: “extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures and especially sexual pleasures” What kind of sexual pleasures? When I read God’s Word I conclude that debauchery refers to all sex outside of the God ordained institution of marriage. That’s pretty simple for all of us to understand. The second sin Peter mentions is lust. Now I want to try and clarify something about this word. Lust and temptation are not the same thing and the reason I say that is the Scriptures state that Jesus was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4: 15 Lust is defined in Vines dictionary as “a strong desire of any kind” and I think it is expressed, for example in 1 John 2: 16 as a love for the world, reflected in the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.”

(KJV) I believe that James 1: 13 – 15 also helps us to understand this difference between temptation and lust. James wrote: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, (lust) he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Temptation isn’t sin, but that “evil desire” or lust from within us is what gives birth to sin. Peter goes on to list some things that have been associated with religious rites of certain pagan religions of that time, including drunkenness, orgies, and carousing. These were things sometimes associated with the worship of false Gods which Peter here calls detestable idolatry. The point I think that Peter was making here is that Christians have been called out from living a life of sin and evil human desires, to live a life in accordance with the will of God. As a result, they will suffer persecution by those who live this way, and they will suffer self-persecution when they choose to indulge themselves in these kinds of activities. In verse 4, Peter said that they (the unbelievers) think it strange that believers choose not to participate in these activities and they “heap abuse on you.”

According to verse five how you choose to live will determine how you will be judged by God. “But they (those who live according to evil human desires) will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. One day all people will stand before God in judgment! Verse six says that even those who died before Christ will stand in judgment, and that while Christ was in the grave, He preached the gospel to them. My understanding of this verse within the context of the whole of Scripture is that those who were looking forward in faith to the gospel (those in the Old Testament who lived according to God in regard to the Spirit) were set free at Christ’s resurrection and those who did not will one day be raised for a final judgment for what they did in the body. I believe that will take place at the Great White Throne judgment mentioned in Revelation chapter 20.
Finally, Peter said that the end of all things is near.

The disciples lived in anticipation that Christ would return in their lifetime. Every generation since then has lived with this same expectation, that the coming of Christ is imminent, and truly it is. Even though 2,000 years have gone since Christ’s resurrection, we live in anticipation that Christ could return at any moment, and even if He doesn’t, that we could be called to give an account of our lives at any moment when we die. Either way, judgment day is coming. Peter said: “be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” Have you ever noticed that when sin has its hold on you it is hard to get down on your knees and pray? It’s hard to be clear minded and self-controlled when you either or steeped in sin or feeling guilty because of your sin. Talk about suffering. Suffering that is brought on by your own sinfulness.

Peter goes on to say that “Above all, love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins.” It was the love of Christ that led Him to offer Himself on the cross to cover your sin and mine. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to love each other deeply because love begets forgiveness. As followers of Jesus you are also to offer hospitality to one another, and to do it without grumbling and complaining. In Judaism, showing hospitality
(hakhnasat orchim) to guests is considered a mitzvah. (commandment) When one knows of strangers who are hungry or need a place to relax, it becomes a legal obligation. We find many examples of this. back to Abraham. I believe that God wants us to do the same today. But Peter takes it a step further in verse 10 when he said to use whatever serving one another.

The bottom line for me in this passage is that in all things, God may be praised that you suffer a little persecution in your life as Jesus did. hospitality in the Old Testament but one good example would have been Lot showing hospitality to the men (angels) who showed up in Sodom. Peter was writing to Gentile believers and was telling them that they were to be hospitable to one another because that was one of God’s commandments going all the way gift that you have received (gifts of the Spirit) to serve others. He mentions speaking and serving, but these are only a couple of the many gifts that the Spirit has given to men. Simply put, if you know what gifts you have, use them to serve one another. If you don’t know what your gifts are, then find out so you can put them to use through Jesus Christ. Once again, we see that it isn’t about us, it’s about loving one another and serving God so that Jesus Christ may be praised. Even if that means that you suffer a little persecution in your life as Jesus did.