Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because those who have suffered in their bodies are done with sin (1 Peter 4:1).
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| Series Introduction | Week 9 Introduction |
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind… (1 Peter 4:7).
This week’s Scripture passage is composed of two clearly distinguishable parts (though each is a practical statement about how we are to live once we have placed our faith in Jesus). The first is a very strong statement about a way of life that followers of Jesus are to avoid (verses 1–6). Peter calls us to stay away from sin in no uncertain terms. Some have read these verses and been quite surprised that the Bible unmistakably says that the new believers back in the first century had lived this way before coming to Jesus. And, significantly, Peter also let them know that staying away from the kinds of sins he listed would inevitably bring mockery from the rest of the world.
The second part of the passage is a call to living a beautiful life that makes God known and brings blessing to others. Peter directs us to love deeply, show hospitality, use God-given gifts to serve others, and speak on behalf of God. All this, he says, should be done so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 4:11). When we follow Jesus, our lives should give evidence of God’s presence and transformative power.
As you prepare to worship, please notice the fact that each section includes the word “therefore.” (Remember my all-too-oft-cited maxim that when you see a “therefore,” you need to find out what it’s “there for.”) I will seek to show that the new lives we are to live as believers are always based on what we have come to believe to be true, i.e., upon ultimate reality. The Christian faith is not simply a mystical experience but a way of life based upon what is real. The first truth Peter reminds us of is the cross of Jesus (1 Peter 4:1–6); the second is the promised return of Jesus (1 Peter 4:7–11).
The New Testament pervasively proclaims that what we believe about Jesus is to change the way we live as his followers. May the Lord teach us this week about our faith so that our lives might continue to bring glory to our Lord.
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor