This Peter book is very interesting in what we need to do. Christ, died from the sin that engulfed us priorto being in Christ.
Turn to chapter 4 in 1 Peter if you will: This chapter is one Living for God, Suffering for being a Christian. It starts out telling us that Christ died, He suffered in His body, and that we need to arm ourselves just like Christ, with the same attitude Jesus had. Why? For the it says that we who have suffered in the body is rid of sin. Let's go over to chapter 3 for a second......look at verse 18 in this chapter.....it says: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit." WOW!!!!!!
Here is where we have proof of God's promise that the old self dies (the body) and the new self (the spirit) lives within us now.
You know my bible study bible says that we do this suffering for not from the sin but from us doing good by turning from the past and going to God, we came to God. So, in this suffering we are in it for doing good not evil. The suffering is not the struggle of the sin we are facing....this suffering is talking about when we are being attacked for the name of Christ. We have started to put the priorities in the correct places. And for doing so we suffer for it from persecution of the rest of the world who has yet come to the cross and died with Christ in the body.
In this type of suffering it builds us, the progression grows in sanctification. Peter is not parallel with Paul with the same type of death in sin, as it is stated in Romans 6:1-14; but same think it is.
When we continue in this chapter (4) we read about now from the result of what Christ did, He doesn't live for evil human desires. Got a question, did Jesus have human desires as we have had? Yes He did for He too was tempted, for this is how He came to have deep compassion for us. Compassion for us when we have either been brought into a trial not of our own doing....or we have place ourselves in a trial of ourown doing.
The attitude of Christ that we must gain is to prevail, from the worldly desires, and do the will of God, for it determines the factor in life. This is really cool you all.
Moving on now, verse 3 tells us about what we gave up to follow God. We gave up the evil human desires we once thought was so important. We have converted from the earthly ways of living to the heavenly ways we must now implant within our train of thoughts, actions....and desires. Our desires now are to be completely like Jesus......(the goal is.....to be like Jesus, act like Jesus, talk like Jesus, love like Jesus) I think this is so cool how God takes and shows me more and more of His Word what we as His children should do.
The rest of the world in who has yet come to know Jesus the way we know Him....thinks it is "strange" we have said sorry bud I just can't come to that party for it is not honorable to Jesus in what is happening at them. Or when we say, dude or dudette I am no longer in that. So, in turn we are being "abused" by their tongue, saying oh you Jesus freak, you perfect religious people just don't want to have fun. Stuff like this we are blessed, did you all know this? We are blessed when those that are still of the world heap abusive talk to us.
A great example of this abuse is when we go into yahoo chat, and those that are in the pagan world, that are in satanic beliefs start putting down our Father, putting us down for how we love others like we are told to love. Instead of placing them on the ignore button or leaving for it is disgrace to hear this.....we should just let them know that we are blessed with every kind of abuse they throw at us. Thank you Father for chosing me.
You know most of us go to a safe haven chat site to get away from this type of abuse. But, you know we should not run from them. We should stay and pour out love on them, for Jesus, Himself, was surrounded by sinners, not by saints. (Learned this too) It is like are we ready for the persecution of what is to come upon us because we are in Jesus now? Do we run to the safe haven to hide from this? Do you think that we would fold if we stayed among those that have yet not seen the LIGHT, or have completely rejected the LIGHT?
See in verse 5 it says: "But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." Who is the judge here? It is God the Father and God the Son. For God has passed this over to His Son, to be the judge. (cross reference to this is in John 5:27, and Acts 17:31) So, these who persecute us will have to account for what they have done.
When? At the final judgment, yes God the Father is the final judge. But, we need to keep this in mind when we start to retaliate back with ungodly comments to these who so easily cast heaping abuse upon us, we are not doing as Jesus would have done. Plus, we would just lower our self to their levels, which is not honorable to Jesus.
The gospel was preached to all past generations just as it is now in our generation. Why? so "even those that are dead might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit." v6. In death there is not one opportunity to hear the gospel, Hebrews 9:27. My bible study bible says that it is preached prior to death as we know death and now prior to judgment, why? so in Christ's death they may receive judgment now to avoid judgment that is to come.
It also says it was preached to the now dead, so to have the goal that the hearers may live as God lives-eternally. That it is given bye the Holy Spirit.
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." v7 v9 "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." We are not to grumble amongst each other. (James 5:9) For 'The Judge is standing at the door'. We need to come together and pray together for this time. We are directed to love each other deeply, because love covers multitudes of sins. v8 Love forgives and records no wrong. (1 Corinthians 13:5) This is not telling us that we can justify the wrong in which we do. To sum up this first part of 1 Peter 4, let's look at v10-11.
Here it tells us what we must do. v10 "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully, administering God's grace in its various forms. v11 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"
The gifts look at Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. The "very word" look at Acts 7:38 and Romans 3:2. and the phrase 'To him be the glory' look at 1 Corinthians1:26-31 and Jude v24-25.
continue in Part 2
