Peculiar People 8: Arm Yourselves

Intro

Good morning, would you please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter 4:1-11.

We are continuing our series through the book of 1 Peter called “Peculiar People”.

Where we are learning how we as the people of God are peculiar,

how we are different from the world:

In who we are, in how we live, and in what we hope for.

One of the most peculiar, most weird things about Christians throughout history has been their willingness to suffer martyrdom, dying for the sake of Christ.

Everyone one of Jesus’ Apostles suffered physically for the sake of the gospel,

all but one being killed for their faith.

And since then, countless Christians have willingly endured opposition, persecution, and suffering,

many even going to their deaths for their faith in Jesus Christ.

When you read stories about Christians who have experience persecution and suffering in history,

or reports of our brothers and sisters all over the world who are experiencing it right now,

its easy to wonder, “How can they do that?”

Well in our passage this morning, the Apostle Peter teaches us about the mindset that prepares us to meet opposition, persecution, and suffering.

But this mindset not only prepares God’s people to endure suffering in hard times,

but it can also strengthen us to reject sin, and pursue holiness,

as we seek to live lives that glorify him even in times of peace.

Which takes us to our passage this morning.

1 Peter 4:1-11

Arm Yourselves (v. 1)

Context

Remember, Peter’s original audience in Asia Minor is experiencing opposition, persecution and suffering.

And as we seen in previous weeks, this section of Peter’s letter is about how christians are to deal with these for the sake of Christ.

So he tells the believers here in our passage how they are to prepare themselves to face suffering for Christ.

1 Peter 4:1 (ESV)

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking,

Peter here draws us back to the point that he made in the previous section that we looked at last week.

That Christ, through his suffering, won salvation for humanity,

and the victory over the powers of darkness.

It was through Christ’s suffering through the cross that victory was won.

Jesus knew this was what he was accomplishing when he approach the cross on which he would suffer.

His suffering was the road to glory!

Suffering

See, there are three possible ways a person can understand suffering:

1. Suffering as retribution

2. Suffering as meaningless

3. Suffering as part of the plan of God

1. Retribution

First there is suffering as retribution, or as a direct punishment.

This is the understanding of many pagan world religions.

This is the position of Hinduism and Buddhism for example, with the idea of a Karma.

You have done something evil in a previous life, you are made to suffer in the next life,

and in the next life, and in the next life, until you have paid off your karmic debt.

In fact, the entire goal of buddhism is to end the cosmic cycle of suffering

by ridding oneself of desire,

which buddhists believe is the cause of suffering.

Even for Christians, when someone undergoes suffering it is easy to fall into thinking, “God must be punishing me for something.” This is not necessarily the case.

Now this is not to say that God does not bring judgment upon people, and judgment often includes suffering.

There are physical, spiritual, or emotional consequences for sinful or foolish decisions people make.

Nobody wonders why someone might lose their licence or their legs if they were driving drunk.

But when suffering comes as a result of God’s judgment, or as a consequence of sin or foolishness, we are not left to wonder why.

Suffering is not always due to punishment from God.

As our passage says this morning, “Christ suffered”.

He suffered abandonment by his friends and rejection by his people,

he suffered abuse and torture at the hands of the Romans,

and ultimately died an excruciating death on a cross.

The most innocent being who ever lived, the sinless Son of God, suffered.

Suffering is not necessarily the result of punishment.

2. Meaningless

The second way people often understand suffering, is that it is meaningless.

You find this understanding within the worldviews of atheism, and secular humanism,

as well as many pagan religions throughout history.

If you read the ancient pagan writers; suffering is not even questioned,

there is no search for justice or purpose in it, it is just a fact of life.

It’s the same thing if you listen to popular atheists, a person’s suffering is no different than an ant’s.

There is no ultimate meaning attached to it, the meaning in the suffering begins and ends at the individual.

So there could be no ultimate purpose to suffering, and no moral quality to it.

Just like the goal of buddhism is to end suffering at a cosmic level,

the goal of our therapeutic culture is to end suffering on the physical level.

This is behind the push in the last few decades towards euthanasia being an acceptable practice.

If there is no God who orchestrates all things according to the purpose of his will,

and if we are not made in his image;

then human suffering is ultimately meaningless,

and so if we choose to care about suffering at all, we can take any means we choose to end it.

No matter how barbaric or dystopian.

3. The Plan of God

But suffering is neither only punishment for evil, nor is it meaningless.

Suffering, as difficult as it is, is a part of God’s just, righteous, and good plan.

And I’ll tell you what: I would have it no other way.

Though mankind brought suffering and death into the world through his sin,

God in his sovereignty uses it to accomplish his perfect divine plan.

God knows what it is to suffer.

In enduring the cross, Jesus suffered;

not only that he might sympathize with our sufferings,

but that through his sufferings he could bring salvation to the world,

and triumph over evil.

For Christ, suffering was the road to glory.

That means for those who are in Christ, suffering is also the road to glory.

And it is a road that we should expect to take.

Point 1: Arm Yourselves for Suffering

So Peter tells believers not to travel down that road unprepared, but to “arm ourselves”,

Which takes me to my first point this morning, and that is this:

Arm yourselves for suffering.

As the covenant people of God we need to be prepared to face opposition, persecution, and suffering for the sake of Christ.

Jesus told his disciples in John 15:18-20

John 15:18–20 (ESV)

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

As a peculiar people living in a world that is in opposition to God, we need to expect opposition, persecution and suffering.

We ought not to be surprised when it happens, nor should we be surprised by the severity of it.

Opposition, persecution and suffering can be incredibly difficult, painful, and humiliating.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will look noble in the eyes of the world for suffering for Christ.

How will you do when you’re called the worst things imaginable, even by the people that you love?

How will you do when all that you’ve built up, is taken away from you?

How will you do when your life, or the life of someone in your family is on the line?

How will you do? Because it’s not impossible that you and I could face these very things.

Sharing in Christ’s sufferings has been the reality for countless believers down through the centuries,

and is the reality for countless believers all around the world.

And as our own culture has grown in it’s opposition to the things of God,

we need to come to grips with the fact that we could face some of these very things ourselves.

That is why it is so important that we arm ourselves for opposition, persecution and suffering.

That we might valiantly face whatever the Lord in his sovereignty allows us to go through.

Arm yourselves for suffering.

But how do we go about doing that?

Dead in the Flesh (vv. 1-2)

Well, we see that here in v. 1,

1 Peter 4:1 (ESV)

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking,

As we saw in c. 3 last week, Peter is using the word “suffer” to refer to death.

So he is saying here that since Christ died in the flesh, to arm yourself with the same way of thinking,

to consider yourself already dead in the flesh.

Peter is telling believers to arm themselves to face suffering, by considering themselves already dead.

Already Dead

The television miniseries Band of Brothers, follows a company of paratroopers through the final years of World War II.

And there’s an episode that deals with the issue of fear in battle.

In that episode a soldier named Albert Blythe became paralyzed with fear every time he went into battle.

He eventually meets a man named Lieutenant Spears, who is his exact opposite; an effective soldier with a reputation for bravery on the battlefield.

When the Lieutenant learns of Blythe’s fear he gives him these sobering words.

“Blythe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function.”

Lt. Spears meant that in order to do their duty as soldiers, they needed to go into battle already having forfeited their lives,

they needed to consider themselves already dead, in order to stave off their fear.

Now there isn’t a lot of hope demonstrated in that scene of the show, its a pretty bleak outlook,

and we as Christians certainly have a hope for glory beyond death.

But we still need have the same mindset when it comes to our earthly lives.

We arm ourselves to endure opposition, persecution, and suffering

by surrendering our earthly lives before we face any of those things.

That is how we arm ourselves for suffering, by considering ourselves already dead in the flesh.

That is the mindset that Peter wants us to have.

But this isn’t just a way of thinking, this mindset reflects the spiritual reality of our new life in Christ.

“Ceased From Sin”

When Peter writes at the end of v. 1, “that whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,”

this does not mean that those who experience persecution and suffering attain some sort of sinless perfection.

Sinless perfectionism is the belief that a Christian can, through the pursuit of holiness, grow to the point where they no longer sin.

This is frankly unbiblical,

1 John 1:8 is very clear,

1 John 1:8 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We cannot attain a perfect sinless life this side of the resurrection, even if we suffer.

Even very obedient, godly people still sometimes sin.

Instead Peter is telling us about the spiritual reality of being dead to the flesh in Christ.

That if we are in Christ by faith we have already suffered (died) with him, we are already dead in the flesh.

And since we have died in the flesh, we have “ceased from sin,”

some translations say we are, “done with sin.”

If we have received a new life in Christ, through repentance and faith in him,

we have died to the flesh, and are no longer enslaved to sin.

This is a reality that the Apostle Paul writes about in Romans 6:6-7, where he says,

Romans 6:6–7 (ESV)

We know that our old self was crucified with [Christ] in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Just like a slave who has died is no longer in thrall to his master, our death in Christ frees us from our enslavement to sin.

The moment we believed in Christ for salvation, our old sinful self was crucified with Christ.

Galatians 2:20 says something similar.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

If we, through faith in Christ, have been crucified with him,

if we have, as our passage this morning says, suffered with him;

then we have died to the enslavement of sin in our lives.

We are done with sin, it does not rule our lives,

we can walk in obedience to God.

This interpretation of the passage makes sense when you continue the passage into v. 2.

1 Peter 4:2 ESV

so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Here in v. 2 we actually have two points that Peter will expand on in the following verses.

Point 2: Arm Yourselves Against Worldliness

Which takes me to my second point this morning:

2. Arm Yourselves Against Worldliness.

This mindset, that you have died with Christ, that you are already dead in the flesh,

arms us for suffering,

but it also arms us against sin and worldliness.

As v.2 of our passage says, “so [that we might] live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions.”

Worldiness (vv. 3-5)

Verses 3-5 of our passage expand this theme.

Starting in v. 3, Peter writes:

1 Peter 4:3 ESV

For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.

Peter is saying here; when you were Gentiles, before you were purchased with Christ’s blood,

before you became a peculiar people,

thats how you lived: doing what the pagans do, living in sensuality and passions.

Being ruled by your stomach, your appetites.

But since you have died, the time is past for doing those things.

Don’t give in to those things any more.

Be armed with the mindset that you have died to the flesh,

and are therefore no longer ruled by the appetites of the flesh.

Let your attitude, and actions, be consistent with the spiritual reality that you have died to the old self, the flesh, and it’s desires.

But I’ll tell you if you do this, you will be weird, you will be peculiar, you will be different in how you live,

compared to those who haven’t died to their flesh.

The World’s Response

Peter goes on to say what the world’s response is to those who have died to the flesh in v. 4.

1 Peter 4:4 (ESV)

With respect to this they [the world, the pagans] are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;

Those who celebrate the desires of the flesh are often offended when people who have died to the flesh don’t celebrate sin along with them.

This is so often a source of strife between believers in Christ and unbelievers.

It was true of Peter’s audience, when they did not participate in hedonistic public religious festivals where there was heavy drinking, idolatry and lots of sexual sin.

And it is true today when Christian don’t participate in wild partying, sexual sin,

or in our own culture’s dyonisian religious festival - pride.

Peter says here that this is one of the reason’s that believers are maligned, opposed by the world.

But he goes on to say in v. 5,

1 Peter 4:5 ESV

but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

See, the world has a “buy now - pay never” attitude towards vice and pleasure.

They want to enjoy the sinful pleasures of the flesh now,

but most don’t ever think they will pay for their sin in the future.

Instead of having a mindset that says, “I have died to the flesh,”

most people have a mindset that says, “Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

But there is a life after death, and you will spend it in one of two places for eternity.

The Bible tells us that God will judge the living and the dead for what they did in the flesh.

Those who receive salvation through faith in Christ will spend eternity in glory with him.

Those who insist on pursuing the life of the flesh, will pay for it dearly in hell.

The Gospel (v. 6)

This is why it is so important to throw yourself on the grace and forgiveness that Jesus offers through repentance and faith.

As Peter says in v. 6 of our passage,

1 Peter 4:6 (ESV)

For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are [or who have become] dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

See we are given a new life when we believe in the Gospel,

the good news that Christ died for your sins, and rose from the dead, and defeated Satan, sin and death.

And the life you receive through faith, isn’t meant to satisfy your hope for happiness, prosperity, and glory in this life of the flesh.

Instead the gospel makes our vision for what we hope for extend beyond death itself to eternity.

Vision for Glory

For the world who do not have the sure hope for glory beyond death,

what’s important is the pleasures of this world,

their vision for what to hope for only goes as far as the extent of their earthly life.

They do not see beyond death.

To the world it is not worth it to reject the desires of the flesh.

But for the Christian, who’s example is Christ,

and who’s hope is not in what happens to them in this life because they have died to the flesh,

our vision extends beyond this earthly life,

beyond death, and into the promised glory of eternity.

Our hope is not in this life of the flesh, we have died to the flesh,

our hope is in the glory promised to us in the resurrection,

it is worth it not to give into the desires of the flesh, because we have a hope for something greater.

This is how this mindset, that you have died with Christ, that you are already dead in the flesh,

can arm us against worldliness and sin.

For The Will Of God (vv. 7-11)

This mindset not only arms us against worldliness, but it also arms us for something.

When we look back at v. 2 of our passage, it says

1 Peter 4:2 (ESV)

“to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions, but for the will of God.”

Point 3: Arm Yourself for the Will of God

This takes me to my final point this morning and that is this:

3. Arm yourself for the will of God.

Having the mindset that we have died to flesh, arms us, strengthens us to live for the will of God.

Peter’s instructions in vv. 7-11 are examples of how we can live for the will of God, because we have died to the flesh.

The End of All Things

Peter begins this section in v. 7 by saying,

1 Peter 4:7 (ESV)

The end of all things is at hand.

Now Peter is not saying that he is expecting the return of Christ immediately,

but he is saying, “in light of the end of all things, in light of the reality of the return of the christ one day; live for the will of God.

This is much like what James says in James 5:7-8,

James 5:7–8 ESV

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

So how are we to live in light of the end of all things, in light of the coming of the Lord?

By living for the will of God. Armed with the mindset that we have died in the flesh.

And Peter tells us how living for the will of God is expressed personally, relationally, and missionally in vv. 7-11.

1. Personally

We see living for the will of God expressed in our personal lives in v. 7, where Peter says,

1 Peter 4:7 (ESV)

therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

Do not give in to the appetites of the flesh, nor let your passions (your feelings) take control of your life.

but be self controlled and sober minded - be dead to the whims of the flesh.

Don’t give into sin in your thoughts, words or actions.

Have control of them by the power of the spirit.

This requires dying to self, being dead in the flesh.

This is how we live for the will of God in our personal lives.

Peter even links how we live to the effectiveness of our prayers.

Be self controlled and sober minded - that you might live and pray in the will of God.

2. Relationally

Next Peter shows how living for the will of God is expressed relationally in vv. 8-9, he says:

1 Peter 4:8–9 ESV

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

When we die to our flesh, when we die to the self,

we won’t live with selfish motives,

but we will live with the well being of others in mind, showing them hospitality, meeting their needs.

That is what love is, doing what is of greatest benefit for another according to the law of God.

Just like Paul says in Romans 13:10 that, “Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

We love one another when we fulfill the law of God towards each other earnestly, from the heart.

This is why Peter says, “love covers a multitude of sins.”

That is how living in the will of God is expressed relationally.3. Missionally

And finally in vv. 10-11 Peter demonstrates how living in the will of God is expressed missionally.

1 Peter 4:10–11 ESV

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Instead of using the gifts that God has given you for selfish gain - for gratifying the desires of the flesh,

use your gifts for the glory of God.

Many who are gifted speakers say the things that people’s itching ears want to hear -

that they might win the admiration of others and maybe even become rich doing so.

But those who have died to self - speak as one who speaks the oracles of God,

proclaiming the truth boldly,

and without fear of what others think or what it will cost them.

When it comes to serving others, many of those who serve, do so for the purpose of looking good to others,

or serve in a way that benefits them.

But those who have died to self - serve beyond their natural strength, and in the strength that God supplies.

And the purpose of their service is that God may be glorified!

This is how we who have died to the flesh live in the will of God missionally,

doing all things for God’s kingdom and for his glory.

Application

We who have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ are a peculiar people, we are different from the world.

We are different in who we are:

Where as the world lives in the flesh,

we have died to the flesh.

We are different from the world in how we live:

Where as the world lives to satisfy their appetites, pursuing their own glory,

we live in the will of God, for the glory of God.

And we are different in what we hope for:

Where as the world puts their hope in this life only,

we put our hope in the glory that is to come.

If we are to live as a peculiar people, we need to arm ourselves.

We need to arm ourselves with the mindset that we have already died,

that we have died to the flesh.

Conclusion

This mindset that we have died to the flesh is powerful armament when facing opposition, persecution, and suffering.

Arming ourselves with this knowledge, with this mindset, strengthens us to meet and endure suffering,

if God sees fit to allow us to share in them with him.

Because we know that the reward and the glory that await us in the hereafter,

is far greater than any pain we might suffer in the here and now.

This is just like what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:18, where he says:

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

This mindset, that we have died, arms us for facing suffering,

But it is also a way to arm oneself against worldliness and for holiness,

even when we aren’t experiencing hardship as Christians.

Which may be the more immediate and difficult challenge that we face.

See, it’s easy for us to say, “I will die for the sake of Christ, if that day ever comes.”

The real question you need to answer is this: “Will you live for him?”