Living the Life God has for You
Notes
Transcript
How many of you sit back and wonder, “What is God’s will for my life?” It is a natural question, and I think we ask it looking for something specific. When I talk to young people, the question centers around big picture stuff like what career they should pursue or which person they should marry. But as I get older and wiser, I realize there might be a different way to ask and answer this question.
Rather than ask, “What is God’s will for my life,” what if I ask, “How do I live the life God has for me?” The question is different in that asking what God’s will for my life is tends to place an emphasis on a next step, a blueprint. One might argue that asking how I live the life God has for me might do the same. But I want to remind you that our eternity rests on a future hope, but God has a right now plan for your life.
It should be a comforting thing to know that God has a right now plan for your life. Whether you are going through something difficult or whether everything seems fine, God still cares about every aspect of your life. The churches Peter was writing to were hurting. They were suffering under persecution by the people around them. Christians are weird people when we live out biblical values. Don’t you want more of God in your life? If you want to experience God right here, right now, and live the life he has for you right now, there are a few things you are going to need to do.
Embrace the mindset of Christ.
Embrace the mindset of Christ.
Christ is our model for excellence and boldness as we live out our faith in community. Our relationship with him is rooted in the acknowledgment of how much he suffered to secure our pardon from the ultimate consequences of our sin and the freedom we now have from the power sin held over our lives. By the Spirit, we can now resist sin and hunger and thirst for righteousness. With this understanding, we are commanded to arm ourselves with the mindset of Christ.
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Like I have said in previous weeks, Christ suffered in the flesh for doing his Father’s will. We are no greater than our master, so we should not expect to be treated any better than he was. What is the same purpose? He suffered in obedience. He had it set in his mind that he would endure suffering at the hands of men to be found obedient to the Father. Likewise, we should also be willing to suffer for what is right for the sake of obedience to our Father, who paid such a high price for us.
The command is to arm ourselves. This is reminiscent of the call to put on the full armor of God we see in Ephesians 6:11. You have to suit up! We must resist conformity to the rest of the world by be ing transformed by the renewing of our minds. We must take on the mindset of Christ, who suffered yet committed himself to the will of his Father. We must commit ourselves to the same. Obedience is our duty no matter the cost.
The last clause in verse one gives us a result of embracing the mindset of Christ. If the command is to arm ourselves with the same purpose, we look to Christ as the motivator. But the result is ceasing from sin. What does Peter mean by that? One might argue that true Christians don’t sin anymore. Are you a real Christian? What about 1 John 1:8, which says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us? What about Paul’s own wrestling with sin? Romans 7:24-25
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Paul wrestled with sin. Peter wrestled with sin. James wrestled with sin. You should be wrestling with sin!
I want you to take a look at the very end of verse one. What do you see? We are not looking for a word or phrase, but punctuation. We don’t see a period ending the sentence. The sentence continues in verse two. It is not that we are delivered totally from sin when we come to faith in Christ (as nice as that would be), but we are freed from the stranglehold it had over our lives. A transformed life no longer pursues self-indulgence. The focus shifts from human passions to doing the will of God. We no longer live for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. When you have a healthy, vibrant walk with God, your taste changes.
When I had to stop eating junk and start eating healthier, I found my taste buds changed. I actually began looking forward to eating the things I previously hated. Donuts used to be amazing. There was nothing like sinking my teeth into a freshly warmed donut. But you know I don’t eat them anymore but maybe once or twice a year. The last time I had one, it wasn’t that great. The temptation was there and I succumbed, but then I was a little disappointed.
Let me ask you something. Do you hate your sin? Does it leave a bad taste in your mouth? Or are you unbothered by the things in your life Christ died to free you from? Embracing the mindset of Christ is to wage war on the things in you and in your life that are not of God. We no longer have an appetite for sin, but a hunger and thirst for righteousness.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
The second thing you must do to live the life God has for you is:
Leave the past where it is.
Leave the past where it is.
Unless somebody invents a time machine and you are fortunate enough to get access to it, go back in time and change something about your life, there is nothing you can do about what has happened in the past. You might have regrets. You might have wished you did something else or something else happened to you, but you cannot change it. That time has come and gone.
Though the past is gone, it does not mean that we cease interacting with it, but we have to remind ourselves that there are lessons to learn to shape how we are going to live today.
For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;
Our past lives were characterized by self-indulgence. If you came to faith when you were little, you may have experienced less time in self-indulgent behavior. If you came to faith later in life, you might have more experience. Some of us came to faith, but didn’t live it for quite some time. But we should recognize that there are times where our old nature sneaks in and draws us away. We have a tendency to turn back to the things Christ died for thinking they will satisfy. But if they were, wouldn’t you have found it already?
Does the things you do that don’t line up with God’s will for your life leave a bad taste in your mouth? Haven’t you spent enough time doing it? Haven’t you spent enough time drinking? Haven’t you spent enough time partying? Haven’t you spent enough time looking at porn on the internet? Haven’t you spent enough time buying lottery tickets and scratch offs? Haven’t you spent enough time wasting resources on things you don’t need? If they were going to satisfy you, they already would. It is time to leave those things in the past and start anew.
When you make this decision, you should expect resistance from the world. The people in your life may be surprised or even hostile toward you as God transforms your thinking and your behaviors begin to change. The rejection we might experience from others is evidence of God working in your life.
I remember the time a girl I was acquainted with came by my house with a friend of hers one night. This was after I came to Christ. She asked me if I could score some weed for them. I thought to myself, “Yes I could. Easily.” But I couldn’t do it. It was time to leave that part of my life in the past. I told her I couldn’t do what she was asking. She was shocked. I don’t remember if I told her I had become a Christian, but I do remember telling her I had quit smoking weed. She couldn’t believe it. That’s the last I ever saw of her. I was no longer of any value it would seem.
I have been called stupid, foolish, crazy, bigoted, greedy, manipulative, and probably other things for not just believing in Christ but committing myself to living biblical principles. There is still a kid in me who still has a fierce desire to be liked and belong. So there is still a part of me that takes it personally when people say things about me that are not true, but the maturing man in me has arrived at a point where I just don’t care.
It’s time to leave the past where it is. It’s time to leave that part of your life behind. If you hope to live the life God has for you, close the door on the things that are keeping you from walking with him knowing you will be criticized, but confident enough to do it anyway.
Trust God’s righteous judgment.
Trust God’s righteous judgment.
It was a Saturday morning and there was a little league baseball game going. Eight year old Ricky was coming up to bat. His dad was the coach, and Ricky turned to him and said, “Dad, I just don’t think I can do it. The other team always laughs at me.” You see, Ricky had been in the sport for a while, but he had gotten very few hits. Even when he did, the ball always fell short and he was out before he ever made it to first base. Ricky was feeling defeated and he just didn’t want to go out and hear the kids cracking jokes at him or feel the eyes of everyone in the stands watching him. And his dad knew that.
His dad pulled him aside for a second and said, “Ricky, I know you don’t feel very confident right now. But I know you have it in you. You’re my son. And we have been working hard on this. The kids on the other team are going to say stuff, but you can’t let it bother you. Remember none of it is true. Now I want you to go out there and do your best. Will you promise me that you will try your best?” Ricky, wiping tears from his eyes, says, “Yes, dad.” As he turns to take his position, his dad says, “I love you, son.”
Ricky steps up to the plate and as usual, you got kids in the field saying, “Better move up guys! Easy out!” Ricky starts shaking. He’s getting nervous. But he remembers the words of his father. He takes a deep breath, gets in position, and the pitcher lets the first pitch loose. Strike. Right down the middle. Ricky is even more nervous. Here comes the second pitch. Ricky grips the bat, and swings with all his might. It connects! The ball flies just an inch above the pitcher’s glove. Ricky’s dad screams, “RUUUUUUN!” Ricky takes off to first. The ball rolls between the legs of the second baseman! Ricky’s foot hits first base and he rounds for second! The outfielder gets the ball and throws to second, but he’s too late! Ricky is standing on second base safe! His whole team is going ballistic! He looks back at dad and he’s got a big old grin on his face! For the rest of the game the other team said nothing when Ricky stepped up to bat.
One day your critics will be silenced. Everyone who has ever slandered you as a follower of Jesus, persecuted you, sneered at you, or otherwise resisted what you are doing in the name of Christ will be silenced. Everyone stands before the judge. Vindication will come.
1 Peter 4:5-6
but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
I want you to get into the batter’s box and swing, baby, swing!
He says something in verse six that is intriguing. The gospel has been preached even to those who are dead. This has led to much debate. Does Peter mean the gospel is preached to those who are spiritually dead? Is it that they believed and have since died physically? Is it that he is referring to people who did not believe and have died? While these questions may be difficult to answer, I want to assure you the gospel of Christ is for the living and the dead. Even Christians face physical death. It is a part of God’s judgment on all of creation. But our death when we are in Christ is not a death leading to judgment, but a death leading to eternal life.
If you want to live the life God has for you, you’ll need to embrace the mindset of Christ. Obedience in spite of opposition and suffering. May you lose your appetite for sin as you starve it out by feeding your hunger and thirst for righteousness. Make it your priority above all else to know God deeply. When you make that relationship more important than any other, your taste for the things of this world will diminish.
Leave the past where it belongs. I know you are carrying some baggage. We all do from time to time. You can’t change it, and you should also not be trapped by it. Have the courage to work through the pain of past experiences and then leave it where it belongs. If you have been flirting with sin, it’s time to name it and kick it out of your life.
Trust in God’s righteous judgment. If you stand for Jesus, there are people around you that will hate it. You might get name-called, uninvited to things, excluded from certain aspects of public life, but remember that every critic that tries to stand in the way of what you know God is calling you to will one day be silenced. Step up to the batter’s box and swing, baby, swing!
