1 Peter chapter 4. So open there
again and this is a marvelous chapter. In fact the whole book
of 1 Peter has been just such a blessing. It's so deep and
it's been such a challenge to study. And this, what he's talking
about, if I could say it in a word, the mind of Christ arming us
in suffering. The mind of Christ arming us
in suffering. Peter builds upon the exhortations
that he already established in previous chapters, namely Christ's
suffering and death that made an end of sin for all those whom
he died. Peter had already referred to
our identifying with Christ in baptism where he says it's an
answer of a good conscience towards God. Now that's important. because
there's nothing that we can do to add to what Christ has already
done. In fact, if you think there's
something that you can do, you don't have salvation because
you are saying that the work of Christ is not sufficient,
that there is something you need to do. An example would be be
baptized or whatever work you may try to do. It's an answer
of a good conscience towards God. A public confession of what
has already been taking place, our new birth, unified with Christ
in death and in resurrection. As our union with Christ and
identification with him works out and applies in our daily
lives, the Holy Spirit works in us, giving us the power to
stand against sin and the power to testify and to live out the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, as Paul said,
whom I've suffered the loss of all things. And he says that
I may know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death, being
conformed to his death. The surpassing value of knowing
the Lord Jesus Christ and his work in us has caused a new creature
to be born. We're born again. We're not the
old flesh. We're the new man in Christ Jesus.
We carry the old flesh around with us. And we are the new man
in Christ Jesus. We're created in righteousness
and true holiness. And so we're gonna live that
out in our lives. That is gonna live itself out.
And so first of all, I wanna see, my point number one is Christ's
death for his people in one, chapter one, and we're gonna
go back to a few verses also. Christ's death for his people.
He established an important contextual truth here. Important and anchor
truth that everything was paid in full. When he used that in
John 19, it is finished, that word was just the common marketplace
term, paid in full, like on a bill of some kind, that they would
stamp it, they would be able to, the account was settled.
And so, it is finished, he said, it is finished. And now Isaiah
53 says this, he shall see of the travail of his soul and be
satisfied. That death, on the cross for
our sins, for the sins of His people, satisfied a holy and
righteous God. His holy law was satisfied. His justice was satisfied. By
His knowledge, it says, by His knowledge my righteous servants
shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Look at
the pronouns. Many, because He bore their iniquities. Our justification was based upon
the fact that our iniquities were born by the Lord Jesus Christ. If your iniquities were born,
you're justified. You're justified. He will justify
many for he shall bear their iniquities. All that the Spirit
will bring to faith in time are justified completely from eternity. and justified in the death of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything you and I try to do
to add to what was done is worthless. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the
washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. You see,
not by works of righteousness, which we have done. And that's
what Paul says. And then also another, just to
me, it's a verse on this. If you think that any religious
duty that you can do could be acceptable to God, listen to
Isaiah when he says, all of our righteous deeds, all of our righteousnesses,
or as filthy rags before God. Can you imagine what our sins
look like? All our righteous deeds are as filthy rags. We
all do faith as a leaf, and the iniquities, our iniquities, like
the wind, have carried us away. Come to Christ. If you're here
without Christ, come to Christ by faith where you're sitting
now. Don't think you can add anything
to it, and don't think you have a tomorrow, because come to Christ
right now, trusting in His work. Don't walk anywhere, don't come
anywhere, don't move a muscle, just trust. Trust in what Christ
has done for you. Now that's important. And so
he goes on to talk about, from this point, He's going to talk
about the church that is already redeemed. The church that is
the believers in Christ Jesus is the subject and how they apply
to their surroundings. And so number two, I want to
say Christ's mind in his people, Christ's mind in his people,
the truth of our union with him. And that's a truth in the scripture
that it would be impossible to try to establish that in the
time that I have, because he's the husband and we're the bride.
Scriptures teach that he is the head and we're the body. He is
the vine and we're the branches. We have a union, a vital union
with Christ. And this is an exhortation that
really applies to that union because he says, The first sense
of this exhortation And let me go on to verse two
as well. He that has suffered in the flesh
has ceased from sin, that he should no longer live the rest
of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will
of God. So let's look at the first sense of this exhortation.
Our union with Christ gives us the motivation and the power
that causes our death to sinful practices. When he died, we died. When he died, we died. Now I'm
not saying that you're going to be completely, what do they call it, the word,
is completely, well I'm thinking of the word exitoso, completely
successful in in this. And I want to make that clear
at the outset. But when he died, we died. This is our union with
Christ. When he was buried, we were buried. When he rose from
the dead, we rose from the dead. And in him, we're seated in the
heavenly places in our Savior and our high priest who bears
us on his heart and lips before the throne of his Father. This
is a marvelous truth. Now, what I meant to say by that,
I probably put that in too early that we're not going to be completely,
we can't count complete success in the way it lives out in our
lives. But we can count complete success in that union with Christ
because we didn't have anything to do with it. He brought us
into that union with himself, right? And as it works out in
our lives, as it applies in our lives, it's probably a better
word than works out, as it applies in our lives in daily living,
I wanted to say we can't count complete success without failure
because of our enemy, the devil, and how he is walking around
as a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. But nevertheless,
we're not to give up the fight. And nevertheless, we're not to
go back to the law and have a legalistic righteousness. As Brother Heller
says, be who you are in Christ. You are a born-again believer.
You are a new man. There's a new man that's created
within you. Be who you are. and allow Christ through the
Spirit of God to work His righteousness through your life as a public
testimony. And that's why I wanted to say
that at the outset. And like I say, I put that in
a little bit early when I was referring to the vine and the
branches and the union that we have in Christ and the head,
that He's the head and we're the body. And so that is completely
successful, what He has done, that we are completely identified
with Him. and His death and His burial
and His resurrection. Our union with Christ through
His death and resurrection gives us the power to live a life of
honor and glory and testimony. And why do I say that? Well,
if you look at 2 Corinthians 5, 15, and I want to read this
in a version that's called the New King James Version because
it's clearer in that. 2 Corinthians 5, 14 and 15. What is that power that lives
in us to live out a life of honor and glory? Well, he says in 14,
for the love of Christ compels us because we judged thus, that
if one died for all, then all died. And he died for all that those
who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who
died for them and rose again. This is not only a great verse
on the particular redemption of Christ, because when he died
for all, all those whom he died for died in him. And it's not
that all were dead, truly that's a truth, all were dead, but that's
not what he's teaching here, he's saying all died in him.
But that's not only a good verse on particular redemption, it's
also a good verse on the purpose of redemption and daily living
and union with Christ, because he says, and he died for all
that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but
for him who died for them and rose again from the dead. That
is our purpose now in life, you see, that's what Peter's referring
to here. when he said, he that is dead
is freed from sin. Let's look at Colossians three, Colossians
three and verse three through five. This is this is a beautiful
verse. This is a wonderful truth. It says, for you are dead. Colossians
three, three. For you are dead. And your life
is hid with Christ in God, when Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. And in verse
5, mortify therefore your members which are upon earth, fornication,
which is sexual immorality of all kinds, the word being pornea,
and uncleanness, which is impurity, inordinate affection, which is
lust and pornography, evil concupiscence, which is evil desires, and greed
or covetousness. Mortify those members, put to
death those members, he says, which is idolatry. He says uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
What he's saying is sexual immorality, put to death, put to death impurity,
put to death lust, put to death evil desires, lustful desires,
put to death greed, which is idolatry. Love for anything is
idolatry to God because you're putting something else above
God. put him to death. And so he says that our union
with Christ brings about the power that works in us to hate
sin and not let sin have dominion over us as a practice. He who
lives in union with him, arms himself with that same mind in
his daily battle with sin. Now that's in verse one. Let
me read that again. For as much then as Christ has
suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with his same
mind. Let this mind be in you. And he says, for he that has
suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should
live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men,
but to the will of God. Now, let's look at Romans six,
Romans six, starting in verse six. This is a parallel. If there's
any parallel verse more than Colossians three or many other
verses. In fact, this this truth is in
many places in the epistles. But is it Romans six, Romans
six, because of a particular thing he says in in in the first
few verses of first Peter and in Romans six repeated the same
thing. Romans six, six. Knowing this,
that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed." Now look what he says here, before I even
go any further. Our old man is crucified with him. You see where
he makes his case upon union with Christ? And we don't have
time to read the verses before that. For he that is, oh I'm
sorry, crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin, that power of sin,
that part of our body that is just against the will of God
completely is destroyed because there's a new man created in
us. You see, now that doesn't mean that you're not going to
carry that flesh around with you. The body of sin might be
destroyed, henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is
dead is freed from sin. The same thing he said, he that
suffered in the flesh is set free from sin, is freed from
sin. Look back in 4.1, just hold your place there though, back
in 4.1. Look what he says here. Arm yourselves with the same
mind, this is the B part of the verse, for he that has suffered
in the flesh has ceased from sin. He that has died is completely
done away with sin as a principle. And it says, Now if we be dead
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him,
knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more.
Death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he
died to sin once, and in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise, reckon ye yourselves Reckon ye also yourselves to
be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign your
mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness
of sin, but yield yourselves to God as those that are alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness
unto God." You see, there's a responsibility for us to do and that is to yield.
It's a responsibility for us to do not, like I say again,
not adding Two, anything that Christ has done, but working
itself out in our lives, working His righteousness out through
the Holy Spirit in our lives. And so, going back to 1 Peter
chapter four again, it is something that we have to do, and Martin
Lloyd-Jones wrote a great commentary on this, on Romans chapter six
here. In fact, it goes from three,
I think, through, through six or three through eight. And he
brings that out. It's a responsibility that we
have to do daily. It's a responsibility that we
have to do daily. And so he says, for he that is
dead, in 1 Peter again, for he that is dead, I'm sorry, 1 Peter
chapter one, for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased
from sin, that he should no longer live the rest of his time to
the flesh for the lust of men but to the will of God. Now there's
another thing we glean from this verse by application. And I want to go through this
other thing, and some commentaries bring this out, and I think it's
good also, and it has to do with the physical persecutions. But
before I bring that out, staying on this topic of putting to death
the deeds of the body, you know, in Titus 2.14, The Word of God
says, Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us
from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works. You see that what I'm, I guess
what I'm trying to bring out is that That new man that is
created in a Christian, that born again Christian is going
to have a zeal to live out for the glory of Christ and for thanksgiving
of what God has done. I mean, you can't say that there
was never been a change in your life after you've been born again,
and you can't just give up because we can't add anything to what
Christ has done. And you can't go about a legalistic
righteousness either. So you've got to live out what
Christ put in. And you remember what he said?
He said, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before
it is God who worketh in you to will and to do of his good
pleasure. I like what John Newton said.
I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be in
another world, but still I am not what I once used to be. And
by the grace of God, I am what I am. He's quoting Paul there. And so that's what I'm trying
to say. And I belabor that point because it's a very important
point that the principle is of the mind of Christ in us is to
apply that in our daily lives as we work out. And he says in
verse three, four, and he compares our past life in verse three,
four, time passed, For the time past of our life may suffice
us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in
lasciviousness, in lust, in excess of wine, in revelings, banquetings,
or eating too much gluttony, and abominable idolatries, wherein
they think it strange that you run not with them to the same
excess of right." Now here comes the persecution. Speaking evil
of you, and they shall give an account. And then there's another
thing, because of persecution, there's another thing, another
application, like I say, that we glean from this verse, and
it needs to be brought out because it is brought out in many places,
and that is thinking of the physical persecutions that were taking
place in the first century. The same mind in verse one, that
same mind, the mind of Christ working in you, he who has died
is completely finished with sin, right? I mean, that's a principle.
If you died completely, you're through with sin because you're
living in another world and you're not here. It takes away the weapon
of the fear of death for these believers who are dying daily.
And they knew that the end of this standing might be martyrdom. And by the way, the time is coming
here, right? We've been living in a wonderland
here in the United States. The time is coming to where it
will be that way here. It will be where you're barred
from speaking the truth. from pulpits and in the street.
And however, the Lord has taken the sting out of death. for them
and they should be therefore the boulder for Christ. And so
John Gill brings this out. Wow, where's my time going? John
Gill brings this out. The believer that suffers death
in his body for the sake of Christ, such in one immediately ceases
from the very being of sin and all commission of it. He becomes
at once perfectly pure and holy without spot or wrinkle or any
such thing. And a noble argument this is
to meet death without fear. and to suffer it cheerfully and
willingly since The consequence of this will be an entire freedom
from sin. Fortify your minds with this
thought, in the sense of that, if the exhortation is the sure
outcome of what the first century Christians were facing during
this wave of Christian persecutions under Nero, the emperor. And you can just go through the
book and see the descriptions of the fiery persecutions and
the fiery trials he's talking about here, or get a copy of
Foxe's Book of Martyrs, and you can see it. And so that's the
end result, what he's talking about, of this mind of Christ
working out in you that would fortify you. It's an application
of that, but it's not the main thought here. It's not the main
thought, but it's worthwhile bringing out. So let's look at
number three, the world's reaction in verse three through six. The
reaction of our changed lifestyle, as we just got through reading,
is many levels of opposition and persecution. Those running
with us cannot fathom, cannot support our new lifestyle, and
so they begin to level insults and persecution on us, and it
even goes towards government authorities here in the first
century. And they're deriding us for the change of lifestyle
that Christ has worked in us that works out in our lifestyle.
And so in verse 5, look what he says. In verse 5 of chapter
4, he says, These shall give an account, who shall give an
account of him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
And he mentioned that earlier in 1 Peter 2, verse 12. Look at 1 Peter 2, verse 12.
He says, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that
whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your
good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day
of visitation. Now, one day of visitation would
be a day of visitation for mercy, but day of visitation is also
used in the Bible for judgment. and they would have to glorify
God in the day of visitation in judgment of saying that we
lived that Christian life before them. They have no excuse. if
they try to claim, you know, no one ever showed me this or
whatever. And I can just think of that. But they would, you
know, they will give an account to him who is at the door, who
will judge the living and the dead, referring to unbelievers
at his coming. And that use of the quick and
the dead, I see it in the context always of coming judgment. Look
at verse 17 and verse 18 of chapter four. For the time is come that
judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin
in us, what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel
of God? And if the righteous scarcely
be saved, or if the righteous be saved with difficulty," is
what he's saying, if the righteous with difficulty are saved, meaning
the persecutions they go through and the trials they go through.
Where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? What shall be the end
of them? Where will the ungodly and sinner
appear? And knowing therefore, Paul said, the terror of the
Lord, we persuade men. Knowing that they will stand
in judgment, we persuade men because we know what they're
going to face. We see it written in the Word
of God. And then go back to verse 6. Verse 6, for this cause was
the gospel preached also unto them that are dead. that they
might be judged according to men in the flesh and live according
to God in the spirit. For this reason, for this cause,
that cause that judgment is near and we all shall give an account,
the gospel was preached unto them, unto those who are now
dead, martyrs under the persecutions among these believers that are
now, that have died and they've known them, but they've died.
The gospel was preached unto them that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in
the spirit. That is a good reference to that. And that is a Revelation
14. But let's let me just quote that
so we don't have to take time to turn there, because, as always,
I don't have time. But he says this in Revelation
14. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Right.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.
Yea, sayeth the spirit that they may rest from their labors and
their works to follow them. He's referring to those who have
gone on, who have faced the judgment of men. You see, that's the key
verse here. I don't believe he's referring
to spiritually dead and spiritually alive here. I think he's referring
to physically dead people because of the context. It fits the context
better. For this cause was the gospel
preached also to them that are now dead. They are dead. right
now, but it was preached to them, obviously, when they were alive,
that they might be judged according to men in the flesh. You see,
that judgment according to men in the flesh, that was the idea
of facing persecutions and even being called before authorities,
but live according to God in the Spirit while they were here
and now in glory, while they were here and now. And I think
that fits the context much better, much better than that. And so,
They are among the blessed company of the spirits of just men made
perfect that Hebrews 12 talks about. They're in the company
of the church of the firstborn, the spirits of just men made
perfect. Those have received this message
and have believed through grace may have been judged according
to man's tribunals. and are now dead in the flesh,
but eternally living before God and beholding the face of our
blessed Lord Jesus forevermore. That's why Peter states earlier
in another chapter, gird up the loins of your minds and hope
to the end for the grace that will be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ. That's exactly why he says that.
He says, in the midst of those trials, gird up the loins of
your mind and hope for that grace that will be brought unto you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ. In the midst of those trials,
that's what their focus was. We're going to have to go ahead
and pass on verses 7 through 11, which are basically self-explanatory
because of, he mentions here, prayer, love, hospitality, exhorting
one another and helping one another. And you can read it, that's how
we're supposed to do. He that exhorts one another, he that
teaches, teach as the oracles of God, meaning use the word
of God, teach in agreement with the oracles of God, and he that
ministereth ministry according to the ability that God gives
monetarily wise and Gift-wise if you're serving one another
and by the way, the church should be serving one another but let's
let's go to my last point and that is And that is God leads
his people in and through suffering as partakers. And that's verse
12 through 19. Exhortations concerning sufferings
and identifying with Christ. Verse 12 through 19. Let's look
at 12 through 14 right quickly. 12 through 14. Look what he says. He says, Beloved, think it not
strains concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you. as
though some strange thing happened unto you, but rejoice inasmuch
as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory
shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the
name of Christ, happy are you. Isn't that a paradox? If you
be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you for the
spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part, he is
evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. There's a parallel
to this. Look in chapter one. Look at
chapter one, three through nine. three through nine, look at this
beautiful parallel. He says, here, let's just look
at a few of these verses. Look at verse six, starting with
verse six, and you can just look at all the blessings that are
before that, beautiful, wonderful blessings. But look at verse
six. And all these things you greatly
rejoice. We rejoice in that you're kept
by faith, Ready to be revealed, you rejoice that he begot you
again from the dead to an inheritance. You greatly rejoice, though for
now for a season, if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold
temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious
than gold which perishes, though it be tried by fire, might be
found to the praise, honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ. whom having not seen you love,
whom though you see him not yet believing you rejoice. Now here's
the rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory and full of
glory. And so that's a parallel heaviness
yet rejoicing. That's what he's saying in 12
through 14. You're in heaviness, yet you're rejoicing. Loving
Christ in trials and rejoicing in his work in your life. It's
a paradox. Reproach for the name of Christ
and get blessed. You know, we're supposed to take
his, we're supposed to go with him outside the camp, meaning
go with him outside your comfort zone and take his reproach. Take his reproach. That's what
we're called to do. We're called to be zealous of
good works and to take his reproach and be blessed. You know, it's
exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ said when he said, Blessed are
ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say
all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice
and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven, for
so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. Now let's
look at 15 and 16. But let none of you suffer as
a murderer, as a thief, as an evildoer, as a busybody in other
men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. Let him glorify God on this behalf.
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, If Christianity be his only crime
and the cause of his sufferings, let him not be ashamed. In other
words, let him not deny Christ. That's what that word means.
In 2 Timothy 2.12, he says this, let me quote that, if we suffer,
we shall reign with him. If we deny him, he will also
deny us. You know, in the epistle of Pliny
the Younger in the first century, in around 100 A.D. to Trahan,
he was writing to Trahan about how to treat Christians as to
try to get them to deny Christ and find out if they were true
Christians or not. so they could know how to deal
with him. And they would try to get them to deny Christ and
reverence the emperor. The test of a true believer is
that they would not deny Christ. And they wouldn't say that Caesar
is Lord. They would say Christ is Lord.
And you see, that was not too far after the closing of the
canon of the word of God in history. If we deny him, he'll deny us.
But let him glorify God on this behalf. on the account of his
sufferings, let him bless God for keeping him from suffering
as an evildoer and for counting him worthy to suffer for Christ's
sake." And I think of that council of the apostles and the Sadducees
had brought them, you know, before the council and they locked him
up in jail. The spirit, an angel let him out. They had gotten
out of the jail. They went in the temple preaching. They had
to go find him in the temple. They brought him before and said,
I thought we commanded you not to preach in that name. So they
beat him. And then they let him go after they had preached the
gospel in front of that council. They beat him and they let him
go and commanded him not to preach anymore in that name. You know
what they said? They had said that we ought to obey God rather
than man. They said that earlier. But then they said they had rejoiced
to suffer shame for his name. Isn't that great that they rejoiced
to suffer shame for his name? Oh, wow. Judgment he says judgment
must begin at the house of God. That's a parallel to Hebrews
12 Because of his love and and it's for our holiness Hebrews
12 says that they aren't the chastisement that judgment referring
to chastisement can be also in in in sufferings those sufferings
are for Because of His love, Hebrews 12, 6 and 10, and it's
for our holiness. And for whom the Lord loveth,
He chasteneth, it says, and scourges everyone whom He receives. He
chastens us for our profit, that we might be partakers of His
holiness. I'll tell you, one that knew
a lot about suffering, and I'll close with just maybe two quotes. One that knew a lot about suffering
was John Bunyan, who has said that what he learned in suffering
He said afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental,
more knowing and profound, and so more able to hold and contain
and beat more. You see, he was referring to
the revelations that the Lord had given him because of suffering.
And we think of that, the pilgrim's progress, and many other works
that he wrote in jail. If I would choose a main idea
for this verse, I would say that main idea would be verse 19,
where it says, Wherefore, let them that suffer according to
the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him as a faithful
creator. And I can't and I can't close
without Charles Spurgeon. And I promise I'll close with
this. And I think this is good. I think it's worthy. The Lord's
mercy often rides to the door of our heart upon the back of
the horse of affliction. You'll never have believed your
own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you
would never have known God's strength had his strength not
been needed to carry you through. Thank you.