So 1 Peter chapter four is where
we're at. 1 Peter chapter four, and we're
gonna read the first 11 verses. For as much then as Christ has
suffered for us in flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the
same mind. For he that has suffered in the
flesh hath ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the
rest of his time in the flesh to the lust of men, but to the
will of God. For the time past of our life
may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when
we walked in lasciviousness, lust, excess of wine, revelings,
banqueting, and abominable idolatries, wherein they think it strange
that ye run not with them to the same excess of rights, speaking
evil of you. Who shall give an account to
him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead? For, for
this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that
they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live
according to God in the Spirit. But the end of all things is
at hand. Be ye therefore sober and watch
unto prayer. And above all things have fervent
charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude
of sins. Use hospitality one to another
without grudging. as every man hath received the
gift, even so minister to the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let
him speak as the oracles of God. If any man minister, let him
do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things
may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and
dominion forever and ever. Amen. We start off with, in this passage,
we start off with the words, for as much then as. This means
certainly or according to, and it follows where in the previous
chapter where it talks about Christ suffering the just for
the unjust. So that's the context where we're
coming into this. So it's according to that. And
also everything spoken of surrounding that statement in chapter three.
But we are told here to arm ourselves with this same mind which Christ
has. And especially as it concerns
him coming to die the just for the unjust. He did not do this
for everyone. He did this for a specific people
whom God the Father promised to the Son. But he suffered,
and in suffering, or while suffering, he opened not his mouth. Because
he knew it was the only way he would have a people for his name.
Because the God of the scripture is holy and just. He cannot just
sweep sin under the rug. So my main point is this, the
mind of Christ. So what is it that we see about
the mind of Christ here in this text in verse one? He suffered
for us in the flesh. I find it so amazing that the
God who is infinite would do such a thing. That he has come
down to where the creature is and become as one of his creatures. Romans 8, 3 it says, for what
the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. And we must not miss it
that it says, in the likeness of sinful flesh, because it says,
he knew no sin. It does not say he was sinful
flesh, in other words. But man must pay for his sin. So Jesus Christ had to be a man,
he had to be flesh. He suffered in the flesh, it
says, in our text, and he did this unto death. You and I do
not have to suffer in the flesh as he did. And I mean by that,
we do not have to be forsaken of God in the flesh, because
he did that for us. He suffered in the flesh that
we should not have to suffer for sin in the flesh. Because
when he bore our sins in his own body on that tree, he took
away our sin, even though we see it every day. but God does
not see it. What God the Father sees is his
son, and we being in him, he sees us as righteous before him. Jesus Christ took away our sins
so that we might now live to God, it says in verse two. He died in the flesh being made
sin for us and took away sin, but then he was quickened by
the Spirit. Back in 1 Peter 3, 18 it says,
for Christ also have once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit. The only way we are enabled to
live for God is through our Lord Jesus Christ's sufferings and
his resurrection and ascension. All of it had to happen. But
because he lives and reigns to make intercession for us, then
we can live to the will of God is what it says. But the thing
as it speaks up here of what Jesus Christ did, he did for a specific purpose.
This purpose was to redeem a people for his name. This has already
been done. We can neither do this, and there's
no need for us to do anything, for that matter anyway. He has
already done it, so all I am to do is to arm myself with this
same mind. I arm myself with the mind of
love to God and to my brethren because of what Jesus Christ
did for me, and he did that in love. We love Him because He
first loved us. But the mind we are to arm ourself
with is the mind of giving honor and glory to the Son for what
He has done. Turn over with me to Philippians
2, Philippians 2. And I didn't mark it, so I might
not be able to find it. Philippians 2. Philippians 2 verses 5 through
10. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth. The suffering that we will do
in this flesh is the suffering we will have when we hold forth
the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We can suffer
for other things, too, if we sin. We suffer for that, but
we can expect that. But the suffering that we're
talking about here in our text is the suffering of the preaching
of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We honor him even though we will
suffer for it, for he suffered for us. Those who do not know
him will speak evil of us, it says. One reason is they know
us to be just like them in this flesh. Because we used to run
with them to that same excess. But there comes a time when we
at least begin not to run with them to the same excess. Romans
8, 12, and 13, it says, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not
to the flesh to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the
flesh, ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. So they know we
are just like them. It also says in Ephesians 2 verses
2 and 3, wherein in time past you walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind. and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. But when God intervenes, and
we at his appointed time stop running with them to the same
excess, they will ridicule us. When they see us giving God all
the glory for everything and nothing to man, they will ridicule
us, and so be it. They will begin to speak lies
on you, on me. As it says in our text, they
think it's strange that all of a sudden we no longer walk in
excess with them. So they will speak evil of you,
it says. That means they will defame you.
They oftentimes will not speak about the message you preach.
Most of these are religious folks, so they're not going to talk
about the message. They will turn and rend you.
They will make personal accusations against you, knowing what you
used to be. But understand, even though they
do not speak against the message necessarily, sometimes they do,
but not always. But understand, they hate the
Christ of Scripture, and that's why they do this. But as it says
here in our text, all those who are outside Christ will give
an account of their doings. That they were all done in unrighteousness. They will suffer then. They will
give an account for their revelings. Now we're not here to condemn
anyone because we know we were just like them. We implore or
we beseech all to come to Christ and all that the Father give
us to Christ will come to him. We just don't know who they are. The only way we know those whom
God has chosen is when they believe Christ and they confess this
before men and are baptized having a good conscience toward God.
They will then know that what God says about them as being
an ungodly sinner is true. And they know that God is an
absolutely holy God and must and has to punish sin in his
son. And his son deserves all the
credit. But without the work of God for
them and to them, they will never know this and will remain in
their sin. They will give an account of
it. This is why the gospel is preached unto us. We being dead
in trespasses and in sin, the gospel condemns sin in the flesh,
verse six. The gospel, when we hear of what
Christ has done, will condemn this flesh, knowing that all
it can do is sin. But by his spirit and in our
spirit given us, we can live unto God, giving him all the
glory. But even others, that is, man
will condemn us when they see we do not run with them. They
will condemn us in this flesh. You know how they'll do this
sometimes? They'll say some things like this, just to name a few.
You think you're better than me. They say this because we will
glorify God in choosing some of fallen sinful men and women.
that has chosen them to life in Christ. While others he did
not choose and they will remain vessels of dishonor. As I said
before, they know we were just like them, but what they do not
know is the powerful working of God. The one who can work a miracle
in bringing a dead soul to life. This he does through sanctification
of the spirit unto obedience of the gospel. We're just like
them in this flesh, but when we become something they are
not, and that is the righteousness of God in Christ, this they hate
because they hate him. But we must remember that we
also hated him at one time. So I still want to preach the
gospel to as many as I can who will hear it, peradventure that
God, who is love might bring one of his to himself. But when
they say that we are just like them in this flesh, they are
right. May he change them, that is create
them anew to walk in the spirit and serve Jesus Christ. I do
want to say this about the gospel. We are brought into life through
the gospel. I know some may not think we
believe that here, but we believe that. If a man or woman never
comes forth believing the truth of the gospel, then they have
no life. And if they never hear the gospel,
they're not gonna do that, right? Life is all of it. And I mean
all of it as God speaks of it, not just one part. We are conceived
by the Spirit of God and we're brought forth by God through
the gospel. We are born of the gospel. We have no reason to believe
we have life with God if we believe not his gospel. That is, we believe
not his Christ and the work he has done. When this happens by
the grace of God, we then also by the grace of God begin to
walk with God and commune with God through our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. When this happens, we will be
changed. We will be different. We will
go from being insane to being sane. We will have the mind of
Christ. If you are without Christ, then
you are insane. Because anyone who is not in
Christ, and that is even believers before they were believers, because
at one time we accounted or gave glory to this flesh for the salvation
of our soul. But we are told in verse seven,
the end of all things are at hand. So we are to be of a sober
mind. The word means to be of a sound
mind. It means to be the sane versus
insane. Insane is to give credit to man
when all the credit goes to God. Sanity is when you give God all
the glory, for he does truly deserve it. In fact, the height of sanity
is to put man as low as you can and reverence God as high as
you can by his grace. That is sanity. But with men,
this is impossible. But thank God, with God, all
things are possible. Let me say it in another way.
Sanity is this. I am guilty before God in this
flesh, but I am redeemed by Him. By His Spirit and through His
gospel, I live righteously before Him. I do this by sanctifying
the Lord in my heart, that is, rendering Him holy in my heart.
It is of a right mind that we sanctify the Lord in our hearts,
knowing that he, that is God, that is Jesus Christ, is the
just and the justifier of him that believeth on him. So if
I am better than someone else, it's because he has made me better.
I'm certainly better off than any of who are not in Christ,
but by the work of Jesus Christ in him, I am not just guiltless,
I am right before God. He deserves the credit because
he's done all the work to make it so. That is the only way I
will stand before God and commune with him as friend to friend. Then in verse 8, Peter begins
to speak of charity, and that is love one to another. But not
just charity alone. It says fervent charity. The word means intent. It means
you love them on purpose. You choose to do this. With the
end goal being this, to cover a multitude of sins. Now this
covering is not a covering to sweep something under the rug.
How do I show love towards someone? I tell them the truth. Specifically, I tell them the
gospel. But we are to speak up when someone
errs from the truth. And we all should be accepting
of someone converting us from our error, although in most cases,
we at least at the beginning are not very receptive of it.
But we should desire that if we be an error of the truth,
that someone correct us. What does James say? James 5,
19 and 20. Brethren, if any of you do err
from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he which
converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a
soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sin. It is important that we tell
the truth to those around us, and especially if someone is
in error. In James, there it says, from the error of his way,
So when you are in error, you are reverting back to your way
and not God's way. Tell them the truth, the truth
of the gospel, and the gospel will hide a multitude of sins. This is not telling us to hide
some criminal activity. This is telling us to tell them
the gospel and them seeing God's truth rather than their truth. You hear a lot about that today.
Well, that's my truth. Put away your truth and cling
to God's truth. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, and that's all I am by nature. I need him to
cover all those sins. That's what covers the multitudes
of sin is that, what he done. It goes on to say in our text,
verse nine, use hospitality. This means to be fond of guests. Make one another feel welcome.
Be kind and generous to others. And as it says it here, do not
do it grudgingly. Don't be hospitable to someone
while behind their back or in your mind you think, I hate having
to do this for them. Or something like this. They
really don't need this from me. In fact, they really should be
doing this for me. You know the phrase, what have
you done for me lately? What have we done and what do
we do to Christ? Why did he go to that tree? Did
he complain? I thank God he did not because
God the father loves the son and he hears him. If Christ complains
about me, I'm a goner. It is the holy God who came down
and gave himself for me without opening his mouth. He did not
even think it. He in fact had thoughts of love
towards us because he is the God that cannot change and it
is said of God toward us that he loved us with an everlasting
love. Then we have the last two verses
of our text, verses nine and 10. The last two verses are to
all the saints of God, although it does include pastors and teachers. But we should all, as God has
given us, minister one to another. That is, take care of one another's
needs. How many of us, by God's grace,
have had their needs met? Jesus Christ paid the ultimate
price so that all of our needs were met. And this is the vein
in which we do all these things. When we speak one to another,
we do it as God has given us the grace to do it. We cannot
get out of our context though. We do this all according to the
truth of God and based on what God has done for us. We do these
things in light of what Jesus Christ did for his people. He
manifested his love toward us by hanging on that tree in our
stead. Why should we not be gracious toward all those who have a like,
precious faith? We need to be truthful with those
around us, the brethren of the Lord. It is what he has done
which has covered all my sin. Arm yourselves with this same
mind in Christ. He done for me that which I cannot
do for myself. He did this without grudging,
without murmuring about it. He did it because he truly loves
his people. What does it say in Romans 8,
verses 31 and 32? What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? We have the Apostle Peter here
telling us these things about love one to another. I think
Peter knows a little something of the love of Christ to his
people, doesn't he? He stood and was adamant to our
Lord that he would not leave him and that he would fight for
him. But our Lord told him that he would deny him three times. When he did and he heard that
cock crow, having our Lord look at him with love, he went out
and wept bitterly. Undoubtedly because he was ashamed
and rightfully so. How many times do we deny the
Lord in some way? but he never looks at us in disgust. We do not ever surprise our Lord
with what we do. He loves us no matter what, but
he deserves to be given all the glory, all the worship, and all
the submission. The word mind in our text, arm
yourselves likewise with the same mind, The word there means
thoughtfulness, and it gives an example in Strong that says
moral understanding. But it also says intent and mind. What our Lord did was he was
intent on saving his people, and he did this to the uttermost. He did it on purpose, in other
words. The Lord came back to Peter because he loved him. The
Lord knew that Peter was ashamed, and I'm sure he felt he was not
worthy to be an apostle. But our Lord came back to him
and had compassion on him. He made Peter confess that he
loved the Lord. But Peter also knew, and I think
he knew it at that time, he knew it was only because our Lord
loved him first. May God by his grace enable us,
give us that same mind that was in Christ, that same intent to
love Christ and to love the brethren. Tell men and women the truth,
the gospel of what Christ has done. Christ is the only hope
for sinners in this world. I'm gonna read a quote by Charles
Spurgeon to end. The saints are sinners still. Our best tears need to be wept
over. The strongest faith is mixed
with unbelief. Our most flaming love is cold
compared with what Jesus deserves, and our intensest zeal still
lacks the full fervor which the bleeding wounds and pierced heart
of the crucified might claim at our hands. Our best things
need a sin offering, or they would condemn us. Amen. Dear Lord God, thank you for
allowing us to be here once again and hear words of your son, dear
Lord. Be with us as we go out, dear
Lord. Keep us safe. Keep our mind state on Christ.
Give us the mind of Christ, dear Lord, because we all too often
are covered about with everything else, dear Lord. All these things
we ask in Christ's name. Amen.