1 Peter 1:13 - Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:22 - Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.
1 Peter 2:2 - …like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.
1 Peter 2:11-12 - Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Peter 3:15 - …but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
3 ways to strengthen your determination to obey God’s will when you suffer
I. Arm Yourself with the Same Purpose of Your Savior (v.1)
1 Peter 4:1 - 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.
John 8:28 - So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.”
Luke 22:42 - …saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
A. Resolving to follow Christ’s suffering (v. 1a)
B. Choosing God’s will over the temptation to sin (v. 1c)
II. No Longer Live for the Desires of Men but for the Will of God (vv. 2-4)
1 Peter 4:2-4 - …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. 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.
A. Because we followed those desires long enough (v. 3)
1 Peter 4:3 - 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.
B. Although some are surprised that we do not join them (v. 4)
1 Peter 4:4 - In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you.
III. Know that Living for God’s Will Results in Vindication (vv. 5-6)
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.
A. Those who live for evil desires must receive God’s judgment
1 Peter 4:5 - …but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 - For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.
B. Those who live for God’s will enjoy eternal life
1 Peter 4:6 - 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.
Titus 2:11-13 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ.
- Back when I was in Bible college, a book was published in 1980 that was quite explosive at the time…
- it was entitled Decision Making and the Will of God by Gary Friesen
- at that time…and for many Christians even today…the approach that was advocated to discerning God’s Will was very mystical…
- where in order to be in the center of God’s will…you had to know exactly which option you should choose in any given situation…
- and since the Bible doesn’t give answers to that level of specificity, you had to rely on voices, promptings, or some mystical feeling to know what you were supposed to do in a particular situation…
- so for example – buying a car…
- well, the Bible doesn’t say…but a 2019 Nissan Sentra that has a clean Carfax report and has no more than 40,000 miles…(you’re not going to find that kind of detail even in the original Greek)…
- so some Christians would walk around the various car options and wait for a feeling, or a prompting, or a voice…
- Friesen’s argument was – that approach might be well-meaning and sincere – but it’s not biblical…
- because the canon is closed…in other words, the Bible has been completed…and God is not giving people additional revelation in this day and age…
- that’s why the Bible ends with a 2-fold prohibition…2 things you should never do to the Bible…don’t take anything out of it and don’t add anything to it…
- so God is not going to tell you exactly what car to buy…
- and his second emphasis was – the problem with this hyper-mystical approach is that so often, clear principles of Scripture are violated because who needs the Bible if God is giving you a fresh dose of revelation…
- so a person comes home with a new car they clearly can’t afford…violating a number of clear biblical principles of stewardship in the process…and if you ask them why, they say…
- well, when I was standing at the Rolls Royce dealership, I heard a voice that said – this is the car the Lord wants you to have…
- or I have a lot of peace about this decision…(until I can’t make the first payment)…
- or I promised God I would bring a lot of people to church in it because it has a lot of room…
- so the approach Friesen suggested was to start by studying all the direct statements in the Bible about a particular decision…and all the indirect statements…and if necessary get counsel from other more mature Christians who can help you apply God’s Word to whatever choice you’re trying to make…
- but once that process of research, and considering pro’s and con’s from a biblical perspective, etc.…is completed – you may end up with more than one biblically legitimate option…
- and if that’s the case, the believer is free to choose on the basis of preference…
- and the role of the Holy Spirit in that process is to help the believer apply Scripture to specific decisions…and then to celebrate the fact that there may be more than one biblically correct option…
- and that’s true of not just buying a car, but all sorts of choices we have to make large and small all the time…
- and the big point is – are we going to go to the Word of God when it comes to trying to determine His will…or to our own feelings and whims?...
- hopefully the answer for all of us is -- Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
- here’s why all of this is important this morning…the verses before us today actually use the phrase the will of God…and before we think about some other decision the Scripture may not even specifically address…let’s be sure we are seeking God’s will in the areas it specifically does…
- with that in mind, please open your Bible to 1 Peter chapter 4…page 182 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- we’re talking this morning about Living For The Lord’s Will
- Please look for the way this concept is emphasized as I read the first 6 verses of chapter 4…read 1 Peter 4:1-6
- The overall point of this passage is to live for God’s will even when you’re suffering.
- you may have noticed that verses 1-2 culminate with the phrase “for the will of God” and verses 3-6 look back to it.
- Can you think of a time when you really trying to do God’s will…(I mean you prayed in advance, you rehearsed a few passages of Scripture, and then you prayed again) and then you got blasted for it…maybe by being criticized, or gossiped about, or threatened, or worse?....
- Maybe it was a child … a parent … a teacher … a student … a friend … a boss … an employee … a co-worker.
- So you tried to do something for Jesus to the best of your ability and you suffered for it.
- Friends, when that happens or when you live under that pressure daily, you need a place to quiet your soul. You need a place of rest and reflection.
- That place is to live for the Lord’s will. Live for the Lord’s will. Live for the Lord’s will.
- Do not live in constant fear of what may happen next.
- Do not focus on everything you wish was different. Focus on the Lord’s will.
- so that takes us back to the subject of the introduction…how can we know the will of God?...
- Sometimes, we make it more complicated than what it is…because the Lord has clearly told us in so many specific ways…
- please just consider how that’s been true in our study of the book of 1 Peter…
- 1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- 1 Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
- 1 Peter 2:2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation
- 1 Peter 2:11-12 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
- 1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence
- We could add other clear commands in the Bible regarding what we love, how we love, what we think about, what we do, etc.
- God’s will does not just relate to behavior, but to our character, to our affections, and to our motivation.
- God’s will impact our heads, our hands, and our hearts.
- but that leads to the next question…
- what if you don’t want to do the will of God…especially if it might make the suffering worse, not better
- or if obeying God’s will makes the suffering last longer, not shorter…
- these verses can help us by providing Three ways to strengthen your determination to obey God’s will when you suffer.
I. Arm yourself with the same purpose of your Savior (v.1)
- 1 Peter 4:1 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
- “Therefore” returns us to the previous section, especially 3:18, where Peter explain the suffering of Christ.
- As Peter reflected on Christ’s sufferings, he wanted to explain the practical implications for us.
- So we’re graciously given a purpose – Live for the Lord’s will.
- and every time we do that, we’re choosing to be like our Savior…because that’s the purpose that motivated Him…
- John 8:28 So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.
- Luke 22:42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
- Over and over in the gospels we find that Jesus did only that which the Father had given him.
- He did only that which brought glory to the father.
- Can you think back to situations this past week where you “armed yourself” with that same purpose, regardless of the cost?...
- now you might say – what does that specifically look like?...
- let’s break the verses down a bit more…
Resolving to follow Christ’s suffering (v. 1a)
- do you remember what Peter said back in chapter 2 regarding Christ being our example…
- 1 Peter 2:21 - For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
- Jesus told his followers that anyone wishing to follow him must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow him.
- what is that?...
- in part, it’s a commitment to suffering.
- It is so tempting to make things all about us, isn’t it…
- and if the Lord has a role to play – it’s to bless the plans we’ve already designed…
- which makes Him a whole lot like Santa Claus…
- maybe it would be helpful for many of us to say in our hearts right now…I resolve to follow God’s will just like my Savior did…even if it involves suffering…
- I want to arm myself with the same purpose Jesus chose to follow…
- what does the last part of verse 1 add?...
B. Choosing God’s will over the temptation to sin (v. 1c)
- 1 Peter 4:1 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
- you might say – now wait a minute…Did Peter just say that Jesus sinned in the flesh and then stopped when he died?...No.
- “He who has suffered” is not referring to Jesus, but to the believer that must arm himself with the purpose of following Christ through suffering.
- but then that leads to a second question, doesn’t it?...Then did Peter just say that when believers suffer, they become sinless?...that can’t be true either…
- so what is the point?...
- He is saying that when we prepare ourselves (or arm ourselves) to follow Christ’s example then we are purposely choosing the path of suffering as a Christian rather than the path of the sin…and in that particular situation, we’ve “ceased from sin”
- so what could this look like on a practical basis?...
- let’s say you’re a man and you take a new job as a salesman…
- and you’re asked to go with your boss on an out of town sales call…
- and you meet with the client for dinner, you’re discussing the sale and it’s looking really good…
- and then the client says that after dinner he’d like to take you and your boss to a strip club down the road…
- and your boss gives you the “don’t mess this up”…look…
- what if you’re about to be ridiculed if you don’t go with them?...
- or what if you’ll lose your job if you don’t go?...
- there’s no question about what the will of God is…it’s not like – maybe I’ll march around the strip club three times and see if I have peace about this…
- this is why its so important to arm yourself with the same purpose as your Savior…and if doing God’s will involves suffering…then bring it on…
- [repeat verse…]
- now, what does Peter emphasize next?
II. No longer live for the desires of men but for the will of God (vv. 2-4)
- 1 Peter 1:2-4 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. 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
- the end of verse 2 is why we chose this particular title for the message…Living for the Lord’s will.
- That is our primary point this morning…We must live for something.
- we either live for the Lord’s will or we live for the desires/lusts of men…
- Suffering has a way of reprioritizing our lives and helping us determine what is most important.
- so that leads to this question -- when suffering presses us, what comes out?
- Peter says --- please live by the will of God.
- because the alternative is living for the desires/lust of men.
- and why shouldn’t we live that way?...
A. Because we followed those desires long enough (v. 3)
- 1 Peter 4:3 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.
- Peter says, “the TIME FOR SINNING IS OVER” because the time for living according to the flesh is …. SUFFICIENT.
- Don’t you love that?
- in other words – we’ve sinned long enough…
- it’s time to be done with that…
- Don’t you love the straightforward language?
- We lived in sensuality, and we think to ourselves … why yes we have.
- Peter says that the amount of time you did that was sufficient. You have it covered.
- Some of you lived for lusts … Yea, that was sufficient.
- Carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries … yea, all that was sufficient.
- We all know the battle. At times we are drawn to the old life. The old influences are like come on … We had so much fun. Wasn’t it awesome?
- There was a side of that sin that was fun. But it also brought death and suffering of a different kind.
- Now we must work at it, fight the battle, and see things for what they are. We must deal with the desires of their hearts.
- you may remember that in Romans 6 Paul wrote that you are dead to sin and alive to God.
- We know positionally that it is true.
- Anytime that temptation comes knocking we can say, “I am dead to that.” Peter adds another phrase for us, “I am done with that.”
- But Peter is also realistic about our lives.
- He knows that not only do we need to conclude that we have followed the lusts of men long enough, but that others will encourage us to do wrong.
- In fact, we must live for the Lord’s will …
B. Although some are surprised that we do not join them (v. 4)
- 1 Peter 4:4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you
- this can play out in a couple of different ways…depending on our individual circumstances.
- For example, when we first repent of our sin and trust in the finished work of Christ, we still have our same family, friends, and circle of connection.
- One day we are at the bars getting drunk and all the rest…and then we stop…
- your circle doesn’t know what to do with you.
- they continue to talk about their weekend events, invite you to join them, and in a lot of cases you just can’t…
- This same idea happens when people first learn that we are Christian.
- Maybe we are new to each other.
- They assume that their values are the same as ours.
- In this first stage, the temptation is to join them.
- There might still be a draw on your heart…their offer is appealing…and your acceptance in the group is dependent on you doing what everyone else does…
- then they figure out that you are the boring Christian who doesn’t do these things anymore, then a different kind of pressure comes.
- Now comes the maligning.
- You are now an ignorant, bigoted, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, judgmental, and holier than thou.
- Which now justifies others saying or doing whatever they want to you or about you.
- The question then becomes, will we fold?...Will we collapse?...Will we give in to their pressure and either join them in their sin or be quiet and keep our views to ourselves?
- hopefully you’ll say – with God’s strength…I want to live out His will…even if some are surprised by the direction of my life…
That brings us to the final way to strengthen our determination to live for God’s will amid suffering.
III. Know that living for God’s will results in vindication (vv. 5-6)
- 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.
- here’s Peter’s point - The Christian who lives for the Lord’s will and suffers for it will be vindicated. These verses describe victory!
A. Those who live for evil desires must receive God’s judgment
- 1 Peter 4:5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
- Deferred justice is part of our world. It exists at every level of life.
- One child is teased at school for no other reason than the color of their hair or their body size. It is not right, but justice is rarely part of the equation.
- It can happen in the home. Why does one child seem to get away with more than a different child. Why do some couples have an easy time having children and others cannot have them at all?
- Sometimes a person is passed for a job opportunity or an advancement that they fully qualify for.
- At times, we are so accustomed to deferred justice or injustice that we forget that one day the Lord will judge and the disobedient must give an account.
- In v. 4 we saw that they are surprised, and they speak poorly about you. It seems like they get away with it.
- It can be discouraging.
- If we are not careful, we can turn our eyes inward. We look at ourselves and how those around us treat us and we give in to the victim mentality--the lusts of men.
- We must continue to look to Jesus who was reviled but did not revile in return.
- We live for the Lord’s will and allow the Lord to judge.
- This is a good time to speak to those who may not have a saving relationship with Jesus.
- You are in the “surprised” and “maligning” group.
- Friends, the Bible is clear that the Lord is patient wanting all to come to repentance.
- But God’s patience is sometimes misinterpreted as “God does not care,” or “God is not real,” or “God does not fulfill his promises.”
- Please do not be tricked into that line of thinking.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 - For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power
- Please notice the language
- It is only just for God to judge
- His judgment always had two sides.
- Vindication of the righteous
- Punishment for the wicked
- or a gift to be received…
- It is a command to be obeyed…
- if you’re not sure you’ve taken that step…we’d love to continue that conversation…
For those who know Christ, please notice the last verse in our text this morning.
Those who live for God’s will enjoy eternal life
- 1 Peter 4:6 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.
- you might wonder – how could the gospel be preached to someone who has died?...
- the idea is – they heard the gospel while they were alive…accepted the message…and then died in Christ…
- Yes, they suffered the pain of death, but they now live in the spirit because that is God’s good will for them
- You see, those who cannot believe Christians don’t behave like everyone else (pursuing the lusts of men) also believe that Christians get no advantage.
- They die too. Christians are susceptible to disease, sharp objects, and fast-moving bullets just like everyone else.
- So the unbeliever sees no advantage which justifies their position and make the social pressure even more intense.
- Sometimes believers are swayed by that argument.
- Yes, you are right. I guess there is no advantage.
- Christians still die from guns and germs like everyone else.
- Peter says, hold on. Wait.
- Yes, we long for the day when we can mock death because it has no more place. But death is not the end. Jesus conquered death.
- Judgment awaits those who refuse to obey the gospel and continue their lives for their own lusts.
- But vindication – victory – awaits those who hear the gospel and respond to it.
- Our focus is not that Christians and non-Christians can be harmed in the same way in this life…
- Our focus is that they have different ending points.
- Once I am committed to that ending point, then that provides motivation to continue living for the Lord’s will.
- Titus 2:11-13 – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ.
- One eye on the now and one eye on the future.