1 Peter 4:1-6: Ceasing From Sin I. Base Text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 II. Understanding the Text A. Background 1. 1 Peter 1: great encouragement based in rebirth through resurrection and hope of salvation; value of salvation; imperatives to holiness, love 2. 1 Peter 2: sustained by God's message; Christians as Temple, spiritual Israel; honorable conduct before all people; call to suffer for doing right, as Christ has set forth as an example 3. 1 Peter 3: appropriate conduct of husbands and wives; Christians as living representatives of Christ, doing good and suffering for it if necessary; defending the faith with gentleness and respect; saved through baptism B. Living for the will of God (1 Peter 4:1-2) 1. Demonstration that Christ suffered in the flesh made in 1 Peter 3:18; Peter now making a declaration on the basis of that reality 2. "Arm yourself with the same way of thinking" 3. Very important to work to think like Christ in order to be like Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 2:5-11) 4. Reasoning: those who suffer in flesh have ceased from sin 5. But what about those who sin in word because they are suffering? 6. Peter not speaking about such persons-- does not even have them in mind 7. Instead, he focuses on putting sin to death in the body (cf. Romans 6) 8. Sins of the flesh do not seem as appealing when the body has suffered (cf. Galatians 5:19-21) 9. All of this designed for us to no longer live for human passions but instead for the will of God (cf. Galatians 5:17-24) 10. If we have our minds focused on suffering loss for God and others, we will not have time to engage in sin! 11. Only possible through the mentality of Christ 12. Therefore, there is value in suffering, as Peter wants his audience to understand C. The Time for Debauchery is Past (1 Peter 4:3) 1. Peter continues his thought-- the time is past for living like Gentiles 2. "Gentiles" here used in the "Jewish" sense of the term-- referring more to heathen conduct than the heathen themselves 3. Notice that he does not make a gradation-- if you have reached this point in the faith, the time is already past for living like Gentiles! 4. That life described-- sensuality or lasciviousness, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, lawless idolatry (cf. Galatians 5:19-21) 5. Such is very much specific to the Greek lifestyle of the day 6. A similar life is lived by many to this day, and we should no longer live that way! D. Maligning of Christians (1 Peter 4:4-5) 1. Peter goes on to indicate that said Gentiles are surprised when "you" do not join them in their debauchery 2. Audience here is mostly directed at the Gentile Christians who came out of such lifestyles, but could refer to any believer who has contact with "Gentiles" 3. Lack of participation with them leads to maligning-- evil spoken of them 4. May lead to the types of persecution seen previously in chapters 2 and 3-- may be part of the challenges the Christians of Asia Minor are experiencing 5. Peter indicates that they will have to give an account to God in the judgment (cf. Matthew 25:31-46, Romans 2:5-11, Revelation 20:11-15) 6. To this day this happens! 7. When one makes a stand and does not participate with unrighteousness, those committing the wickedness stumble 8. They must change their ways, get you to change your ways, or, failing that, speak evil of you so that they can justify what they are going to continue to do 9. A serious challenge for those who come out of the world and follow Jesus Christ-- old friends are not going to understand and may well malign you 10. Perhaps part of the reason that following Jesus leads to discord among family and friends (cf. Matthew 10:34-37) 11. In such circumstances, we must remember that God will call all such actions into judgment, and even our own! E. Preaching to the Dead (1 Peter 4:6) 1. A verse perhaps related to 1 Peter 3:19, challenges there 2. Another verse that leads to more questions than answers 3. If it refers to the events of 1 Peter 3:19, an explanation to show that those who died had an opportunity to live in the spirit 4. But was the preaching done to them while they were alive or after they died? Answer not given 5. Are they dead physically or spiritually? The connection from verse 5 would give more credence to the idea of them being dead physically 6. Regardless, Peter speaks of this preaching in the past tense-- no indication that such preaching is going on or that anyone today can expect to hear such preaching after death 7. No other indication that there is hope for the dead if they have spurned the message of God in this life (cf. Luke 16:19-31, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Hebrews 9:27-28) 8. It may be that God allows some or all of the dead to hear the message of the Gospel and somehow live in the spirit like He does, if such is His will (cf. James 4:12) 9. What is known for certain is that all that we do in the flesh will come under judgment, and we know that salvation will certainly come to those who believe in God and obey His will in life (cf. 1 Peter 3:21-4:2, 5) III. Conclusion A. Thus we have seen 1 Peter 4:1-6 B. A call to cease from sin 1. Christ suffered in the flesh 2. We are to arm ourselves with the same way of thinking, cease from sin 3. Live not for passions of flesh but God's will 4. Time is past to live in sensuality like the Gentiles, even if they malign us 5. God will bring all under judgment C. Let us have the mind of Christ, cease from sin, and serve God! D. Invitation/songbook