Verse: 1 Peter 4:1-6
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead², so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
I think at first glance the idea of “arming ourselves” to prepare for suffering sounds a lot like buying extra toilet paper in January 2020. Or, if we lived somewhere else, we’d be facing that real acceptance that faith is sometimes punished harshly, and since the one we follow was crucified we shouldn’t really expect differently. Peter, who wrote this, and in total 13 out of 14 Apostles (that’s fun math, I’m keeping Judas, adding Matthias, and giving Paul am honorary spot) were all executed for their faith. #14 survived boiling oil and got banished to an island. That’s how I’ve always thought about this. When people are shocked at why “bad things” happen to good Christians, I’ve always been puzzled – since I was very young. Nowhere in the salvation “arrangement” did we get excused from bad things happening to us. First century Christians were getting eaten by lions!¹ Stop whining. Expect to suffer!
At some point, not long ago, I gained a brighter perspective on this and I don’t really know how. But, when I look at “Arm yourselves with the same attitude.” How did Jesus approach it? We have insight in that in the night before the crucifixion. Jesus prayed and asked God for a way out of suffering or a way through it. However, he also allowed – which he sort of knew was to be the case – that if God’s will for mankind needed this thing to happen, that he’d do it willingly. We can work for betterment.
We can seek joy in our lives, but not when it goes against God’s desires for mankind. There’s a line, and it’s debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry; clearly. Note Peter didn’t say “partying and hanging out while sipping a fine whisky” – this is not an exclusive or even all-inclusive listing of sins. It’s a description of behaviors that are about a person giving up their self-control entirely. It’s about escaping.
Instead, I’m talking about aligning your intent with God’s intent. God’s will is compassion, it’s kindness, and it’s peace, and it’s hope, and dare I say it – love. Align yourself with these things … “live according to God in regard to the spirit,” and your behavior will follow – you don’t really need to worry about it that much. It’s a matter of changing your mindset, not your actions, and when you do this – the actions will follow. That’s how Jesus prepared for the future.
God, not my will, but yours. I want to see a world devoid of fighting, devoid of oppression, devoid of suffering. I want to see a world of light, of peace, of compassion, and of moments of understanding that grow longer and longer. Make me deaf to ridicule, so that I can hear you.
Amen
Notes:
¹ – There’s plenty of reason to suspect that the accounts of Roman persecution were exaggerated. Also, the Romans likely exaggerated how much of a problem Christians were. Basically, they had the same news media we have today.
² – Want more details on Jesus’s ministry to ghosts (in verse 6)? Join the Curiosity Club Small Group at 7:30 (sharp) on Tuesday nights!
Recent Comments