Series: 1 Peter
Title: Arm Yourselves
Text: 1 Peter 4: 1-11
Date: July 7, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
1 Peter 4: 1: Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:
Brethren, consider this amazing grace: Christ hath suffered for us!
Christ
The Just One, the only One who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, of whom God said, “Behold MY servant, whom I uphold; MINE ELECT, in whom MY SOUL delighteth; (Is 42: 1)
Christ hath suffered
· He who is the eternal Son of God suffered being made in the likeness of sinful flesh.
· He suffered reproach, cruel mocking
· He suffered the naked, agonizing torture of the cross
· He suffered the betrayl and denial of own friends
· He suffered being made the hideous thing we are…sin.
· He suffered the wrath of God
· He suffered death
Let these next two words set in:
FOR US
· For us—wretched, hell-deserving, God-haters
· For us—helpless sinners whom the Father chose by his sovereign grace
· For us—whom Christ entered into covenant to save by living the life we could not live and suffering the death we deserved and had to die
· For us—he was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death
· For us—he subjected himself to authorities and powers
· For us—he subjected himself to die unto sin
· For us—he subjected himself so that for a time death had dominion over him
He did it that he might bring US to God—and bring us to God he did!
1 Peter 2: 24:…by whose stripes ye were healed. 25: For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Amazing love!
How can it be?
That Thou my God shouldst die for me?
Application: Brethren, whatever persecution, whatever reproach, and whatever denial of our own selves we may have to suffer, it is most reasonable for us to suffer for Christ and his gospel BECAUSE CHRIST SUFFERED FOR US.
1 Peter 4: 1: Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:
This was the mind of Christ as he suffered for us: (Isaiah 50)
Isaiah 50: 5: The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6: I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7: For the Lord GOD will help me; [he committed himself to him that judgeth righteously] therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8: He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
1 Peter 2: 23: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
NOW WHERE IS CHRIST?
1 Peter 3: 22: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
1 Peter 4: 1: Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:
1 Peter 4: 19: Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Has he opened our ear by the Spirit of regeneration?—Then let us who are filled with his Spirit have the mind of Christ saying, with our Savior:
Isaiah 50: 7: For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8: He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
1 Peter 4: 1:…for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
With our sins imputed to him, Christ suffered for ours sins, died for our sins, and Christ now justified in the Spirit. And we in him. He has made our sin to cease—it is gone! In Christ, we are justified from sin, freed from the condemnation of sin, and by the Spirit of God sin no longer reigns in our bodies.
Romans 6: 6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7: For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 8: 2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Galatians 5: 24: And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Having been crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, and risen with Christ we have ceased to be the servants of sin, of self, and of the world. We have the mind of Christ!
1 Peter 4: 2: 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.
However much time we have left to spend in the flesh….we are not going to spend it living to the lusts of men, but to the will of God because we are motivated and constrained by the love of God.
1 Peter 4: 3: For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
Gentiles—means “nations”, “the world.” Lasciviousness and lusts: means “fornication, adultery, incest, sodomy, and so on.” Excess of wine, revellings, banquetings: mean intemperance of every sort—gluttony, drunkenness, luxurious feasts. And abominable idolatries: all these things were not only the way of life but were all included in the religious idolatry of the Gentiles in their temples.
Numbers 25: 1: And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
The will of the Gentiles—is the will of man, will-worship--when they walked in these things, they "wrought the will of the Gentiles".
Ezekiel 44: 6 And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, 7 In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. 8 And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. 9 Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
Before we were born of the Spirit, we lived and worshipped according the will of man—we worshipped ourselves—in religion and out—the natural man only worships the will of the world. But Christ sent his Gospel to us and we are washed by the Holy Spirit, born anew.
Ephesians 2: 19: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
1 Peter 4: 4: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
The people of the world, along with the religion of this world—does not understands the believer.
Illustration: Job first, place to worship second--is the way of the world.
There are many more jobs than there are places to worship in this world. That is strange to this world. But it was once strange to us.
Titus 3: 3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4: But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 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 Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
1 Peter 4: 7: But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 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 for ever and ever.
Amen.