1 Peter 4:1-5 ESV
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
Now we all suffer in our physical flesh, but we haven’t all
ceased from sin, so this “suffering in the flesh” must mean something other
than just suffering in our physical bodies. For when Jesus Christ suffered in
the flesh on that cross, it was not just physical suffering he went through. He
who knew no sin became sin for us on that cross that we might become the
righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). So when he died he put our sin to
death with him. So his suffering was all about putting sin to death and then
being raised victorious over the power of sin and Satan and death.
And when we believe in him as our Lord and Savior, if our
faith is genuine, we are crucified with him in death to sin and we are raised
with him to walk in newness of life in him. Our old self is crucified with him
in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no
longer be enslaved to sin. So we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies,
to make us obey its passions. For sin shall have no more dominion over us. But
if sin is what we obey, and not obedience, it will end in death, not in life
eternal (Romans 6:1-23).
Now this is not saying we will never sin again (1 John
2:1-2), but it is saying that we are to no longer walk in (live in) sin. We are
not to walk in deliberate and habitual sin, as our practice. Righteousness and
holy living are now to be our practice, as well as walks of obedience to our
Lord’s commands (New Covenant). Now we are to live the rest of our time on this
earth no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For that is the
purpose of our salvation to free us from our slavery to sin and to empower us
to live holy lives for the glory of God.
So, if we are genuine followers of Jesus Christ, we should
no longer desire evil as we did before we believed in Jesus. We should no
longer want to live for the sinful passions of the flesh. We should no longer
want to live in sensuality, sinful passions, and lawless idolatry. And we
should not want to be entertained by such, either, via TV shows, movies,
videos, music or games which endorse sinful passions, etc. It should break our
hearts that we once lived in sin and we should never want to go back.
And yes, when our lives change, and we die to our old lives
of living in sin and for self, and now we are walking in holiness and
righteousness, and in obedience to our Lord, we may be maligned by people we
know who were used to us doing the same types of things they are doing. And so
it now makes them uncomfortable being around us because we no longer do those
things. Now we are living to please the Lord, which is a foreign idea to a lot
of people. So, expect to be rejected if your life is committed to following Jesus
Christ.
Jesus,
Lead Me
An
Original Work / July 22, 2011
Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.
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