No Longer for Human Passions

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.”

So, this evening I read a meme on social media which said this:

“I don’t want to be a Christian who appears to have a perfect life. I am a sinner, I am broken, I struggle, and I have fallen more time than I’m willing to admit. That’s why I need Jesus.”

Is it true that we are all born sinners into this world? Yes! But Jesus came to deliver us out of our lives of sin and to put sin to death in our lives so that we can now walk in obedience to his commands in walks of holiness and  righteousness, by the grace of God, and so we will no longer walk in sin. And is it true that, as followers of Christ, we are not perfect people? Yes! But the Scriptures teach that to believe in Jesus means that we no longer walk in sin, that sin is no longer our practice, but righteousness is now our practice.

But I see memes like this on social media on a regular basis, and sometimes they do get my blood boiling, for so many people are buying into this garbage, and yes, it is garbage. For what is being communicated through this meme, and others like them, is that it is a badge of honor to admit that you are still failing consistently and habitually, i.e. that sin is still your practice, your habit, but that it is somehow shameful to be a Christian who is living a holy life who is following the Lord in obedience, in practice.

Do you see this? Where in this meme does it speak of ceasing to live in sin? Where in this meme does it speak of living the rest of our lives no longer for human passions, but for the will of God? It doesn’t! Instead it glorifies the life of a “Christian” who is still “struggling” with (regularly giving in to) particular sinful practices, usually in the area of sexual sin. And it glorifies the life of a “Christian” who is “falling” more times than he is willing to admit. And it shames those who are walking in holiness and not in sin.

I hope you see this! For this is the reality of the world that we live in, and it is the present reality of the “Christian” culture in which we live, where it is being shown to be shameful to follow the Lord Jesus in obedience and to live holy lives, which are pleasing to God, and where it is being shown to be a good thing to still be walking in sin, still deliberately and habitually making sin your practice, sinning against God and your fellow humans. But do we need Jesus to help us to not walk in sin? Absolutely! 

“Jesus” is not some badge we wear which gives us a free pass to continue in deliberate and habitual sin without conscience and without true remorse. Our faith in Jesus Christ isn’t just about being forgiven our sins so that when we die we get to go to heaven. Faith in Jesus Christ requires that we die with Christ to sin and that we now live to God and to his righteousness in obedience to his commands and in holy living. For if we don’t, we don’t really know God and we will not inherit eternal life with God.

But are we imperfect people? Surely! And do we need Jesus? Absolutely! But we don’t use Jesus in order to excuse away deliberate and habitual and premeditated sin against God and against other humans while we act as though living a holy life is somehow something to be ashamed of. For the time that is past suffices for doing (practicing) what the ungodly want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, and lawless idolatry, etc. Things such as these are no longer to be a part of our lives.

And, oh, how this next part goes perfectly along with that meme. For it says, “With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.” I mean, that is what this meme does. It maligns those of us who are following the Lord in holy living because we aren’t still deliberately and habitually giving into the sinful cravings of the flesh. This does not make us perfect people, but we don’t describe ourselves as falling (into sin) more times than we’ll admit.

But we describe ourselves as those who, by the grace of God, have been delivered out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we can now live as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in the power of God. Will we sometimes fail? Surely! But we are to be those who have ceased from making sin our practice so as to live the rest of our lives no longer for human passions but for the will of God. Sin should no longer be what we crave and what we are passionate about. We should be passionate about serving our Lord.

Now, I know that some people will read this meme, and they will have no issue with it at all, for they will see it in a different light in which I see it. But when you see enough of these, hopefully you will come to see the deception in them and how they do not match up with the teachings of the Scriptures, but how they literally say the opposite of what the Scriptures teach. For, in a way, they are mocking and maligning those of us who are living holy lives and they are glorifying those who will admit they still walk in sin.

But we must all give an account to God for what we do in this life:

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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