Living for God

Read and Reread 1 Peter 4:1-11

There may be a few people reading this that can relate to verse 3 that have lived a life where you have followed a lot of the ways of this world. Then you came to know Christ and you have been called to no longer live for these things. However, what about those that never really lived in the ways of this world. I do think we can relate to verse 4 that this world thinks we are strange that we do not do all the things that the world thinks is fun or normal. Then people begin making fun of us. Honestly, then begins this struggle of thinking what are we missing out on or would I understand all this so much more if I did do some of the things that the world does. Also, am I too innocent and goodie-two-shoed and isolated from the world. I want to challenge you with this passage as Christ has called us to know that we should be ARMED with the same attitude that He had. Christ suffered in his body and is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. Christ never lived out sin but He desired so much for people to come back into relationship with Him. When they do that, they don’t live for evil human desires but they find satisfaction and joy in living for the will of God. So don’t think about what kind of things you are missing out on in the world but live so much for God. Christ however still lived incarnated in this world so people never thought that Jesus did not understand them. So in the same way, how can we respect, love, live, understand others and still making sure to live out a life that isn’t living in sin just like Jesus?

Now some may wonder about verse 6 about preaching to people that are dead so I wanted to try to explain that. Are the “dead” those to whom Christ preached after his crucifixion (3:19), the spiritually dead who are now alive, or the Christians of Peter’s churches who have already died? The vast majority of commentators today argue that Peter is referring to Christians in Asia Minor who heard the gospel while alive but are now physically dead. Because this life is only a prelude to life after death, the gospel was preached to those who are (now) dead. And because those people will have to give an account to God for their life, everyone must hear the gospel.

Reflection – Spend some time thinking about the ways is God calling you to avoid the sins of this world? What ways are we called to live lives amongst people that don’t know Jesus that allows us to influence them more than they influence us?

Tuesday: Pray for your family
Pray for any family members that do not know God.