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Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 4:1-4
In 1 Pet. 4:1-6 Peter comes to the matter of the believers arming themselves with the mind of Christ for suffering. Verse 1 says, “Christ, therefore, having suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same mind, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” The word “arm” indicates that the Christian life is a life of battle.
One main purpose of this book is to encourage and exhort the believers to follow the footsteps of Christ in their persecution (1 Pet. 1:6-7; 2:18-25; 3:8-17; 4:12-19). They should have the same mind Christ had in His suffering (1 Pet. 3:18-22). The main function of our mind is to understand and realize. To live a life that follows the footsteps of Christ, we need a renewed mind (Rom. 12:2) to understand and realize the way Christ lived to fulfill God’s purpose.
In our practical daily life, the strongest part of our being is our mind. Whatever we do in our living is directed by our mind. It is not the will but the mind that directs our life. All our activities are under the direction of our mind.
Because the mind directs our living, the preaching of the Word must change a person’s thoughts. One goal of preaching and teaching is to change people’s mind. If we think in a certain way, we shall be directed in that way. But if we change our mind and think in another way, our living will then have a different direction. What we think governs what we do, say, and practice. For this reason, Peter charges the believers in 4:1 to arm themselves with the mind of Christ.
To arm ourselves with the mind of Christ is to be armed with the thought and concept of Christ. This implies that we change our way of thinking. Many Christians think that as long as we love God and do His will, we shall be under His blessing, and we shall not suffer in any way. It is common for Christians to have the concept that those who love the Lord should not expect suffering. But consider the life of Christ. Did He not love God? Did He not do the will of God? Christ loved God to the uttermost, and He did God’s will fully and absolutely. But what happened to Him in His living? It seems that throughout His life on earth there was not any blessing, but only suffering. He was born into a poor family, a family not considered of a high class. Of course, that family was descended from David and so was of royal lineage. But when the Lord Jesus was born, that royal family was very poor economically. Furthermore, this family did not live in Jerusalem, but in the despised town of Nazareth in Galilee. Galilee can be compared to one of the poorer states in the United States, a state that cannot compare with other states that are wealthy and have a large population. The Lord Jesus lived in Nazareth for more than thirty years. At the beginning of His life, He was put into a manger, and at the end of His life, He was put on the cross. Where do we see God’s blessing in the life of the Lord? He endured suffering upon suffering. He did not have a good name, and He did not have a place to lay His head. This is the way the Lord Jesus lived when He was on earth. His life was a life of suffering.
The concept that the Christian life is a life of suffering is versus the natural, religious mentality, especially the natural mentality of many Christians. A great many Christians think that as long as we belong to God, are the people of God, love God, and do God’s will, everything concerning us will be fine. According to this concept, we shall be blessed and may have a good job, a nice house, and an excellent family life. Christians who hold this concept may expect all their children to become well-educated, wealthy professionals. Some Christians who are successful and wealthy may say, “What blessings I have received from the Lord! All that I have and all that I have attained is because I love the Lord Jesus and do the will of God. Look how God has blessed me.”
This concept of a Christian life is altogether contrary to Peter’s teaching in this Epistle. Peter knew that the more we love the Lord, the more we shall be deprived of things. He also knew that the more we do the will of God, the more trouble we may have. We may have trouble with our job, with our finances, and with our family life. When some hear this, they may say, “Brother Lee, don’t say these things. This kind of teaching will frighten Christians away.” This is the reason we all need to pay attention to Peter’s charge to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ.
What kind of mind is the mind of Christ? If we have the mind of Christ, we shall realize that we are living in a rebellious age and in a crooked, perverted generation. Because the age is rebellious and the generation is perverse, the more we love God and do His will, the more we shall suffer. We shall suffer because we cannot go along with the trend of this age. We care to do the will of God, but the will of God is absolutely contrary to the trend or tide of this age. We would love the Lord Jesus, but this is utterly against the trend of this corrupted world. Therefore, if we love the Lord and do God’s will, we are bound to suffer. This will be our outlook if we have the mind of Christ.
We need to arm ourselves, equip ourselves, with the mind of Christ. This indicates that the mind of Christ is a weapon, a part of the armor needed in fighting the battle for God’s kingdom.
If we arm ourselves with the mind of Christ for suffering, we shall be willing to endure suffering. We shall say, “Praise the Lord that my suffering is part of my destiny. God has appointed this for me. Suffering is the portion of God’s children in this age.” In 1 Thessalonians 3 Paul tells the believers that God has appointed us to suffering and persecution. God has not appointed us to material blessing; He has appointed us to suffering. Therefore, knowing that Christ suffered in the flesh, we also need to arm ourselves with the same mind. We should not have the mind to pray for material blessing. That is to have the wrong kind of mind.
In 4:1 Peter points out that those who have suffered in the flesh have ceased from sin. Pleasure heats up the lusts of our flesh (v. 2); suffering cools them down. The purpose of Christ’s redemption is to deliver us from our inherited vain manner of life (1:18-19). Suffering responds to Christ’s redemption in this purpose, preserving us from the sinful manner of life, from the flood of dissipation (vv. 3-4). Such suffering, mostly from persecution, is God’s discipline in His governmental dealing. To undergo such suffering is to be judged, dealt with, and disciplined by God in the flesh (v. 6). Hence, we should arm ourselves with a sober mind to endure such suffering.
In God’s economy suffering accomplishes a good work for God’s children. Suffering very much restricts our lusts. The more material enjoyment people have, the more they will exercise their lusts and indulge in them. But if we suffer poverty, persecution, or illness, this suffering will restrict the indulgence of lust. It is common knowledge that the rich commit more lustful sins than the poor. If you have vast riches and do not need to work, you will be able to spend your time indulging yourself in your lusts. You may travel around the world seeking pleasure. But the Lord may limit you financially so that you hardly have enough money for the necessities of life. You have to labor long hours to earn a living. As a result of your labors, you have neither the time nor the energy to indulge yourself in your lusts. Even the desire to pursue lustful pleasure is killed by your poverty.
It is dangerous to be rich. If you are wealthy and drive a luxurious car to make a display, immediately the lust in your heart will be stirred up. Do not think that because you are a Christian and have the divine life, you cannot be tempted in this way. The Devil uses riches to stir up lusts. God, however, uses suffering in the flesh to cause us to cease from sin.
In verse 2 Peter goes on to say, “No longer to live the rest of the time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.” This verse indicates that we should live no longer in the vain manner of life handed down from the fathers (1 Pet. 1:18), but in a holy and excellent manner of life (1 Pet. 1:15; 2:12), pure in holy fear and good in Christ (1 Pet. 3:2, 16), which is the will of God.
It is not easy to stay away from lusts and do God’s will when we are rich in material things. This is the reason God assigns a certain portion of suffering to us. These sufferings restrict our lusts and preserve us in the will of God. In this sense we all should worship God for our sufferings. We should tell Him, “Lord, how I worship You that in Your sovereignty You have assigned sufferings to me so that I may be preserved in Your will.”
We should not be afraid that our sufferings will be too great. The Lord knows how to assign sufferings to us. If He charges husbands to assign a certain portion of honor to their wives, surely He Himself knows how much suffering to assign to us. He will not assign either too little or too much. His assignment will be in the right proportion; it will be exactly what we need.
A brother may say, “Recently I have been so happy in the Lord. But today I lost my job and I am deeply depressed.” This brother needs to realize that this suffering has been assigned to him from the Lord. However, the brother may say, “It was due to inflation and the poor economy that I lost my job. How can you say that this comes from the Lord?” Apparently, this brother lost his job because of the economy. But the economy and everything related to it is under God’s sovereignty. Therefore, even losing a job is something assigned from the Lord. Likewise, the opposition we face, even from members of our own family, may be a suffering assigned to us by God for our good.
In verse 3 Peter says, “For the time which has passed is sufficient to have wrought the desire of the nations, having gone on in sensuality, lusts, debaucheries, carousings, drinking bouts, and unlawful idolatries.” Literally the Greek word rendered “desire” here is purpose, will; that is, intention, inclination; hence, desire. All the negative things listed in this verse are related to the vain manner of life (1:18).
All the negative expressions in this verse denote indulgence in different aspects. Sensuality denotes indulgence in sex, and lusts are different kinds of indulgences. People may have various lusts. For example, worldly people may have a lust for adornment. Not only do they have that kind of lust, but they indulge in it.
The word “debaucheries” means indulgence in the drinking of wine. It refers to an excess of wine drinking.
“Carousings” signifies an eating and drinking together with evil companions. Carousing involves shouting and noise-making without limitation or restriction.
Peter also speaks in verse 3 of drinking bouts. People engage in drinking bouts when they try to outdo one another in drinking. They may compete to see who can drink more.
The words Peter uses in verse 3 portray the corruption in society at the time of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was defeated not only by foreign armies; it was defeated because of its own inward corruption. Knowing the history of the Roman Empire, we are concerned about our country today. This country is powerful militarily, but there is much inward corruption. Consider the activities of many worldly people on the weekends. The first day of the week was arranged by God to be a free day so that we may worship Him and learn the things of God. But worldly people use this day to indulge in sensuality, lust, debaucheries, carousings, and drinking bouts. This is a description of the manner of life of the nations. In verse 3 Peter tells us that the time which has passed is sufficient for us to have worked the desire of the nations. No longer should we live that way.
In verse 3 Peter not only speaks of the indulgence in lusts; he also includes “unlawful idolatries.” Wherever there is the indulgence in lust there will be idolatry. Some may say, “We live in a modern, scientific country. The people here are not superstitious. We do not have any idols.” It is a fact that everyone who indulges in lust has an idol.
In verse 3 Peter speaks not only of idolatries but of unlawful idolatries. The King James Version and the American Standard Version use the adjective “abominable” instead of unlawful. Darby uses the word “unhallowed.” But in the Recovery Version we use the word “unlawful.” The adjective “lawless,” used in at least one version, may be an even better rendering. After further study of this verse, I believe that lawless is a better translation than unlawful. The point here is that idolatry always causes people to be lawless. A person who worships an idol or practices idolatry will be lawless. He will do certain things without any restriction. Therefore, I believe that the word Peter uses in verse 3 refers to lawlessness. Here Peter is saying that idolatry makes people lawless. He does not mean that it is unlawful to worship an idol. He is saying that idolatry causes people to be without regulation or restriction; it causes them to live without being governed by any kind of law. In China I saw idol worshippers who truly were lawless in their living.
In verse 4 Peter continues, “In which they think it strange that you are not running together with them into the same flood of dissipation, blaspheming.” The Greek word rendered “strange” is xenizo. It means to be a host or a guest, to be foreign, alien; to entertain, to lodge, to think it strange. To live in the flesh in the lusts of men (v. 2) is common to unbelieving Gentiles, who are running together into the flood of dissipation. But to live a holy life in the will of God, not running together in the indulgence of lusts, is strange to them. It is a foreign thing, alien to them. They are surprised and astonished at it.
Literally, “running together” means rushing on in a crowd like a band of revelers. This is to live in the flesh in the lusts of men to work out the desire of the nations (v. 3) in the vain manner of life.
In Greek “flood of dissipation” is anachusis meaning a pouring forth, a pouring out upon (as in a tide); hence, a flood (ASV). It denotes here the overflowing indulgence of lusts, the excess of moral corruption and degradation like a flood, into which one sinks when running into it.
Worldly people think it strange that we do not run together with them into the same flood of dissipation. Here all the indulgences listed in verse 3 are compared to a flood. This flood is a current, a trend. Whenever the weekend comes, worldly people follow this current to indulge themselves in their lusts. They think it strange that we, as believers, would not run together with them into that flood of indulgence. It seems as if we are aliens to them. They may look upon us as foreigners, citizens of another country. For example, if you live in the United States and receive some guests from abroad, they may be strange to you, and you to them. You both would be conscious of being with foreigners. The principle is the same with our not running together with unbelievers and worldly people into the flood of dissipation. Our refusal to do this is strange, foreign, alien to them.
Your colleagues at work may think it strange that you do not use the weekend to indulge in worldly entertainment. Toward the end of the afternoon on Friday, some of them may ask about your plans for the weekend. They may boast of what they intend to do in the way of indulging themselves in their lusts, and they may eagerly press you to tell them what your plans are. Then you may explain that over the weekend you will be involved with the meetings of the church. Perhaps on a particular weekend you will be going out of town to attend a conference. Your colleagues may think it strange that you would do such things on the weekend. Some may even say to you, “Where did you come from? Are you from another planet? You are a stranger to us. You are an alien.”
Instead of “think it strange” the King James Version renders the Greek here “astonished.” Other versions say “are surprised.” We do not agree with these translations, for they are too far removed from the meaning of the original. It is best to use a literal translation and say, as the Recovery Version does, “think it strange.” Unbelievers will think it strange that we do not care to participate with them in fleshly indulgences. In particular, they may think it strange that we do not celebrate Christmas or care for Christmas parties. The way of this corrupted world, the way of this crooked, perverted generation, is to follow the trend of indulgence and dissipation. But we would not run together with them according to this trend.
The word “dissipation” in verse 4 also indicates indulgence to excess. We all need to eat, but we should not eat in excess. We all need to drink, but we should not drink too much. Paul once told Timothy that, for the sake of his frequent illnesses, he should take a little wine. It is all right for someone with a special need to take a little wine for his health, but that one should not go too far and drink to excess. If we go too far in eating and drinking, that is indulgence, excess, dissipation. As believers, we should not have any kind of dissipation. In our eating, drinking, shopping, and spending of money, we should have a limitation, a restriction. In none of these things should there be any dissipation. The worldly people follow the flood of dissipation to indulge in their lusts, but we do not go that way. They are following the current of this age, but we are moving against the current. To them, this is very strange.
As the unbelievers run together into the flood of dissipation, they blaspheme the believers. This means that they speak evil of us, speak injuriously of us (Acts 13:45; 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:16). During the days of the Roman Empire, the believers, whose behavior was thought strange, were slandered unjustly and accused of all manner of crimes.
The blaspheming in verse 4 is directed not at God but at us, the believers. Many of us have experienced the blasphemy of unbelievers at school, at work, or in our neighborhoods. Some have even been blasphemed by their relatives. Those who follow the trend of this age often will blaspheme the believers.
