1 Peter 4:1-5
  Living Under Lordship

My paternal grandfather passed away in the autumn of 1972, shortly before my wife, AnnMarie and I were married.  I can still vividly remember my grandfather and the time he spent with me as a young boy when we visited his home in Conklin, New York, a small town that is situated in the Susquehanna River valley.  I was adopted by my family at the age of four, and an important part of that adoption was the change of my name from Jack Howard Buchanan to John William Carter.  This name change represented something quite significant.  When my name was changed I was brought into a new and fundamental relationship with a new family and with a new father.  From the day of that adoption I would be under both the care and the authority of a new father.  I went from the vagabond life of an unwanted orphan to the stable life as a member of a caring and loving family.

It was always apparent that my Grandfather Carter was very pleased to have a grandson, and we were very close.  He would take me on walks across the neighboring fields, up and down the railroad tracks, and through his gardens as he would talk to me about any number of things that were on his mind.  The one thing I remember most from those, rather one-sided, conversations was related to his concern that I was his only remaining male heir in my generation.  I had no brothers and all female first cousins.  One day he said to me something like, “Always remember that you are a Carter, and you will be representing this family everywhere you go.” He gave me the impression that the character that people would see in me was a direct reflection on him.

Several years later our country was engaged in the war in Vietnam and I found myself in boot camp as a new recruit.  They replaced our civilian clothing with military uniforms and did their best to replace our civilian world view with military bearing.  It was made clear that we represented the people of the United States of America when we wore that uniform and our behavior was expected to be consistent with the codes of the US Military.  Now I was not only representing the character of my family, but also the character of the people of the United States of America.

Our personal character is a reflection of that set of influences in our lives to which we choose to submit.  Inappropriate behavior as a young person would have brought embarrassment to my family.  Inappropriate behavior as a soldier would have been an embarrassment to the military.  When we take that life-saving step of turning to God in faith, we place ourselves under another authority that is superior to family, superior to the military, and superior to any authority on earth.  Character is established by living a life of obedience.  As a child, I was obedient to the set of behaviors that were expected by the family culture.  As a soldier, I was obedient to the set of behaviors that were expected by the military code of conduct.  As a Christian, we find that our character is also established by our obedience to God.  We find obedience to God by placing ourselves under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 

The apostle Peter understood this concept, and he also experienced a name change that changed the character of his relationships.  His name was originally Simeon in the Hebrew or Simon in the Greek.  Jesus gave Simon the surname Peter (or literally Petros in the Greek) that means “rock” or “small stone.” Peter was also then called Cephas, a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word for “small stone.” Peter understood that the name change from Simon to Peter was directly associated with a change in his character that was found in his faith in Christ.  Sometimes people misunderstand the basic teaching of Jesus’ purpose in using Peter’s name:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

The early Christian orthodoxy understood that the church was built upon Peter, the Rock.  In truth, the church is built upon the confession of faith in Jesus Christ, demonstrated by Peter in the previous verses.  It is this faith that Jesus refers to as “this rock.” The foundation of the church is faith, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail.  Paul writes to the Romans,

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9).

A key word in Paul’s imperative is “LORD”.  This is the same word that is rendered, “YAHWEH” in the Old Testament.  It is the covenant name for God.  It is the name that recognizes and acknowledges God’s rightful authority over us and our willingness to be placed under that authority. 

Peter spent most of his ministry in a pastoral and apostolic context within Jerusalem.  And though he did not seem to engage in a significant ministry outside of the city, it is clear that his heart was deeply concerned about the condition of believers throughout the region.  It was to this audience that Peter wrote the letters that are included in the New Testament, letters that are full of encouraging instruction as Peter draws from his own life’s experience to help Christians to understand how to live a life that is consistent with their profession of faith, a life that is representative of that new name, “Christian.” In the first of these letters he writes,

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.

Arm Yourselves with the Attitude of Christ.

We might expect that if we are going to follow one who suffered, we will suffer also.  One does not suffer unless there is some conflict entering one’s life, and when one turns to God in faith, one enters into that conflict that Jesus came to address: the conflict of sin and its consequences in this pagan and secular world.  The character of this world stands against godly character, so when one comes to God in faith one also comes into that same conflict that Jesus encountered.  Those to whom Peter is writing are experiencing that conflict in the form of persecution by those who stand against God’s purpose.  When I was a child I stayed faithful to my new name because of the benefits that I received from being a member of a family.  When I was in the military I stayed faithful to my new status both because of my love for my country and my respect for the uniform code of military justice.  How do we stay faithful to the authority of God in our lives? We do so by submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Peter provides us with some resources to help us in that effort.

The words "arm yourselves" is a literal military term that means to take on a full array of armaments.  This clearly implies that Christians are engaged in an active battle.  As a child I had no desire to return to my orphan days, days that I quickly forgot.  However, as Christians, we find those old days much harder to forget, and we find the old ways much harder to change.  So the battle lines are drawn. 

What are we to arm ourselves with? Peter states that we are to arm ourselves with the same mind, or literally, attitude, of Christ.  Attitude has two meanings, both of which may be relevant.  Placing ourselves in the proper attitude involves both a mental and physical state.  Attitude can refer to our physical position: we can place ourselves where Christ wants us to be both in our geographical location and in our position within the complex web of relationships that define us.  Attitude also refers to our mental state: the foundational set of choices that define our world view.  Our world view as a Christian will be a transformation of the world view we had prior to our profession of faith as our new perspective comes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ as formed by our submission to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  Taking on the mind of Christ is the first and most important step in overcoming the conflict with this sinful world.

The last phrase has been misinterpreted to allow a teaching that suffering atones for sin.  Those who teach this claim that we must experience suffering in order to receive forgiveness.  However, Jesus suffered on the cross so that sin would lose the power to condemn those who place their faith and trust in God, so no further suffering is necessary.  However when we are engaged in the conflict that godly living will encounter in a godless culture, we are going to experience some level of persecution, some level of suffering.  Peter states that the level of Christian commitment that brings one to the point of being willing to suffer for his or her faith also tends to make a person able to resist temptation and sin.  Faith in Christ takes away the “want” to sin that so characterized our prior lives.

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. 

Live by God’s will, not your own.

The word for live here for “live” (used only once in the New Testament) is a durative verb which can mean "to spend a life".  Peter is referring to a change in lifestyle that characterizes the life of a Christian from the day of salvation until the day that the LORD brings us home.  We can see a clear call for Christians to mature in the LORD as the desire for the world of men is gradually and completely replaced by a desire for the kingdom of God.

How do we actually accomplish this transition from one world to another while we are still immersed in the old one? The answer is found in our choice of authority: that of the world, or that of God.  These authorities are mutually exclusive.  Christians are not to allow our lives to be dominated by human passions, but rather to let God's will be the determining influence of our lives.  This is another example of the biblical doctrine of the Lordship of Christ, and the instruction that the scripture provides concerning the call for obedience to God's authority.  Christians are to live by God’s will, not their own.

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:

Christians are not to give in to the influences of this world.

Before we knew the mind of Christ, we lived under the will of the world, what Peter herein refers to as the “will of the Gentiles.” When a Christian takes on the mind of Christ, the old life becomes a gray, dark memory.  It is not appropriate that a Christian fall back into that life.  Peter is writing about arming ourselves for the conflict, and to go back to the old life is similar to a complete surrender, a decision to abandon the faith.  When we live under the Lordship of Christ, we have no desire to return to the authority of this pagan world.  Peter refers to that experience as the “time past of our life.” It is behind us now.

The manner of that old life is incompatible with faith in Christ, but is very compatible with the world.  You will be less criticized by the world for openly portraying a godless lifestyle than you will be for openly portraying your Christian faith.  This godless lifestyle is advertised by the world in its publication and entertainment industries, both reporting and shaping its culture.  Peter, Paul and other New Testament writers express that a person will never reach any degree of Christian morality or maturity by copying the world culture and doing what comes naturally.  Christians are to live by God’s will, and not give in to the influences of this world.  The natural person is unredeemed.  Peter listed six specific sins that characterize the will of the world:

• Licentiousness or lasciviousness.  This is the giving in to base desires that result in ungodly actions.  As one matures in their faith it becomes easier to deny such desires.  However, maturity also changes the enemy.  The concept is giving in to ungodly desires and a more mature Christian may not be given to licentious behavior, but may still give in to other desires such as behaviors that demonstrate arrogance, a lack of self control, or any other attitudes and actions that nullify the demonstration of agape love that is the foundation of the mind of Christ.

• Lusts.  This is the giving in to distractions that take turn our focus to ungodly thoughts or attitudes.  Unlike licentiousness that is characterized by ungodly actions, lusts are characterized by ungodly thoughts and attitudes.  Since lusts are not as visible as lascivious behavior, Christians may have more difficulty overcoming this enemy to the faith.  Obedience to the Lordship of Christ requires a decision to turn away from those distractions that would promote ungodly thoughts and attitudes. 

• Excess of wine.  This is the giving in to the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other behavior-altering chemicals.  In order to have the mind of Christ, our mind needs to be clear and sober.  When we give ourselves over to the influence of mind-altering drugs, we give them control over us, a control that compromises our ability to maintain our focus on the Holy Spirit.

• Reveling.  This is the giving in to the influence of pagan and secular celebrations.  This world is certainly not short on party spirit.  In the first century these celebrations were inclined to be held to promote the authority of pagan gods, and their reveling included behaviors that were designed to get the attention of those gods, behaviors that were inappropriate for a Christian.  At its worst, Christians today could be caught up in parties and celebrations that promote ungodly acts.  Christians today are probably more likely to engage in parties that surround college or professional spectator sports, and one should always be aware of their behaviors in this arena. 

• Banquetings.  This is the giving in to personal pleasure, a specific form of gluttony.  This might be understood as the opposite of fasting.  The purpose of fasting is to allow the one who fasts to maintain their focus on prayer and Bible study, and avoid the time and distraction that preparation and consummation of meals requires.  Gluttony might be described as a fast on prayer and Bible study so that one can spend all of their time and energy on the pursuit of personal pleasure.  When the clock rolls around to 12:00 on a Sunday morning, is your heart’s desire to continue to immerse yourself in God’s Word, or are you in a hurry to get away from the church so that you can find personal pleasure in your other afternoon activities? Christians are not impervious to the distraction of gluttony. 

• Idolatries.  This is the giving of authority to created things of this world or its imaginings.  In the first century we think of idolatry as the worship of pagan gods, yet in today’s culture those gods still exist.  They have simply changed their names.  We give authority to worldly things when we allow them to make decisions for us.  For example, our desire for a big house, big car, big boat, etc., can result in a mortgage that is so large that we can no longer demonstrate proper stewardship in our lives.  We have become slaves to the mortgage.  When we engage in any activity or attitude that causes us to make decisions that turn us away from God’s will in our lives, those activities or attitudes become our idols, and we are demonstrating idolatry.  Of all of the worldly behaviors in this list, idolatry is probably the most vexing enemy of the Christian spirit.  One cannot maintain the mind of Christ when our mind is focused on the authority that we have given to things of this world.

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Christians no longer run with the old crowd.

When one comes under the Lordship of Christ, one will run with a different crowd.  Though God will certainly use a Christian to minister to a segment of society that needs the gospel, Christians will find true fellowship only in relationship with other Christians.  It is within the Christian fellowship that one receives the benefits of agape love.

Peter states that those who are a part of the secular culture from which we come will not understand why Christians are no longer in as close a relationship with them, and have chosen to literally run with a different crowd.  The illustration here is similar to that of a footrace where one is running with a crowd of runners.  Christians no longer run with the old crowd.

Those you left behind do not understand why you no longer find happiness in their revellings.  This makes you different, and different things are invariably criticized and unaccepted by the world.  At this point, the persecution is probably more personal than political.  It is fueled by the viciousness of broken friendships and lack of understanding or trust. 

Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

Those who persecute Christians will be judged by God.

In other verses (1:13, 1:17), Peter stated that those who take part in persecuting Christians for their godly choices will be judged.  He is writing to Christians who are doing their best to maintain a lifestyle that is under the Lordship of Christ, and they are experiencing real persecution by their godless culture as a result of their faithfulness.  Paul encourages persecuted Christians by reminding them that those who are doing the persecuting will be judged for their behavior.  Those who persecute Christians will be judged by God.  This frees Christians:

• of the task of judging and condemning the lost. 

• to love people who are lost and work to bring them the good news of the gospel. 

Conflict is inevitable when a person seriously seeks to live a Christian lifestyle, a lifestyle that is brought under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Authentic Christian living requires believers declare a firm, resolute NO to certain kinds of behavior as we move our lives from the authority of this world to the authority of the LORD.  How do we do this? In this short passage Paul gives us five specific instructions:

• Christians are to arm themselves with the mind of Christ, seeking to be consistent in obedience to Him.

• This means that Christians are to live by God’s will, not their own.

• Christians are not to turn their eyes off of Christ by giving in to the distractions of this pagan world.

• Christians no longer run with the old crowd, and may experience persecution because of that choice.

• Christians are not to judge those who persecute them, but to love them so that they can also hear the good news of the gospel and be saved.