When I was 15 years old, life was simple.  Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” was the greatest album ever recorded, “Hoosiers” was the greatest movie ever made, and my greatest goal in life was for my hair to stick out the back of my football helmet so friends and family could see how “good” it looked during games.

For going on 20 years now, I have not let my hair get longer than an inch in any direction, but in 1988 I was all about the mullet (business up top with a party in the back).  I had made long hair my goal since seeing how “cool” the varsity quarterback looked with his long-haired ‘do.  When we took the field for two-a-days that summer, indeed I had curly locks hanging out the back of my helmet.

For my adolescent mind, having that hair was part of the reason to even go out for football.  Sure, I liked the game, but I loved the look.  As anyone who has ever played football knows, though, the helmet is far more than a piece of eye candy.  More than an accessory, it is a life-saving device.  Playing football without a helmet is about as safe as surfing in a hurricane . . . do it long enough and your life won’t be so long!  Therefore, before each practice I would arm myself with that helmet and head “into battle.”

In 1 Peter 4:1, Peter invites all of us into the victorious Christian mind.  The mindset found here is not original – it is borrowed from Jesus Christ Himself.  Though He experienced persecution and struggle in His earthly life, Jesus maintained a life of perfect and total obedience to the will of God.  Jesus did not fear what the world wanted Him to fear (1 Peter 3:14), but instead sought to obey God at all costs.  Though it would eventually cost Him His earthly life, God would glorify Jesus and lift Him up, placing Him in authority over all things (3:22).  This mindset of following God regardless of the cost, trusting for God’s greater reward, is the mindset Christians are to “arm” themselves with today.

1 Peter 4:1 says this, “Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.”  In the first half of that verse, believers are called to “arm” themselves with the attitude of Christ as they seek to live a holy life.  The word “arm” in the original language is used only here in the entire New Testament.  Outside the New Testament, this word was used to refer to a soldier putting on their armor for battle.  It is not advisable for a football player to play the game without being “armed” with their helmet.  In the same way, it is not advisable for a Christian to try to live a holy life without “arming” themselves with Christ’s attitude.  Jesus knew there would be opposition to His radical obedience to His heavenly Father, but He persisted in obedience anyway, trusting that God would provide a greater reward.  If Christians are to stand a chance today at living a life honoring to God, they must strap on this same perspective.

Our greatest hopes as Christians at times revolve around seeing victory in some area of weakness.  For some this means finally being free from an addiction to pornography.  For others it means resting in their beauty in Christ, instead of their waist size.  For still others it means being more generous with the money and resources at their disposal.  When confronted with these issues (and many others) our great desire is to see obedience show forth from our lives.  What this passage reminds us of, though, is that one of the keys to obedience is to arm ourselves with the mindset of Jesus as we seek to obey.  Far more than just a mental accessory, arming ourselves in this mindset is essential to our survival in obedience.  When we have strapped on His attitude, then our obedience flows out from underneath for all to see.

In many areas of the Christian life, obeying Christ will not lead to an immediate improvement in circumstances.  In the short-run, following Christ might lead to short-circuiting a carnal desire.  If our mindset is anchored only in the moment, then many times we lack the necessary perspective to take the self-denying step into obedience.  However, when we are armed with the long-term attitude of Christ, we can deny ourselves in the moment knowing that God is being honored as we lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven.

Join us at Wildwood this Sunday morning at 9:30 or 10:50 as I will be preaching part 7 of our “True Grace” Series focusing on 1 Peter 4:1-11.

To access the entire “True Grace” study, click here.

1. Take a moment to pray.  Praise God for His Word and ask Him to teach you its truth, just as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:12-16, “Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees.  With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.  I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.  I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.  I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.”
2. Read 1 Peter 4:10-11
3. Peter begins 1 Peter 4:10 by stating that each Christian has received a “gift.”  What do you know about these gifts by looking at the rest of 4:10?
4. These gifts are most likely references to the spiritual gift that God has given to Christians to outfit them for specific ministries.  Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 include some of the representative gifts that Christ has given to Christians.  Have you ever stopped to consider what gift Christ has given you?  What do you think this gift is?  (NOTE:  If you are struggling to ascertain what your spiritual gift is, take some time this week to ask a few friends how they see God using you in their lives.  This will be a good clue as to how God has gifted you.)
5. Some have tried to argue that a Christians gift is for their OWN benefit.  However, 1 Peter 4:10 makes it clear that we are gifted for OTHER’S benefit.  In other words, you are gifted for me, and I am gifted for you.  How has God blessed you through other believers around you?  Take a moment to brainstorm some of the ways you are blessed by others.  Write one note this week to someone God has used to bless you.
6. Christians serve one another as “stewards” of God’s varied grace.  Of this, Hiebert says, “The Lord of the church has distributed His bounty with masterly variety to enable His people successfully to encounter the ‘manifold trials’  to which they are subjected.”  In what way have you seen the variety of God’s gifts work together to encourage people in this diverse world?
7. 1 Peter 4:11 speaks of the attitude Christians should have as they are administering their gifts in service to others.  Namely, Christians are to do their service in a way that is in dependence upon God and gives God the glory.  What would it look like for God to get all the credit for the service He does through you?
8. Peter ends 4:11 with a statement of praise.  For Peter, life is designed to reveal the greatness of Jesus Christ.  Take a moment in prayer and praise Jesus for who He is and for all He has done for you.

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. As you prepare your heart for study, know that God desires to reveal Himself to you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you into truth.  Before you open in prayer, consider Jeremiah 9:23-24.  “This is what the Lord declares: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.”  Pray for this understanding and knowledge of God with the Holy Spirit as your guide.
2. Read 1 Peter 4:7-9
3. Peter begins 4:7 by commenting that “the end of all things is at hand.”  In what sense is that true?  What do you think he means by that?  (See also 1 Peter 4:5 for immediate context.)
4. Eschatological (a word meaning “end times”) realities have ethical implications . . . something 4:7 makes clear.  What are some of the ways Christians respond to our understanding of the “end of all things” according to 4:7-9?
5. In 1 Peter 4:8, Christians are called to KEEP (i.e. not stop) loving one another “EARNESTLY.”  The word translated “earnestly is used in other ancient writings to describe a sprinter straining for the finish line.  What would it look like for you to love others earnestly this week?
6. Lenski commented on 1 Peter 4:8’s affirmation that “love covers a multitude of sins” by saying, “Love hides them (other’s sins) from its own sight and not from God’s sight.  Hate does the opposite; it pries about in order to discover some sin or some semblance of sin in a brother and then broadcasts it, even exaggerates it, gloats over it.”  Is there someone or a situation in your life that you need to allow love to lead you to “cover a multitude of sins”?
7. Hospitality means to show kindness to strangers or those outside your home.  This can be very difficult to do (as Peter concedes by reminding us to show hospitality “without grumbling.”)  What would it look like for you to live a hospitable life?
8. In these verses, Christians are encouraged to live self-controlled, prayerful, loving, and hospitable lives.  Why do you think it is important for Christians to live this way (beyond just “the Bible told me so”)?

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1.   As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.”

2.   Read 1 Peter 4:1-6

3.   In 4:1, Peter encourages us to “arm yourselves with the same way of thinking” as Jesus Christ who “suffered in the flesh.”  In your own words, what does it mean for a Christian to “arm themselves” with the example of Jesus Christ?

4.   The phrase  “whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” in 4:1 is a difficult phrase to interpret.  Some possible interpretations of this phrase are:

• The Christian’s relationship with sin has dramatically changed since trusting in Christ (see Romans 6:1-11 for a parallel passage).  The Christian is “dead” or “done” with sin’s necessary rule in their lives.

• Jesus work against sin (defeating it and bringing victory) was complete when His suffering was complete on the cross.

• Those who suffer for Christ experience a level of purification/sanctification as reward for their suffering.

Which of these interpretations is most compelling to you?  What is the main point of this section of 4:1 (to the best of your understanding)?

5.   1 Peter 4:2-3 describes the change in life that a person goes through when they trust in Christ.  Their lives were once characterized by certain “Gentile” (i.e. non-Christian in this context) behaviors. Now, however, these same people live lives in submission to the will of God.  What are some behaviors in your own life that you have seen shift since trusting in Christ?

6.   What do you notice about the list of sins mentioned in 4:3?  Anything stand out compared to your experience with fleshly temptations today?

7.   In 4:4, Christians are reminded that their unsaved neighbors, friends, and family might ridicule them for their change in behavior.  Concerning this verse/concept Warren Wiersbe says, “Unsaved people do not understand the radical change that their friends experience when they trust Christ and become children of God.  They do not think it strange when people wreck their bodies, destroy their homes, and ruin their lives by running from one sin to another!  But let a drunkard become sober, or an immoral person pure, and the family thinks he has lost his mind!”  In what ways have you experienced this kind of opposition to your faith as your lifestyle has changed?

8.   For Christians who are ridiculed for their change in lifestyle, Peter gives a particular encouragement in 4:5.  What is that encouragement, and how does it encourage you as you receive opposition for living out your faith in Christ?

9.  STUDY NOTE:  1 Peter 4:6 says, “For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.”  This sentence can lead to much confusion, as it appears to affirm a strange practice:  namely preaching to the dead!  However, this verse is not as complicated as it first appears.  The original recipients of this letter had shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those around them.  Some of those who heard the Gospel responded in faith, yet had gone on to already physically die (through persecution or even just natural causes).  Peter writes to encourage us that it is ALWAYS worth it to share Christ, even if responding in faith leads to persecution or ridicule (see 4:4).  In death, the value of the Gospel is actually most clear.  Those who are dead, if they responded in faith to the Gospel while they were alive will CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THE SPIRIT, even if their bodies die physically.  In this way, we have a tremendous encouragement to share Christ even with those who experience difficulty after they believe.

10.  How does 1 Peter 4:6 encourage you to share Christ with those around you today?  Is there someone in your life that you feel God is prompting you to share Jesus with this week?

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

In every field, there are both simple and complex issues.  In the field of Mathematics, there is simple arithmetic and complex calculus.  In medicine, there are common colds and intricate auto-immune disorders.  In finance, there is balancing the checkbook and investing in hedge funds.

In Bible study and theology, the same simple/complex dilemma occurs.  Some verses of Scripture are easy to understand and apply.  I Thessalonians 4:3-5 is an example of a simple to understand verse:  “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified:  that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.”  These verses are straight-forward and easy to understand both their meaning and application.

There are other passages of Scripture, however, that are not quite so clear.  1 Peter 3:18-22 is one of those complex passages of Scripture.  Cryptically these verses read in the NIV, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive by the spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.  In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.  It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.”  This passage is quite difficult to understand and apply.  In order to help facilitate further understanding and application, I am going to share my thoughts on this passage here to continue a dialogue on these verses.

The overall context of this entire section of 1 Peter has to do with Christians suffering and being persecuted because of their faith in Christ.  In 2:13-25, Peter encourages Christian citizens and slaves to persist in doing good, even if they are persecuted, following the example of Christ (who suffered on the cross unjustly, but remained silent and in fidelity to His Divine calling.)  3:1-7 continues this line of thinking, and applies it to wives who are living with unbelieving spouses.  They are to persist in doing good and faith, even if they experience difficulties with their spouse as a result.  3:8-17 continues this discussion by admonishing Christians to persevere if they are suffering because of their faithfulness to Christ, knowing that Christ will exalt them eventually.  At the end of this discussion comes our perplexing verses on Jesus and His preaching ministry in Noah’s day.  Understanding this context should help us interpret the correct meaning of these verses.

Noah lived in a time when all the humans on the planet were living in direct rebellion against God.  In fact, things were so bad that God had decided to flood the earth, sentencing all humanity to death if they did not repent of their sin, and embrace the only life-saving measure God allowed at the time: getting on Noah’s ark.  In the end, only 8 people (Noah and his family) heeded God’s direction and got on the ark.  In the process of building that ark, Noah and his family experienced insults and ridicule.  Once the flood began, however, they were vindicated and experienced salvation.

As Peter wrote this letter to the persecuted church of Asia Minor, he thought of an interesting parallel between Noah’s experience, and the experience of the first century church.  Like Noah, the early church had received by faith the saving message of salvation (for Noah – the boat, for the first church – salvation through  Jesus Christ).    Like Noah, the early church had been charged with sharing this saving message with the world around them.  Like Noah, the early church was ridiculed and persecuted because of their beliefs.  I believe Peter used this illustration to remind the early church (and by application us as well) that though we may be mocked for our faith today, eventually, it will lead to the salvation of our souls and our eternal vindication.

“OK, so that may explain why He used the example of Noah, but what about Jesus preaching to the imprisoned spirits?  What’s that all about.”   I’m glad you asked!  I think that 3:19 refers to the fact that Noah’s preaching ministry during the construction of the ark was something that was done in the spirit of Christ.  In other words, Jesus was imploring the world through Noah to be reconciled to God.  This reminds me of 2 Corinthians 5:20 which says of all Christians, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf:  Be reconciled to God.”  On Christ’s behalf, Noah was making an evangelistic appeal to the dying world around Him.

Now, this is certainly not the provocative interpretation you may have heard before concerning these verses.  You may have heard before about Jesus going to hell between His crucifixion and His resurrection to preach to people there who had died during Noah’s flood.  While this is an interesting and thought-provoking concept, I do not believe it is what this passage was intending to communicate.  Again, the overall context helps us to understand this.  The whole context of this section was to encourage Christians to maintain their testimony in the midst of persecution.  Noah’s experience of speaking the message of salvation to a dying world was far more analogous and relatable to the early church than Jesus’ preaching ministry in Sheol before His resurrection on the third day.  Additionally, no place else do we get this notion of “preaching to the dead.”  For these reasons, I think it is best to understand Noah’s preaching ministry as being Christ’s ambassador in that setting.  Believers today are called to be His ambassador in hostile settings as well.

Think about this for you today.  Are you living out your Christian faith in a hostile environment?  Do those you work with, live around, or are related to mock you for your faith in Christ and attempt to tear you down?  Have you ever considered that in those situations Christ wants to speak through you to call them into a relationship with Him?  Do you remember that even though life is hard, Christ has promised to exalt and vindicate us eventually?  These are some of the questions we live out in our complex lives.  Thankfully, the answer Christ seeks from us in response to these questions is quite simple.  He will preach through you and He will exalt you as you persist in faith.

Join us at Wildwood Community Church on Sunday, July 12 in either our 9:30 or 10:50 worship services as I will be preaching a message based on these verses.  Hope to see you there!

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. Take a moment to pray.  Praise God for His Word and ask Him to teach you its truth, just as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:12-16, “Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees.  With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.  I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.  I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.  I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.”
2. Read 1 Peter 3:18-22
3. In 1 Peter 3:18-22, Peter returns to the example of Jesus as the rationale for why (and how) we can respond to trials and persecution with blessing and hope.  How is Jesus the perfect example of One who experienced persecution while doing good?
4. In 1 Peter 3:18, Jesus is clearly the “righteous.”  Who is the “unrighteous” and what has Jesus done for them?
5. Are you trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and trusting in Him alone to “bring you to God” and make you “alive in the spirit”?  If so, when did you first trust in Christ?  If not, what is keeping you from trusting Him today?
6. STUDY NOTE:  1 Peter 3:19-20 are some of the hardest verses to comprehend in the entire New Testament, and the hardest to grasp in the book of 1 Peter.  While scholars differ in their understanding of these verses, my best understanding is that Peter wanted to encourage Christians that though many around them will not believe, God will certainly make good on His promises and save those who trust Him when judgment eventually comes.  The days of Noah become a great example of this.  In Noah’s day, while he was building the ark, Noah preached a message of repentance and salvation (“God is going to judge the earth, so get in the ark!”)  that most did not obey.  Only 8 believed and survived.  The picture of these verses is that it was the spirit of Jesus who preached this message of repentance through Noah in Noah’s day.  In a similar way, God has promised that judgement is coming on the earth today (1 Peter 3:10-12).  Christians today give a reason for their hope in the midst of this coming judgment and encourage people to trust in Christ as their rescuer from sin and judgement.  Like in the days of Noah, Jesus is preaching through His followers today to lost people “imprisoned” in their sin.  Christians should see the salvation that came to Noah and his family as a pattern for the certainty of the salvation that awaits them.
7. In 1 Peter 3:21, Peter talks about baptism.  Christian baptism is a special symbol where someone who has placed their faith and trust in Christ is submerged in water as a symbol of their full identification with Christ.  Have you ever seen a Christian baptism before?  What stands out to you about this symbol?
8. Peter here says that baptism “now saves you.”  While some have seen this as a literal declaration that water baptism is necessary for salvation, that is not what the rest of the New Testament declares.  The big idea seems to be that baptism is a public declaration of the salvation that has come to the Christian.  It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the “soul cleansing” His death in our place accomplishes that saves a person.  Have you ever been water baptized since trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?  Why or why not?
9. 1 Peter 3:22 reveals Jesus at the right hand of God, ruling in glory.  Though Jesus suffered on this earth, He is rewarded now.  In what way does the example of Jesus glorified in this verse encourage you to persist in following Christ when you experience various trials or persecution?

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. As you prepare your heart for study, know that God desires to reveal Himself to you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you into truth.  Before you open in prayer, consider Jeremiah 9:23-24.  “This is what the Lord declares: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.”  Pray for this understanding and knowledge of God with the Holy Spirit as your guide.
2. Read 1 Peter 3:13-17
3. STUDY NOTE:  At the end of 3:12, Peter quotes Psalm 34 which reminds us that God judges the evil doers.  3:13 seems to continue this line of thinking.  If we are doing good and pursuing righteousness, we really have no one to fear, because God does not judge the righteous, but evil ones.  This is similar as saying that a person who obeys the laws should have no fear of the police . . . or a person who pays taxes should have no fear of the IRS.
4. What does it mean to be “zealous for what is good.”  Is this an attitude that could describe you?
5. Though it is generally true that we do not need to fear negative consequences when we do good, there are times in this fallen world when people are persecuted for doing good.  The relevant example in light of the context of 1 Peter would be when a Christian is persecuted by others because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  When a Christian suffers for their faith, Peter says in 3:14 that they will be blessed.  What do you think it means for a Christian to be blessed while they are being persecuted?
6. Instead of being intimidated by their persecutors, a Christian is to keep who at the center of their focus (see 3:14-15)?
7. What does it mean/look like to “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy”?
8. If a Christian truly lives the life prescribed in 1 Peter, some non-Christians will get inquisitive.  They will wonder why Christians act as they do.  What about your lifestyle causes non-Christians to ask questions about why you do what you do?
9. When Christians are questioned by non-Christians about their lifestyles, 1 Peter 3:15 encourages Christians to have an answer ready to share the reason for their hope.  While this verse is often used as a rationale for studying Christian apologetics (and rightly so), the force of Peter’s comment here has to do with an explanation for their CONDUCT, not an explanation for their THEOLOGY.  If someone were to ask you why you have hope in life, or why you behave in “Christian” way, how would you answer?  How can you answer in a way that is both truthful and “with gentleness and respect”?
10. In 3:16-17, Peter returns to a refrain he has used throughout this letter . . . “if you are going to suffer, let it be because you are doing good and trusting Christ, not because of your own sin.”  What are some of the results that come to the Christian and through the Christian when they are obeying these principles?

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1.   As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.” 2.   Read 1 Peter 3:8-12 3.   Peter begins 3:8 by using the word, “finally.”  He was not using this word to conclude the letter as a whole, but to conclude the section he began back in 2:13 regarding submission to authority.  Do you see any connection between the content of 3:8-12 and 2:13-3:7? 4.   Peter lists 5 characteristics that should govern a Christian’s interpersonal relationships in 3:8.  To the best of your understanding, summarize what you think each of these phrases would look like in your life:

• unity of mind

• sympathy

• brotherly love

• tender heart

• humble mind

5.   STUDY NOTE:  In 3:9, Peter encourages Christians to not respond to evil with evil, but to respond to evil with blessing.  This is a pattern of behavior that was modeled for us by Jesus Christ, and is the most counter-cultural/supernatural part of a Christian’s ethic.  Of this call, Warren Wiersbe says, “As Christians we can live on one of three levels.  We can return evil for good, which is the satanic level.  We can return good for good and evil for evil, which is the human level.  Or, we can return good for evil, which is the divine level.  Jesus is the perfect example of this latter approach.”

6.   Why do you think God wants Christians to respond to evil with blessing?

7.   What has God done for Christians to enable them to respond to evil with blessing?

8.   Can you think of a time when evil was done to you (or someone you love)?  What would it have looked like for you to respond to this evil with blessing?  What might have been the outcome had you responded to evil with blessing (or what was the outcome if you did respond to evil with blessing)?

9.  Peter quotes Psalm 34:12-16 in 1 Peter 3:10-12.  To the best of your understanding, what is Peter’s point by quoting the Psalmist here?  What stands out to you about this quote?   To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.