Speaker: Matt Johnson

Well Peter finishes this book reminding us that Satan’s attacks on the church are TIME BOUND and SPACE BOUND. It is only for A LITTLE WHILE that we will suffer. God by his grace – has called undeserving sinners (like you and me) to an eternal glory in heaven, (the celestial city) in and through Jesus Christ. (GOSPEL) None of us deserve heaven. What we deserve because of our sin is to be handed over to Satan as A CHEW TOY. But when Jesus died on the cross he was taking the punishment for our sin so that we could be spared the fate that is soon coming upon this world. Of course, WE ALL DESERVE the fate coming upon this world because we have all sinned. But in His grace – God says that if we believe in Jesus, ask for forgiveness and start to repent of our sin – he will give us heaven as a gift.

“Now PETER himself heard Jesus’ teaching about the good shepherd laying down his life for the sheep. Sheep of course are often foolish. Sheep are not renowned for being intelligent or wise animals. And the Bible likens human beings to sheep. We have rejected our Creator. That’s pretty dumb. We have also rejected His word in the Bible that nourishes us and keeps us alive. This has brought us – under the judgment of God and into a state of eternal peril. As the prophet Isaiah explains in Isaiah 53 (Slide 17) – “we all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way – but the Lord God has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.” (GOSPEL) This is why Jesus says the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus loved his sheep (loved you and me) so much that he was willing to die to protect us. So as Jesus died on the cross he was taking the penalty for our sin, so that we can be spared. And the Bible tells us that if we believe Jesus died for us, ask for forgiveness and repent of our sin as best we can – we are forgiven. We are saved. Jesus takes the bullet of death for us – so we don’t have to”

The point is – the trial and tribulations of this life are either proving the genuineness of our faith – TRUE OR they are proving the genuineness of our faith – FALSE. It is in this sense that we must press on towards the Celestial City of Heaven – working out our salvation with fear and trembling. We shouldn’t fear suffering and death. But we should fear that fleshly part of ourselves that tries to avoid suffering and Christian persecution by denying Jesus and his call to live holy lives. READ 1 Peter 4:19

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body (sarki), arm yourselves (plural imperative; oplizw ) also with the same attitude (ennoia; resolve – attitude in Proverbs), because (causal or epexegatical) whoever suffers in the body (sarki) is done (pauw – to cease) with sin. (Be willing to suffer, rather than participate in sin… suffering for good – demonstrates victory over fleshly desires – epiqumia) 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives (time – cronov) for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Peter, finishes this section saying (verse 17) “it is better, if it is God’s will to suffer for doing good, than for doing evil.”
Now please note the word SUFFER. In a godless secular society – suffering is going to start escalating because evil always brings suffering. What’s more, godless secular authority is also going to start demanding we accept evil or suffer the consequences. So suffering is inevitable in the context of evil. You need to come to terms with that real fast. Suffering is going to be unavoidable.
So in such contexts (Peter says) if you have to choose your poison – it is better to suffer for doing good. FIRST, suffering for good is noble. It is Christlike and there is no shame in it. But it is also better to suffer doing good because God may yet use us to restrain evil. I’m sure you all know the famous quote; “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” So do good.

The word “weaker vessel” reminds husbands that women are different to men. So husbands are told to be considerate and use their superpower to serve their wives needs. (Conversely, wives were just told to be considerate of their husbands needs and use their beauty superpower to win their husband’s hearts). Now because of sin in this world (and the changes modern life) – each husband and wife will need to work out what this still looks like today. There will be nuance – but the underlying differences of beauty and strength still exist. And each marriage needs to work out how to recognize and celebrate oner another’s super-power – and harness them for God’s glory. Recognize and celebrate difference.
But the husband is also reminded that his wife is an heir with him of Gods gracious gift. The word “heir” means co-heir or joint-heir. It implies EQUALITY. The same precious blood of Jesus that saved men also saved women. We are equal in dignity and worth.

You see addiction comes in many forms. For some its alcohol, or narcotics or sex or porn. For others addiction may be gluttony or a lust for power, or material comfort, or popularity, or fashion, or body image or simply being in control. For others, it may be an INVERTED DESIRE of the flesh – an inability to trust, an inability to really love, an inability to really commit to anyone or anything. These are all fleshly primal instincts – that are a form of addiction in many peoples lives. Sadly, as sinners (and without God’s help) A) we don’t control our fleshly desires, instead B) our fleshly desires control us.

Now this fleshly desire controls us because of 1) a fear of death, 2) need for security, 3) lack of trust, 4) demonic influence and 5) even an insatiable desire for meaning and happiness. Basically, the pursuit of happiness (in a world that is decaying before our eyes) – means that like greyhound dogs chasing a pretend, elusive rabbit around the race track – we all keep running after a pretend, elusive idea even though we are exhausted and we know it is killing us. We can’t stop…

But through the death and resurrection of Jesus (knowing that we are loved, knowing that we are forgiven, knowing that we have life beyond the grave) the Holy Spirit begins to set us free from this slavery to fleshly desires. Look again – at verse 17.

As Colin Buchanan sings; we all deserve to die because we all like sheep have gone astray. Bah, Bah, Doo bah Bah. Each of us has turned to his own way. Bah. Bah, Doo. Bah. Bah. But the Lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. Singing – Bah. Bah. Doo Bah. Bah. Isaiah 53:6. So Jesus does the time for our crime. That’s profoundly unjust. But in this injustice we are saved. If you believe Jesus died for you and you love Jesus for dying for you and you begin to repent of your sins – God will forgive you and He will take you to heaven. ALSO PROFOUNDLY UNJUST – because you deserve to go to hell. But Jesus willing suffered injustice so you could be saved.

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