God of Hope

Sometimes I dive into dictionary work and study before I simply read God’s Word. Quite by accident, I read and studied this passage in the New King James Version, since I had that up for another writing project. Reading a familiar (or even unfamiliar) passage in a different translation sheds light from another angle. Think of it as standing in more than one position to compare lighting before taking a photo. If you want the “deep end” experience and you know a foreign language, read the same passage in English and the other language.

It feels like we should take a deep breath before this next chapter in Peter’s letter. In the New King James Version, the heading reads “Christ’s Example to Be Followed.” The heading in my Bible reads “Living for God.” That fits in with what I’ve heard and read lately—always a worthwhile ongoing theme for this walk with God.

Why should we live for God? Jesus died for us. We now have new life with God through Christ.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that He no longer should live the rest of His time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2, NKJV).

• What an example we have in Jesus.
• He chose not to remain in the flesh, walking here on earth as a man, following the ways of the world.
• Jesus suffered and died a physical death.
• In this passage, Peter referred to Christ’s external afflictions and trials.¹
• While we may not literally die a physical death as Jesus did, we may face suffering.
• Peter identified steps we can take to live for
• Prepare yourself to live this new life.
• Have the same purpose as Jesus, to live the rest of your life for the will of God.

The author to the Hebrews reminded us that Jesus is our high priest who did not sin.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

• Jesus lived his “time”—chrónos (span of time) as kairós (a particular season or moment in time).
• He made every moment count.

Paul wrote we are to do likewise,

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17, NIV).

• Jesus chose to live for the will of God (emphasis mine).
• He did not satisfy the desires of a carnal appetite, but sought to please God in every way.

*What was Jesus’ purpose in life?

*What steps have you identified to live for God in your life?

*How can we prepare to live our new life in Jesus?

 “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:3-4).

• Yes, we have already spent enough time following the ways of the world before we met Jesus.
• We have practiced more than enough of such evil actions.
• “Idolatries” has also the idea of covetousness.²

John explained the relationship between coveting the world and God’s will.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

• Seeking after what the world has can extend to their gods, or the things they set above the One True God, who is Lord of all.

As a “square” who grew up in the church, it’s hard to relate to Peter’s description of the sin nature. But I understand the concept of “perversion,” “the alteration of something from its original course, corruption of what was first intended.”³

I do not live the way Jesus lived, and I do not walk in the garden of Eden.

I can relate to wanting what someone else has, and to not always keeping God as first priority.

*Which aspects of the world are most difficult to give up?

*What does it mean to do the will of God?

Isaiah summarized our life without Jesus well,

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6, NIV).

• Once we turn to Jesus, those in the world are surprised when we no longer run around with them.
• Our words and actions are no longer “in harmony” with them.⁴
• We choose to leave forever a lifestyle of wasteful squandering and reckless, wild living.
• As a result, they throw verbal abuse at us, slandering us to damage our earthly reputation.

And that’s okay. After one of his arrests, Paul wrote,

“… I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

• Everything in our former way of life is garbage anyway, including our so-called reputation.
• Do we see the hope in all of this?
• Through Jesus there is a better way to live!

*What hope have you found in turning away from the world to follow Jesus?

*In what practical ways does Jesus offer us a better way to live?

 “They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. “For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (1 Peter 4:5-6).

• God will demand the pagans give a reason for their actions.⁵
• He sits on the throne as Judge of all people.
• Peter referred to his earlier teaching in chapter 3: Jesus died a physical death and descended to the place of the dead.
• There, He preached the gospel.

The author to the Hebrews pointed to the judgment all people receive:

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

• Death itself is our first judgment in the flesh.
• Through Christ, we have a second chance, to live in Him.
• One interpretation of these verses is that Christ preached to the dead to give them the same second chance we have, to choose to live in Jesus.
• According to Peter, this is the reason “the gospel was preached also to those who are dead”—whether this means physically dead or those alive when Peter wrote who were dead in their trespasses and sins—to bring life.

Our God is a God of hope!

*How does the gospel bring life?

*What can we do with God’s hope this week?

 

1. Spiros Zodhiates Th.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament (Chattanooga, Tennessee: AMG Publishers, 1992), 1280
2. Zodhiates, 510
3. Zodhiates, 1346
4. Oxford University Press. Oxford Languages. https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
5. Zodhiates, 925