1Pet 4:1 Since Christ therefore has suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same mind (because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin), 2 No longer to live the rest of the time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God. 3 For the time which has passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having gone on in licentiousness, lusts, debaucheries, carousings, drinking bouts, and unlawful idolatries.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. (c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of First Peter, pp. 234-235. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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