Keys of Truth: 1 Peter (Chapter 4)

Chapter summary:
What does it mean for the believer to be carried through the waters of judgment and, like Noah, deposited in a new world (3:19-22)? It means we do "not live the rest of [our] earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God" (4:1-6). Because the end is near, we are to commit ourselves to loving and serving one another, faithfully administering God's grace (vv. 7-11).

We shouldn't be surprised that such a lifestyle involves suffering (v. 12). In fact we should expect to participate—and rejoice—in Christ's suffering. There is no shame in suffering as a Christian. When we do we are simply to commit ourselves and our cause to God, and keep on doing good (vv. 13-19).

The believer’s personal application: Praise God if you suffer for doing good.

TEXTUAL INSIGHT

“Suffering in the body” (4:1):
The thought is better, "suffered in the flesh." Christ's attitude of determination to obey God led to suffering and ultimately death. If we arm ourselves with the same attitude, we'll accept any pain caused by denying our own "evil human desires" in order to likewise do the will of God.

“Pagans in perspective” (4:2-5):
Before conversion we had all the spiritual and moral insights that pagans possess—and spent our lives "doing what pagans choose to do." Pagans cannot understand Christian self-discipline and rejection of sinful pleasures, and actually abuse and ridicule us.
But what we understand is that human beings must give an account to God for their moral choices. Our sharing of the Gospel makes their judgment more severe, for their rejection of Christ fully demonstrates that their bent is toward evil.

“Our commitments” (4:7-11):
Peter has described the pagan's choice: to satisfy their human desires. He now describes the lifestyle that pagans can make no sense of, but which reflects the will of God for His people. This includes: self-control, prayer, mutual love, unstinting hospitality, using gifts for the benefit of others, serving wholeheartedly and "with the strength God provides," seeking in all things to win praise for God through Jesus.
Selflessness makes no sense to selfish people. But to those of us who have been taught to love by Christ, it is the only way to be.

“Love covering sins” (4:8):
Love covers sins not in the sense of winning forgiveness for them, but in that our love for others keeps us from either broadcasting other's faults, or being so angry with others that we refuse to accept or forgive them.

“Participating in Christ's sufferings” (4:13):
Jesus suffered for doing the will of God rather than from any fault of His own. When we suffer despite doing good we share deeply in his kind of suffering. This same thought is expressed in {Romans 8:17, 2 Corinthians 1:5-7, and Philippians 3:10}. How encouraging to sense a closeness to Him and to realize that our suffering too is purposive.

“Blessed” (4:14):
Jesus expressed this in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:11-12). There is more than one reason for this blessing. In Matthew the source of happiness is the reward such earthly suffering wins for us in heaven. Here the source of our joy is the fact that in our extremity the Spirit of God rests on us in power, to sustain us and give us a sense of the glory such suffering wins.

“Suffering as a Christian” (4:16):
When others persecute and ridicule us for bearing the name "Christian" we shouldn't hang our heads. Not at all. We can lift them up and praise, for we are proud to identify ourselves with our Lord.

“Committing ourselves to God” (4:19):
Why to Him as "faithful Creator"? Because we remember that He is the power who shaped and sustains the universe itself. Trusting ourselves to Him completely, we are free to "continue to do good."