Title: No More / 1 Peter 4:1-6
Contents
Jesus Christ suffered and took up the cross. The purpose of this is to take away the sins of men, so that people do not live according to the lusts of men, and that each one of us may live the rest of our flesh only according to the will of God. That is, until now Gentiles I have lived a life of lewdness, lust, drunkenness, debauchery, communication, and lawless idolatry following the will of is. This is the content of the text, and if the text of the text is summed up in one word, it is 'Enough'. To add to this, now that you know, from now on, those who lived along the road of extreme debauchery with you will see your changed life and will slander you, but it is a command to boldly live like a Christian.
I: Now that I know
Now we know enough to know about the truth of God's Word. I knew it by listening to the sermons, praying and singing, and then I knew it through the experience of the Holy Spirit indwelling me and praising, exhorting, comforting, guiding me, and sometimes rebuking me.
In the text, there is a stark contrast between man's lust and God's will. The Greek word for 'man's lust' is 'epidumiais' as a plural, which is a symbol of lewdness, drunkenness, debauchery, contact, and lawless idolatry. It indicates that the mode is diverse and changes every moment, and the Greek word for 'God's will' is 'del lemati' in the singular, meaning that God's will is always the same and does not change.
Have I never been used for God's purpose? This is because my life up until now has been living according to human lust.
The Greek word for 'extreme debauchery' in verse 4, 'anaquisis', means 'to overflow', and it shows the degree of debauchery of the Gentiles well, and at the same time vividly expresses the human form before being born again. “My thoughts toward you are not mine; it is not disaster, but peace, and a hope for your future” (Jeremiah 29:11). God loves me and knows what is best for me.
The possessions you and I want are only a necessity in life, not the purpose of life. However, there are many people who go to church and live a life that goes against the will of God. Why? This is because, as I always say, they became members of the church but were not Christians. These people do not plan or have time for God because they are self-centered desires or self-centered. What is truly unfortunate is that they are mistaken for what they think is right.
Those of you who are late for the worship service! Stop being late now, can't you come a little earlier? Those who are late are always late. It is also one of the wrong things to be habitually late for worship.
One day, a young colt complained to its mother.
Kid: Look at that pig, Mom. We only eat as much as we work, but pigs do nothing, let alone work, but they give us so much food. This is unfair treatment.
Amy: Wait a minute. Then you will know why.
In the fall, the pigs were slaughtered.
Amy: Now you know? The pig ate a lot and gained weight and died. People were aiming for it and feeding the pigs for free.
Do you think people in the world live comfortably and enjoy themselves according to the pleasure principle? Please don't envy it.
II: Now How
Modern people alike hate, fear, and avoid sacrifice and devotion, but they pursue and pursue the lusts and pleasures of the flesh. will be But this idea even penetrates into the church, trying to obscure and obscure the life of devotion to the Lord who died for me. However, the Word says, “In the same spirit, put on your armor” (verse 1). This means that since Christ suffered for you, you also must suffer the sufferings of Christ with the same kind of spirit as you. Just as Christ put an end to our sins by carrying the cross, so we also urge you to stop the life of sin in your life that you lived after the lust of the flesh. And to make sacrifices that stop the sins of others. 'It has ceased' in verse 1 is the Greek word 'pepautai', which means 'stop, control'.
Beloved saints! Now that you know enough to know God's grace, 'Stop' living the wrong life. Stop thinking, speaking, and doing wrong. Control the things of sin that come upon me. Only those who give themselves up to sacrifice themselves will receive God's love.
God's Word says, 'The sins we have committed so far are enough' (verse 3). It is enough to live wrongly, unrighteously, unfaithfully, and have sinned. You have to stop now and start fresh. If you have hurt God's heart that much and have caused it to suffer that much, then stop. And be a true Christian. To be a Christian means to be renewed. "Stop it!", Pepautai
Christians must realize their new life as a new being in Christ. The suffering of the cross is the path to the glory of the resurrection. Let me ask you. How are you before I came to church and what was my condition after I came to church? Can you say with certainty that it is new?
Then you are a Christian, otherwise you cannot be called a Christian. The Christian life is different from the past and the present, and the future is different.
The life of faith is not a life that changes conditions or circumstances, but a life that changes me. It is the gift of grace that comes to a Christian to be able to live a life conquering all of them when there is a change that changes my subjective life even if the environment, the situation, and the conditions remain the same.
Receive the Holy Spirit. You can overcome all obstacles in life and live with gratitude. The Holy Spirit is the adapter of our life. Now that we don't know enough about God's truth, how should we live? Every dedication has its own benefits. But dedication comes at a price. Sacrifice and devotion cannot be made when I am sacrificing my life. The price of devotion to living for God is well worth paying.
Christians must give up their right to do whatever they want. The same blessings come and follow in the life of faith that is poured out for God. Up until now, we've been living so foolishly and investing our lives in the wrong things. That's why my life is so shameful. We can live our lives swept up in our mouths while chanting, 'It can't be like this, it can't be like that'. A new person is a person who takes off old clothes and puts on new clothes and lives with a new will.
"Give me a base outside the Earth, and I can push the Earth," said a Greek philosopher. The power of people living in the world cannot deal with the turbulence of the world's violent evil. Only God can do it. Christians must live in the present of today, but they must live tomorrow, and while living on earth, they must be able to live in the kingdom of God. Christians are world-changers, not those who are changed by the world.
Once upon a time, a man had a bull and he wanted to turn it into a cow and took it to the cattle market. But the man's son-in-law came to the cattle market to change a cow into a bull. So the two in-laws exchanged cattle for each other. The two in-laws drank alcohol on the street after changing cattle. One cup, two cups, three cups.... The two drunken in-laws went home after changing cows at the end of the day. The two of them got drunk and gave themselves to the ox as it went, and each ox went to its own house. So, it is not the people who changed the cows, but the cows that changed people. The two were humiliated by each other at the in-laws' house.
Christians are not led into the world. They are the ones who lead the world. Christians are not swept away by the world. These are the people who change the world. To live for the soul, you must suppress the desires of the body. Those who cannot control themselves are not worthy to rule. "He who conquers himself is the greatest conqueror" is an English proverb. Those who can control themselves are those who can keep the will of God.
The Bible is God's sundial. We must evaluate our lives by the Bible. Christians should not be afraid that life will end, but fear that it will not even begin. The Christian life is a life of living with God for God, and when we receive instruction, we put it into practice immediately.
III: from now on
God's will is human welfare. God wants people to live with joy. Therefore, we must make a firm decision on the side of Christ. Otherwise, you end up deciding to go to the world opposite to Christ. My present now is a time of decision, and a moment toward the future that God has prepared.
There was a wealthy Christian woman who lived a glamorous life in the social world. However, he fell ill with an incurable disease and waited only for death. The woman offered a prayer of repentance, and all members of the church prayed for her. However, an amazing miracle occurred, that she was quickly recovered. Her old friends held a banquet to celebrate her recovery from health, and arranged pleasant sequences of drinks and playing cards for her, the protagonist. But she said, "From now on, I can't drink, play, or do anything I used to enjoy." He refused and quietly walked out.
Beloved saints! Belief is action. Be sure to live a 'from now on' life. We, as Christians, who live in the age of loss of practice of faith, must live so that the kingdom of God can be established on this earth.
"~ My duty is to exalt the Savior and lead well to the salvation of all souls. As I am called, I will serve my brothers, and do my best according to the will of the Savior. Do all things well before the Lord, so that I will be rewarded when I see the Lord. "
Amen
Prayer
Lord! Thank you for loving us who are living our wrong lives and allowing us to listen to God's words, "Stop it now." From now on, help me to stop living a sinful life that goes against the will of God. You have made me know how to live. From now on, let me change my time into time for God and the goal of my life for purpose for God. Help me to become true Christians who have started from now on. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.