…as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;(1 Peter 4:1)
Now we need to look at this verse carefully, because many think it is talking mostly about Christ, and has little to do with us. That is not the truth. The truth is that the last part of the verse isn’t speaking of Christ but us. Want proof? Well look at it, did Christ ever sin? No, well then, it is speaking about us ceasing from sin by suffering in the flesh.
This is what Peter is telling us to arm our minds with, this very fact. Christ suffered in the flesh for our sins, most recognize that easily. But now, if we will suffer in the flesh then we will realize this power and cease from sin. Not all sin right away or ever, actually, but instead, in a very real way making very real progress in the process of sanctification. You suffer in the flesh over certain sins, and you cease from them, and move on to the next thing you have to suffer. We live the cross life, and live in resurrection power.
This is the truth. You walk through the pain to get to the power. Most think they walk into power so they can walk through the pain, but Jesus, when He healed people, they were already in pain, and then they got the power. Jesus died on the cross before He rose again in resurrection power. His power is already there; you must go through the pain to realize it. You scream God help me, well, as a Christian He already has, will you walk into it, do you believe it? Renew your mind to this truth, as this verse declares it. The power you pray for is already there; go to it.
10 comments:
In a way, sometimes it really is no pain, no gain...we have to reckon the flesh as dead, but it tries like a chicken with its head cut off, it takes awhile to fall down...
Good thoughts, JD.
I think this has to be grasped before we are in the middle of pain, or we tend to bail out. I'm beginning to see that, at least I and probably we, are not intentional enough in living for Christ. Things happen to us and we want to deal with them in the moment. But we have to pray and "chew" on Scripture (like you did here) to prepare ourselves for those painful times, the times of trial.
exactly...we have to renew our mind ahead of time...
Great word bro. However, that kind of thinking and preaching probably won't get you a T.V. show or have you preaching in an amphitheater. Sorry...
You walk through the pain to get to the power.
That was a good summary line. Too many people give up on sanctification because they wait for the power to come, and when they seem unable to appropriate it, they conclude that there probably isn't any real power in the Christian walk, and so they set about being good moral people in the same way every other world religion attempts to be good and moral - by the might of their own will in the flesh, but the flesh is hostile to God, so whatever success they seem to have is only "skin deep" - they chains of their bondage are never removed, they just pretend they arn't there.
No one rises in newness of life who doesn't go down into the grave with Christ - period.
Excellent post.
Nice explanation of this difficult verse.
Surely our walk of faith is a painful one.
Sin sits right outside the door every morning.
The four disciplines to help us walk through the pain to the power are: Worship, prayer, the Word, and fellowship of the saints.
No other way we can make it.
Garry - yeah I know, that's why you guys are an encouragement to me...
Daniel - it really is about time to go through the pain of challenging the conventional wisdom on sanctification...mostly through changed lives, but of course it also must proclamation and teaching...
Don - Indeed...truth is we forget one of those and then we only get wounded and cry woe is me and retreat thinking Christianity doesn't work when it is our flesh that is lying to us...
Daniel - or worse yet...people don't even understand that this is/has become their version of Chritianity - based on their own will instead of being sanctified in Christ. Life becomes just another version of "Christianity" that isn't about Jesus at all, merely that person's goodness or morality. They may be blinded to the REAL Jesus.
(Hope this makes sense...I think I rambled a bit....;-)
Lynda R
Yes, Lynda that is true, and we don't teach on this clearly enough or often enough, and so it all becomes just a "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" type of thing...
A continuing post tomorrow that I hope will really shed some light on this issue even further...tell people about it (seriously)...
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