1 Peter 4 – 5
Verse 4:2 opens with a difficult charge:
so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
This is a very easy very to endorse, but is difficult to live by unless you remain closely connected to Christ. Some of the most influential and dominant figures today have been publically humiliated through scandals from drifts away from their faith. It’s not hard and can snowball very easily. People think of the devil sitting around every corner ready to snare us in a trap, which may very well be, but more often than not it’s just our “natural instincts” that get us in trouble. It is either that or just not thinking and “going with the moment” that will have us getting trapped.
Christianity is so different than what is considered normal that it requires constant attention. Our “natural” selves look to help ourselves and continuing our family, but to live the life Christ has in mind for us is not always easy. Now the atheists and pagans I know will argue the attributes of Christ are not lived by the church or the people and there are more compassionate people who do not believe. They point to a long history of hypocrisy in the church to discredit the church and following Christ.
History tends to over emphasize the bad parts and forget the overall purpose. Salem Witch Hunts, the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition are events that get thrown in our faces as low points in the church and why there is not a need. We don’t consider that the Witch Hunts or the Inquisition could have been addressing real threats and just got out of control. We don’t consider the Crusades were overwhelmingly a defensive action against a Muslim Caliphate. Either way we need to work hard to follow this one verse and should make that a focus in our lives so we avoid being tagged a hypocrite.
Verse 4:8 is another poignant verse:
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Unfortunately that was what caused the social revolution of the 60’s to get out of control. They took the written meaning of “agape” and applied it to “eros” during the sexual revolution. They infiltrated the minds of Christians with the idea love was what God wanted and therefore if we could not “love the one we want, love the one we’re with.” (Steven Stills, 1970) In this case I do believe Satan twisted the meaning of agape love and eros love into a carnal lusting, where the “love” was for “getting off” and not serving the other person.
They key here is learn the true intended meanings of verses like this, otherwise it can be twisted into God says “it’s ok to have sex when we want, since I love sex.” Agape love is a deeper sense of commitment there eros which is more of a physical attraction. We would never mean eros when saying we love our parents. But that is how the words get twisted and on needs to do “due diligence” in reading the scriptures. Hence why I press to read your Bibles, use the “instant theologian”, Google, for looking up key words. I searched “1 Peter 4:8 in Greek” to find out it was agape love they were talking about. The key is when studying don’t let emails, Facebook and Twitter distract you!!
I will post verse 5:5 without much comment since it’s important to take in:
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility towards one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Agape love for others put them above your own needs, desires and wants. THAT is what is different about Christians over non-believers. Where allowing the government to tax us and “feed the poor” is compassionate, a Christian should really remove his cloak and give it to the person in need. Christianity needs that personal involvement to show those that following Christ is different and is something they want.