It’s All in Your Mind

First Peter 4:2 mentions that the believer who is armed for suffering will "ntJ. UJniJ.o liM. flu. llJL o/ hu ti.me in 11,_.e, 1/.uh lo- flu. l.u.d,_ o/. men." Does Peter define this sentence? In verse three, he gives the extremes. He lists at least five activities, conducts of the flesh and lusts. He says that you know how you acted before you were saved. The word lusts means eager for (and usually in a bad sense). These lusts include lasciviousness, which means excesses; anything that is done in excess is lasciviousness. The believer who suffers in the flesh. in an)(iety, in emotions is going to cease from sin. He is also not going to be eager to do those things of the flesh that cause him to be troubled in the flesh. Every bit of our conduct comes from within us. You can tell exactly what a Christian thinks within by the way he acts without. Christ said in Mark 7:20-23, "(lhol wJruh etJ.mLIJ,, oal o/ flu man, dud d"'1feJJi flu mon. (ft,¥. f,tJm, wil1t1n, om tJj du /uo,t o/. mm, ~ wa ilwugl,.h,, mhdtm.u, ~ ~ tlu/h, ~~ dttm, ~ an wiL tJJ,t., blo.1~ ,ui,th, /,tMll,.luu.u.· ollL Hull ,1,il 1./wuµ eMn£ /mm. m11ltin., and th/11£ I.Ju man." We, as Christians, certainly do not want our conduct to be this way, because it shows what is within. That is why Peter said, "You must arm yourself with the same mind. When you suffer, you start to cease from sin and you also start to check the excesses in your life." Peter lists five e)(cesses. Christ, in Mark 7, lists thirteen. Peter lists lusts, the word for covet;ng; excess of wine, which is drunkenness; revelfings, which is the word for riotin9. This took place after the dinner hour. The closest thought that we have to this today is partying after the dinner hour. Then he adds banquetin9, the thought is drinkin9, carousin9; and abominable (unlawful] idolatries (at least in the sight of God). Verse four says, "70/unin tJ,.l'.IJ, tltink i1 dro.n.lJL that,µ ,un nDl willt tlum l.tJ. llu HJmR n>UA-1 oJ ru,.f,, ~ wiL oJ y.o.a." A Christian is going to be a strange duck and you might as well arm your mind with that fact. There were no excesses in Christ, no covetousness, no drunkenness, no riotings, no banquetings. What about the will of God for the believer? That is the third outcome of verse one. Verse seven reads, "<Bul llu t!.nd oJ all 1./wuµ u al hmul,- lu ,µ f.iuu/JJ.n .w/J.u.. " Here is our word right-mindedness again. The will of God is for us to think right. One of the things that makes us think right is to suffer in the flesh. This causes us to pay attention to God and His will. "(Jje ,µ lh,n/J,u UJ.bo; a.nd lM.llelt wm,. flNl{J.U,." Be right-minded. Remind yourself that there is danger and continue to pray. "dlnd. ah.o-tn a1L 1./wuµ hmu /HNnl [love) o.mtJ.nlJ IJbll~" What is the will of God? To think right; to be alert; to pray; and to love one another. "(Jo,. [love] .JwlL MOU. a nmllihuu o/ mu. <llu '1ft.4pilnfih,J fJ.IU. t_o. a.n.lJ/Jtu milJuud ~" (I Peter 4:8.9). Can you see Peter, the uncouth fisherman, being hospitable? 75