Peter the
apostle told the Christians who were “scattered” “as Christ
has suffered for us in the flesh” they were to “arm”
themselves “likewise with the same mind” because “he
that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin”. In chapter
four and verse two of his letter Peter continued his exhortation as
he told the Christians they were to “live” according “to the
will of God” where we read:
That he no
longer should live the rest of his
time
in the
flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
The
verse begins, “That he no longer
should live the rest of his
time in the flesh to the lusts of men,...” Peter
began, “That he”
which refers to people who as “the
same mind”
as Christ “no longer”
or “no more or hereafter” “should
live” which
means “spend life” “the rest”
or “remaining besides and left over” “of
his time”
which refers to “season or space whether long or short” “in
the flesh”
or “the soft substance of the living
body and that which covers the bones and is permeated with blood”
“to the lusts”
which means “desires, cravings and longings for what is forbidden”
“of men”
which refers to “human beings whether male or female”. When a
person gives themselves over to the “same
mind” of
suffering as Jesus Christ, not only will they “cease
from sin”
but will also put away the “desires” of “the
flesh”.
The
verse continues, “...but to the will of God.” Peter
continued with the word, “but” which means “moreover,
nonetheless or nevertheless” and is a disassociation conjunction
which means what is about to be written takes precedence over what
was previously stated “to the will” or “desire,
pleasure, purpose of what one wishes or has determined shall be done”
“of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity
which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy
Spirit”. Rather than desiring the “lust of men”, those
who submit themselves to Jesus' thinking will live according to “the
will of God”.
When
we meditate upon Peter's words, we see the benefit for having the
“same mind” as Christ. Though Christians may suffer “in
their flesh” for thinking like He does, they also have the
benefit of living according to “the will of God”. There is
no better way to live than “to the will of God”, and as we
allow the Holy Spirit to teach us what that means, let us rejoice in
the loss of the desire for “the lusts of men”.
Next
time Peter refers to the way the “scattered”
Christians used to live, so read ahead, and we shall join together
then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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