Arm Yourselves with Christ's Suffering 1 Peter 4:1

 

As Peter the apostle continued to share with the “scattered” Christians, he included the example of Jesus “suffering” to relate to their “suffering”. In chapter four and verse one of his letter, Peter challenged the Christians to “arm” themselves “with the same mind” as Jesus where we read:

Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;

The verse begins, “Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:” Peter began with the words, “Forasmuch then as” or “therefore, accordingly, consequently and these things being so” “Christ” which refers to “the anointed one and Messiah” “has suffered” or “been affected, felt, has a sensible experience and underwent passion and vexation” “for us” which refers to Peter and the “scattered” Christians “in the flesh” or “the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood)”, “arm yourselves” which means “furnish one's self with a thing, provide and take on the same mind” “likewise” or “even, also and indeed” “with the same” which means “equal, identical, selfsame and aforementioned as his” “mind” or “act of thinking, consideration, mediation, thought, notion and conception”. Since Jesus Christ “suffered” for us in his body for the reason of saving others, we also should have this “same mind” toward other people.

The verse goes on to say, “for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;” Peter continued with the words, “for he that has suffered” or “Jesus who has been affected, felt, had a sensible experience and underwent passion and vexation” “in the flesh” which means “the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood)” “has ceased” or “made to cease, desist, restrain a thing or person from something, leave off and got release” “from sin” which is “to miss the mark, err, be mistaken and go wrong”. Those who have “suffered in the flesh” have been released from the power of sin.

When we consider these words of Peter, we can see the relationship between Jesus “suffering” and dying for our sins and us “suffering” in our “flesh” as “sins” are put away. In other words, “sin” does not have it's power over us any longer. Just as Jesus' death on the cross meant death to His flesh, so does our relationship with Jesus now causes a “death” to our fleshly sin nature. We are to align with Him through believing in His sacrifice for our “sins”, and then our new life in the “spirit” puts aside the practice of sin. May the Lord Jesus help us realize the benefit to “suffering” in the flesh, and may we have the “same mind” as He when we “suffer in our flesh”.

Next time Peter will tell the “scattered” Christians about living in “the will of God”, 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.