Peter just finished speaking about baptism, how the flood and the ark pointed towards a baptism which represents Christ. In our baptism we are willing to be immersed in water, and that symbolizes that we identify with Jesus death. When we are under the water, it is symbolic of his burial, and when we emerge from the water, we identify with His resurrection. When we read of the account when Jesus was baptized, we see that when Jesus emerges from the water, the Spirit of God descends upon Jesus and a voice from the Heavens confirms that Jesus is the beloved son of God, and God is well pleased with Jesus. Baptism signifies putting to death our flesh and our lordship of self, and being raised to life in Spirit. The act of baptism isn’t a thing that saves us or washes away sin, but it symbolizes transformation which comes about through identifying with Jesus Christ. The transformation is also called being born again of the spirit, or being baptized by the Holy Spirit. The end result of that transformation is promised to us. We have faith and believe, and we are promised to be brought to eternal Glory with God. That transformation is promised by God, who has infinite power to deliver that promise, and in God’s eyes, we are known by him and called by him, so it’s essentially a done deal. It’s already done in one sense, but from our perspective on Earth, we still experience this transformation over time. Putting to death flesh and being raised in spirit. This transformation is a daily thing, and if you think about it, that transformation is the very definition of our earthly life. What is the meaning of life, what is the point of life, what is our purpose here. All of the most deep questions can be answered through this lens of transformation. Even 500 years before Jesus, a Greek Philosopher from Ephesus named Heraclitus famously said “everything changes, nothing is still, you can never step in the same river twice.” He is known for the idea that “Change is the only constant in life.” If we acknowledge that the world changes, and we change, and everything is constantly changing, the next step is to embrace that change happens. And then direct the changes in the way you’d like to head so you end up where you want to be. When we grow or change to be more obedient to God and Christ like, it’s called sanctification. Peter talks a lot about transformation in Chapter 4, so let’s read

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

We read quotes telling us that attitude is everything, and in order to make any outward change you must first change your mind and your will to do that change. The Bible tells us that we are transformed by renewing our minds. It’s not an internal driver, the Holy Spirit works in us to grow us, and when we study the word of God, we renew our minds and we shape these mental changes that we make long before we see our thoughts words or actions change. Peter is saying, look at this action; Jesus suffered in his body. Because we see that action of his enduring the cross, we know that before that could have happened, Jesus needed to have the attitude necessary to take that action. What is the attitude of Jesus? Obedience to God, willingness to endure opposition and pain and suffering. Faith that God’s will is better than our will. Jesus attitude was one of deriving Joy from obedience and righteousness. Hebrews 12:2 says For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, He was the author and perfecter of our faith. We can tend to look at that with thankfulness for what it means for us, but we also learn about the attitude of Christ. Hebrews says to consider Him who endured opposition, Peter says arm yourself with that same attitude. If we are willing to suffer for righteousness, it means we are done with sin. When we become ok with suffering in the body it means we’re willing to give up some sort of temporary comfort or fleeting pleasure in order to follow the will of God.

Verse 2 says we live our earthly lives differently. No longer do we live for the evil human desires, but for that will of God. The Attitude of Christ means we are willing to sacrifice earthly human desires for something greater, which is the Will of God. When we read Jesus prayer in Gethsemane, we are taught by his internal dialogue fueled by his attitude of obedience. Not my will, but Yours be done. Jesus’s attitude was obedience in the face of any opposition, human desire, even in the face of self preservation. If you define sin as disobeying the will of God, you understand Peter saying when you live for God’s will, you’re Done with Sin. Only when you adopt the attitude of Christ, can you begin the journey of transforming the rest of your earthly life!

3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.

When we talk about transformation, it’s helpful to identify where you were and where you are, and where you want to go. Peter reminds the readers about their past. He is writing to a large group of people scattered among different places, so he isn’t signaling anyone out, but more generally saying this is how pagans lived, and how we all spent enough of our time and energy. This verse reminds me of Ephesians 2, where Paul tells the Ephesians they were all dead in their transgressions and sins. They used to follow the spirit that is at work in the disobedient, gratifying the flesh, following the desires and thoughts of the flesh. We also lived among them. Nobody is whitewashing the past or pretending it didn’t happen. We aren’t saying we’re better than the pagans, we aren’t like the Pharisee who says, thanks God for not making me like him– We used to live like the pagans who are dead in their sin. We were one of them. When we pray, we say thanks for changing me from who I was. Thank you for bringing me back from the dead. In Ephesians Paul says because of God’s great love for us He made us alive in Christ. It was by Grace that we were saved, not by our works! Not by our character, or our attributes, or anything else that we’d like to point at in order to grab credit. We were dead. Because we’ve been made alive, we come to a point where we say “enough” We spent enough time in the past chasing the desires of the flesh, but that time is better spent on our transformation, on the matters of the Spirit. We get a sense here that “time is of the essence”. We live in earthly lives of change, but at some point that will end and the permanent will be.

We get lists of bad stuff, fruits of the flesh in various places in the Bible. Paul has a few lists in his Epistles, One in Galatians. But here Peter has a list too, he says in our past, we chose to do the things that pagans choose to do. He gives a list, debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, idolatry. In this particular list, most of these things are social sins or things that groups of people do when they don’t care about God’s will. And Verse 4 says there’s a social implication of not joining in. There’s a cost to the transformation in our lives, something must be sacrificed. But because of God’s love and the grace that he brought us out of that world, by his grace we are armed with the attitude of Christ, the attitude of obedience. Not just easy obedience, but an obedience that is willing to endure some sort of suffering. When we read suffering, we might just think physical pain or beating, after all that’s what Jesus demonstrated, but our sacrifice won’t always have that dramatic of a physical impact. Jesus was also shunned by the Religious authorities and the people who ran the Synogogue and Temple. He was banished from the place that was supposed to be a house of Prayer House of God. Jesus endured social and emotional suffering, which is what Peter is alluding to here. We might be people who others are quick to heap abuse on, just because we don’t want to live godlessly and recklessly. We might sacrifice the easy road of “blending in” with others who don’t care about God. When we suffer, it might mean we give up our desire to be popular, or socially included with other humans, in order to follow the will of God. Our willingness to suffer might mean that we sacrifice our time or effort from following our hearts to following God’s will. This is what Franky was preaching about last week as well. Giving up ownership of ourselves, acknowledging that God created all things and we are part of that group. Calling God a Kurios which means a Lord or Master, but really it means that God is an Owner of us. The Attitude of Christ is not just a causal obedience to God, but an entire renounciation of self ownership. Its big! And if or when we suffer socially, Peter wants us to remember

5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

People who don’t acknowledge God, people who heap abuse on us, they aren’t the people we answer to. They aren’t the final authority, or the source of our concern. God is. At some point, we will all have to give an account to Him. And even though those people who heap abuse on us don’t believe it, they too will need to give an account to the Judge of the Living and the Dead. Just because you don’t believe in God doesn’t mean you won’t have to give account to Him at some point. That would be like saying I don’t believe in gravity so I am exempt. But that won’t prevent me from facing its effects if I try to leap off of a roof. I might spend the entire time on the way down thinking nothing will go wrong, but eventually the truth will be known. At some point, we will all give an account, and God will Judge the living and the dead. All face Judgement, those who have died and those who still are alive, everybody gives an account to God. God isn’t Judging which of us are physically alive and which are physically dead. That judgement can be done by basic instruments in the medical field, and we don’t need the infinite wisdom and perfect window in our hearts and motivation to test whether our bodies are alive or dead. And spoiler alert, we all end up physically dead. God will Judge who is spiritually alive and who is dead in their sins. If you think about it, At the end, we will all be judged, and the evidence pertinent to that judgement is the transformation that occurred. We will all give an account of who we were, who we have become. If we are alive in the Spirit, that account will Give God Glory. That moment when we give an account to God and the book of our deeds is opened, I imagine to be an embarrassing and cringe-worthy feeling. Now the ultimate verdict is not based on our works, but Jesus Christ’s perfection, so we have confidence in our destination. But giving an account happens, and I don’t anticipate it to be pleasant standing before God’s perfection and looking at all the things I did. Now in verse 6 Peter says that all who are now dead will be judged based on that same Gospel. There won’t be a separate judgement based on human standards. We’re judged in our bodies based on human standards of the time, but God’s judgement of our spirit is unchangeing eternal. People who have died long ago were taught by the same spirit of Christ and made their flesh to spirit transformation, and will be judged living in the spirit, and continue to live an eternal life in the spirit. Remember How Ephesians 2 continued, Because of his love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ, even while were dead in transgressions. By His Grace God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him so that he might show the incomparable riches of his Grace, By Grace We were saved from being dead in our sins, gratifying the desires of flesh. By Grace we were made alive in Spirit. Ephesians 2:10 says it’s by grace that we were recreated or born again in Christ Jesus to show God’s handiwork and do good works which were prepared in advance. The truth is we were predestined to be transformed. God planned for our transformation and that Transformation gives him Glory! That means we will Give him Glory. When we give our account to the Judge, We have confidence that will be judged Living.

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Remember in verse 3, Peter tells the reader that we’ve spent enough time in the past, wasted that time, gratifying the desires of the Human flesh.

We’ve begun a transformation, that transformation has begun through adopting the attitude of Christ. Now, we must acknowledge that time spent gratifying the flesh is time wasted (repent of your sins) and because we aren’t owned by ourselves, but a Loving God, we should be prepared to give him Glory. We should be alert and sober. The alertness and sobriety aren’t to be used to advance in the world or to live your best life possible, but to serve God, to live in relationship with God, to Pray and speak to God regularly, and interact with his word. Let his Word change you. We are sober and self controlled because we don’t belong to ourselves, but want to take care of this body and this life, which is a gift, We want to use our time and energy to love each other deeply, not lustfully like in the past, but deeply caring and ministering to each other in accordance with scripture. “Love covers over a multitude of sins.” When I was younger used to read this and think it was not quite Biblical, When Peter tells to love each other because, Love covers a multitude of sins. Because only Christ’s blood and his sacrifice covers sins. We can’t buy forgiveness or attain perfection or cover our sins by loving each other. If someone steals cable but loves his kids, his love for his family doesn’t cover his sins. While that is true, the Love of God for us by sending Christ to die for our sins is The Love that Covers a multitude of sins. It’s the only Way we are saved. Our interpersonal love for each other doesn’t contribute to our salvation or cancel our sins. But Christ’s love and God’s love absolutely Does cover sins. And if we love each other deeply, like God loved us, or Christ loved his Church, we reflect that Glory. We draw people to that Glory, we bring people’s attention to the foot of the cross, to the place where God forgives all the sins of his Elect. The truth of the cross is what our Salvation hinges on. When we reflect God’s love, we draw people to the Cross, we help God’s sheep hear his voice. Paul asks in Romans how people can call on God if they don’t believe, how can they believe, if they haven’t heard, how can they hear if it’s not preached or taught. How can that happen if we aren’t sent? God is transforming us in order to send us into the world to love one another, to preach and teach each other, to pray for each other, to show hospitality to each other. We are sent to become a family to each other, to bring each other back to the foot of the cross, where the Love of God covers a multitude of sins. Our conduct and our transformation is important, it’s through us that God chooses to work and bring about his Glory.

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

I plan do go deeper in verses 10-11 and finish the chapter next month. But let’s read through this a bit today. We spoke about Transformation. We will change, and before our deeds change, our attitude needs to change. To change well we need to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ. That attitude is the attitude of obedience. This is the attitude that God’s will is more important than gratifying our desires. This is the attitude that we don’t belong to ourselves,. That attitude brings about a transformation of our thoughts, words and deeds. We change and are reborn. The new version of us isn’t just a more pleasant version. The new version has a divine purpose and that is to grow God’s Kingdom. To Serve God. Peter uses a phrase “Faithful Steward”. We are supposed to be faithful stewards of God’s Grace in its various forms. A steward is someone who is hired or called upon to manage someone else’s property or valuables. Another word for steward is Caretaker. If Bill Gates called upon me to manage his wealth, I wouldn’t be a billionare, but I would be in charge of that money. I would need to think, work, decide how to allocate, where to invest, what goals with it. Should it be preserved safely, should it grow fast, should it be used to invest in technologies that will change the world for the better. If so, who’s version of better are we going with? To be a faithful steward or caretaker of Bill Gates’ money, You need to know what he likes, dislikes, wants. You see where we are going here? To be God’s steward or caretaker you need to study and know about God. Remember the attitude of Christ, now because we aren’t owners of ourselves or really anything here on earth, God created all things and all things belong to him, we can view ourselves as caretakers of those things. Peter says Any Gift you receive, you are to use to serve others. Now we like to jump ahead and talk about spiritual gifts, talents, things we’re good at, and we can talk about that more next week, but think about this. Our lives are a gift from God. We don’t own ourselves, so our bodies are in the category of Gift from God. Our physical lives are a form of God’s Grace. Our Existence is a gift from God. And Peter says we are to use any gift we receive to serve others. We are a caretaker or steward over God’s property, which means we are a caretaker and steward of our own self. If you speak, you need to speak as somebody entrusted by God to take care of and steward your words, your message, your communication. Our message should be in accordance with God’s message. If we serve, we should serve with strength of God, acknowledging that we are serving Him, empowered by his spirit, to do his will. We shouldn’t offer hospitality with Grumbling, or help with strings attached. We shouldn’t give bitterly, we should give without grumbling. In all things, whatever we do, our goal should be to bring people into a place where they Praise God, through Jesus Christ. All the glory and power and praise belong to Him.