7.5.25 – 1 Peter 4

SPEAKER 01 : 0:09

Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.

SPEAKER 04 : 0:24

Today brings us to 1 Peter chapter 4. We’ll listen to Faith Comes By Hearing’s reading of the 19 verses of this chapter. 1 Peter 4

SPEAKER 03 : 0:37

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you. But they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the Spirit the way God does. The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God. Whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And…

SPEAKER 02 : 3:13

If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

SPEAKER 03 : 3:20

Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

SPEAKER 04 : 3:30

In 1990, when reading 1 Peter chapter 4, I cited several of its key verses. Verse 2. Live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. And verse 6, live in the Spirit according to the will of God. Verse 8, love covers a multitude of sins. Verse 12, don’t be surprised when we are tested, but keep on rejoicing. Verse 17, for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. In the year 2000, in the middle of my parents’ golden anniversary and my daughter’s attempt to commit suicide, I read 1 Peter chapter 4. If anyone speaks, let him speak as oracles of God. Speak the word. When things go wrong, don’t think it’s strange. Rejoice in suffering. Be glad with exceeding joy. In my prayer that day, I wrote prayer for Shannon and also for my son, Jason, who was driving back to college in Lubbock, Texas. Tomorrow, I will share more about Shannon. In 2010, I read 1 Peter 1-4 on the same day. Concerning chapter 4, I wrote, As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. And I was referring to verse 10. Then I wrote 12-19. how to act in persecution. Chapter four opens with this verse. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. Verse six goes on to say, for this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. Certainly in 2000, I was suffering under one of the greatest trials of our lives, The attempt of our daughter to take her own life. I was suffering, but I was supposed to live in the Spirit the way God does. We’ll see how I did with all that in tomorrow’s journal entry. Even in the midst of suffering, verse 8 says, And it continues with one of these great phrases in Scripture. love covers a multitude of sins where love abounds offenses are frequently overlooked and quickly forgotten love truly can cover a multitude of sins Verse 10, As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another. What gifts has God endowed you with? Are you using them to serve one another? We all have been gifted by God in special ways. I am very thankful for the gifting that God has given me, and I do my best to use those gifts to build His kingdom here on earth. I hope you do the same. Why should we use our gifting? Verse 11 tells us, In order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. God endows us with gifts so that we can use them to glorify Him. Whatever we do in this life, whatever we accomplish in this life, He deserves the credit and the glory. But then the chapter shifts once again back to suffering. In verse 12, Peter writes, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. Have you ever heard a Christian say, why me? Or have you even said, why is this happening to me? Your trial is not strange. Such trials are ordained by God. Verse 13 tells us so. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. His glory is revealed in our fiery trials. Verse 16 says, In the year 2000, I was certainly under a fiery trial. I was suffering as a Christian over my daughter. Was it easy? No, not at all. It was one of the most difficult, fiery trials of my life. You may be suffering a fiery trial right now, though it may be very difficult. Chapter 4 of 1 Peter reminds us that Christ suffered just as much. He modeled how to go through suffering. In our humanity, it may not be very easy to model Jesus in our suffering. But that’s what Peter tells us to do. Do the best we can as we suffer. Endure persecution, fiery trials in our Christian faith. If you’re going through something like that right now, May I pray for you. Almighty God, we thank you that you sent your son Jesus and you showed us the suffering servant. He suffered plenty, including a horrific crucifixion. But the manifestation of that suffering became apparent on the third day when he rose again from the dead. With your help, we too can conquer our fiery trials. Father, give us the strength to do so, and through it all, that we might maintain our Christian testimony, and that eventually you will receive the glory. As hard as it is, Lord, we do thank you for the trials you take us through that mature our faith in you. Please strengthen us as we endure suffering for you. In Jesus’ name, amen. Friends, I encourage you to pass on AdBible to your friends and your family. Help them stay close to God’s Word through AdBible. They can find the AdBible app in their app stores, or they can go to EzraProject.net and learn how to download it from there. I encourage you, too, to visit EzraProject.net from time to time to see how you can support AdBible with a one-time contribution and monthly support or by joining Club 365, especially designed for those of you benefiting from AdBible. Again, that’s EzraProject.net. Thank you for spreading the Word of God. Amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. You know, sometimes we need a plumb line, a true north, a solid basis of truth to live life. We’re not going to find it in the media or in social media or Google or your friends, but it is available right at your fingertips. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18, 38, what is truth? The chapter before, Jesus had answered the question in his prayer to God for his disciples. In the 17th verse, Jesus pleads with the Father, Sanctify them in the truth. Thy word is truth. So what would it be like if everyone, everywhere, read the Bible every day? Wow, it might be heaven on earth. What would it be like if every Christian read the Bible every day? Would we be better ambassadors for Christ? What would it be like if everyone in your community read the Bible every day? Would we have greater impact in our communities? And what would it be like if you personally read the Bible every day? Could you use a closer walk with Jesus? Could you use a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet to walk through this life? Could you use a spiritual power surge in your life? Matthew 22, 29, Jesus speaking to the Sadducees said, You are mistaken not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God. Yes, the Scriptures can give us power to live this life. So I’m going to give you three easy action steps to make the Bible worth your time each and every day. Number one, commit to daily Bible reading. Commit to seek God and His Word daily, every day. And if you miss a day, start again the next day. Change your belief about God’s Word to behavior in God’s Word. Use any of our Ezra Project resources to help you. Visit EzraProject.net to get an Ezra Project Bible reading journal or one of our day-by-day through the Bible books. Commit today and visit EzraProject.net for easy-to-use resources for your daily time in God’s Word. Number two, be intentional. Decide what you want out of your Bible reading. I got to visit the headquarters of Back to the Bible once in Lincoln, Nebraska. And in one hallway down one side, they had scribbled all the reasons people say they don’t read the Bible. On the other side were all the reasons people do read the Bible. And I want to give you some of those to encourage you. On that wall, it said, God wants me to. Yes, God wants you to read the Bible. Do you want to meet with him daily? Because he’ll meet with you every day through his word. Number two, it changes me. Where could you be in one year with more Bible reading in your life? Number three, it improves my outlook on life. Yeah, turn out the bad news and saturate yourself with good news from the Word of God. Number four, it keeps me grounded. Yes, when the storms of life come, and they will, can you stand? Yes, you’ll stand better and more solid because you’re in the Word of God. Next, it keeps my heart soft. Yeah, Nehemiah 8, when people heard the Word, they wept and they worshiped. You will do the same as the Word softens your heart. Lastly, on the wall, it said, it keeps my daily focus on God. Yeah, that’s a great reason to read the Bible. You’ll gain the spiritual power to live life in our secular world. And then thirdly and lastly, feed your soul. Let God minister to your soul. Hebrews 4.12 says the Word of God pierces between your soul and your spirit, between joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of your heart. Nothing else goes that deep. I don’t know where the place is between my soul and my spirit, but I want to put the Word of God there each and every day of my life. I hope you do too. God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word.