CHRIST VINDICATED

2Corinthians 4:6 to 5:10 and 1 Peter 4:1-6
The letter was written in the context of difficulties and that these will increase. We sense that difficulties will get worse for us today as we defend the truth of God. We all have a tendency to feel sorry for ourselves when trouble comes and everything seems to go wrong. The cure is to recall the suffering of our Saviour and think of the joy when he returns. Peter is very realistic, he tells them to look to Christ and others who have suffered for the sake of Christ. David Brainerd knew physical hardship and spiritual disappointments yet he knew God was close and was encouraged by this.
1. LIVING FOR THR WILL OF GOD – verse 1.
Peter presents a challenge as Christ has suffered arm yourself, it is a military metaphor, the cross had to come before the glory, see John 10. Jesus chose the cross and armed himself with the knowledge of the coming glory. Richard Wurmbrandt knew this comfort of being a partner with Jesus in his suffering while he was in prison for 14 years. Martyrs viewed death as an entrance to glory. Sin should be life behind, it is disobedience to God’s will. Wisdom lies in obeying God’s will, it is like a rock we can build on. Foolishness lies in disobeying God’s will and is like building on the sand. There is no more blessed life than obeying God’s will. People believe they can go their own way, Christians believe their way is God’s way. Peter’s argument is, since Christ gave Himself to deliver us from the sin which would destroy us, why go back to live in it? God’s will is good will. Life is God’s loan to man, and time man’s rent.
2. LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND – verse 3.
The world tells people to look back. Peter tells them that enough time has already been wasted. There is no way of making up for the past. Never, ever go back that way. Many Christians struggle with assurance despite being converted and walking with the Lord, but we need to remember that God keeps us and we can rest in Him. This passage is a vivid description of the tragic and devastating life pattern of the unconverted, which ends inevitably in judgment. This behaviour shows complete lack of concern for the consequences of actions. We may avoid the excess, but we live in a world where entertainment is shot through with violence and sexual innuendo, we need to be so watchful. Sin can leave its scars on ours and other people’s lives. We should not boast of our past, we should regret it and move on and leave it behind us. In Peter’s day people glorified immoral behaviour as our society does. Jesus enjoyed the good things of life but never to excess.
In Peter’s day people lived reckless lives and disregarded the consequences of their lives. People gravitated downwards as people do in our society especially in our university campuses where shameless behaviour goes on. We should leave this behind. Peter says to the people that they have spent enough time doing that. You believers have ‘tasted that the Lord is good’ what possible reason could they have for reverting to their old ways? We need to watch our lives that are laced with materialism.
3. EXPERIENCING VIDICTIVENESS – verse 4
They were being ridiculed for not joining in with the excesses. Pliny complained of the behaviour of Christians who refused to join in. They said: you are missing a lot of parties and you die just like everybody else. So, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. People blasphemed them, they heaped abuse upon them because they would not plunge into the same flood of dissipation – like a sewer of sin. This is a common experience of believers. However, sometimes people begin to respect us for our changed priorities. Unsaved people do not think it strange when people wreck their bodies, destroy their homes and ruin their lives by running form one sin to another. But let a drunkard become sober, or an immoral person pure and the family think he has lost his mind – see Mark 3:20. If our life changes then people think we are out of our minds they did of Jesus. When our family sees we put our hope in Jesus they will do the same to us. When we run the wrong way from the crowd they will laugh at us. The route that non-Christians choose may seem right, it may seem fun but it leads to eternal loss. We will get a crown.
4. EXPECTING VINDICATION – verse 5
Others judge us now. We should remember a day is coming when God will judge. No one escapes accountability to God. Those who are spiritually alive through trusting in the merits of Christ’s cross have nothing to fear at this judgment, for the judge appointed by God is Jesus Christ – 1 Corinthians 4:5. Living for Christ brings its own reward, but we’ll have to wait a while to see it completely. We are to so live that we encourage others to live this life too. Those who despise and mock believers will suffer the most awful judgment on the last day. To submit to the will of God will lead us to be vindicated.