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October 19, 2015. Selfishness Loses, Love Wins; 1 Peter 4:1-11
There’s a message in 1 Peter 4 that I’ve never seen with such clarity before! It seems just as applicable today as it was when Peter wrote it 2000 years ago. If people could live by this principle most of our problems would evaporate!
What jumped out at me first was the list of sins in verse 3. Peter hits on 3 types of sin:
Public sin that everyone can see (debauchery, drunkenness, carousing, idolatry)
Consenting adult sin that only participants see (orgies)
Private sin that only the individual sees (lust)
Popular western culture has adopted a hedonistic mindset that we should pursue whatever pleasures we desire as long as we aren’t directly victimizing someone. So, if you want to devote yourself to money, materialism, partying, substance abuse, sex, porn, gluttony, whatever, it’s cool—have fun; enjoy yourself. That’s the common value. Just don’t cross the line of victimizing others with child abuse, rape, murder, stealing, drunk driving, etc. This standard for moral virtue has some merit, but Peter makes it clear that God calls us to a much higher standard. When it comes to pleasure seeking, we should practice self-restraint.
Excessive pleasure seeking is a problem. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some of life’s pleasures in moderation. Overindulging turns it into sin. Making pleasure a priority in our lives turns it into idolatry.
That may sound like a downer message but not if you think it through. None of these behaviors bring fulfillment. They may seem fun for a while, but they’re a trap. You become a victim, addicted to habits that never satisfy. All of these pleasure pursuits leave you wanting more and feeling empty. They rob you of peace, contentment, and joy.
So they aren’t victimless sins. You are a victim when you do these things and your loved ones will suffer loss through your derailed potential. There are many indirect victims.
On a broad scale, the implications of these values become huge! Imagine a society where everyone works primarily to satisfy selfish desires. Compare that to a society where everyone works primarily for the greater good of everyone. The selfish values that Peter condemns turn everyone into a victim. Altruistic values, like kindness, self-control and love, make everyone a beneficiary.
But verse 3 was just the beginning of the insightful epiphany! This passage says much, much more. It’s full of good, encouraging news.
Our culture worships ease and comfort. Suffering and troubles are considered great evils. 1 Peter 4:1-2 presents suffering as our deliverer. It doesn’t say we should inflict suffering intentionally, but when we persevere through suffering willingly, we are “done with sin!” Suffering can set us free from the destructive power of these sinful traps!
Verses 5-7 remind us that judgment is coming where we’ll pay for our sins, another unpopular message, but Peter also confirms the good news that we can have spiritual life. Then he goes on to talk about love.
Loving is part of our salvation. It “covers a multitude of sin.” (v. 8) Love isn’t just a feeling; it leads us to action where we serve others portions of God’s grace. (v. 10) Such service can be as simple as offering hospitality without grumbling (v. 9) or talking about the truth of God (v. 11).
The message boils down to loving others instead of seeking to satisfy our own desires. It’s counter-culture, but true. When we all live by this value of love, we all gain from it.
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