1 Peter 4, 1 Peter 4. As we're going back to 1 Peter, we're continuing our series, living in Babylon. And throughout this series, Peter has been writing to the dispersed exiles. These are believers that have been dispersed by persecution across Asia Minor. And he is seeking to instruct them on how they should live in the world as examples to the lost. And so as we concluded 1 Peter 3 last week, looking at verses 16 to 22, again, this was a really unique passage, a powerful passage, and it focused heavily on the triumphant and the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on behalf of sinful humanity. And this was just really cool, the way that that text aligned with Easter the very next Sunday, and Peter's talking about Jesus and his sacrifice for us that saves us from our sin. And that passage, if you remember, it built directly off of verse 15 of 1 Peter chapter three. And that's kind of a core foundational verse for apologetics. Peter says, always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within you. And he says that in verse 15. And then the really cool thing that we see in verses 16 to 22 is we see Peter build on that theme. Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope. And then in verses 16 to 22, he explains what that hope is. What does that hope look like? And Peter elaborates in verse 18, saying, for Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. That is the hope that we have. It is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf that reconciles us before God. And so again, really cool that that aligned with Easter in that way. And in those final verses of chapter three, Peter even goes on to elaborate and illustrate with the story of Noah and how Noah was a faithful witness to the wicked and lost generation. Back in Genesis chapter six, we can read about that, but this is a close parallel to how the believers were supposed to act in their current situation, and it translates to us, obviously, as well. We are supposed to follow that same example of Noah, who was a faithful preacher of the gospel, despite the wicked generation he lived in, despite for some 50 to 75 years, as he's building the ark, no one, not a single person, outside of his family responds to the gospel. And so we see the impact of Noah and his ministry. We take our example from that. We should be calling the loss to Christ while we live on the earth. We should be living as examples of righteous obedience. This is a testimony of the work that Jesus has done in our lives. And so this week, as we pick back up in 1 Peter 4, the apostle Peter is going to continue to call the believers to righteous living. He's going to continue to call the believers to righteous living. And really, since chapter 2, verse 12, we kind of see the purpose statement for Peter's entire epistle. And that is that the unsaved would see your good works and that they would glorify your Father who's in heaven. on the day of visitation, right? This is the whole purpose of Peter's epistle. You're living in a world surrounded by unbelievers. You must be unique. And as you live and you do good works, and these good works point people to Christ. This is the purpose. This is Peter's purpose. We are to live lives that are changed by grace, as we saw in our text last week, and this way of living sets us apart from the world around us. And so as we look at verses 1 through 6, we'll just cover the first seven verses of chapter 4, and we'll see together from this passage the type of living that Jesus demands of his followers. Again, verses 1 through 6 really outline for us the type of living that Jesus demands from his followers. And so look at verse 1 of chapter 4, Peter continues, and God's Word says this, for the time that has passed 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. Let's go ahead and pray as we usually do and ask for God's grace as we look at this passage together this evening. Dear Lord, we're thankful for your word. We're thankful again for the opportunity to come together and to study your word. And we see in a powerful epistle from Peter to the exiled believers of the dispersion, we see again a call to live righteously, a call to be a testimony in a lost world, to be a salt and a light as Jesus has called us to be. God, we ask for your grace as we seek to live this way. We pray for any who may not know you, even potentially in this room this evening, we pray that We would have eyes to see this evening as we engage with your word and that you would convict us of areas that we need to change and grow, that you would encourage those that need encouragement. God, we thank you for who you are and for all that you've done for us this evening. We thank you for your love and we love you in Jesus' name, amen. The year was 334 BC, 120 ships carrying roughly 75,000 troops spread across the Dardanelles Strait. At the helm of these troops was the precociously brilliant Alexander the Great. At just 22 years old, the Macedonian king had firmly fixed his legacy in the annals of history. He is truly one of the greatest military minds to ever walk the planet. As his fleet came to rest on the sands of the Persian Empire, Alexander made a bold and history-defining decision. He turned towards his troops and commanded his entire fleet of ships to be burned. His men understandably questioned his decision and asked how he planned to return home. Alexander responded, we'll return in Persian ships or we'll die. The psychological effect of Alexander's dynamic leadership was evident. His men conquered the Persian Empire and the historic city of Babylon in just three years. Alexander's decision, once again, on the shores of the Persian Empire, it proved to be highly motivating. He effectively communicated to his troops that they would not return home until they had completed their mission. Their only option was a successful military campaign. As spiritual exiles, we could relate this imagery and even this story to our own lives. If you are a believer today, your life has been transformed by God's grace and should be continually transformed by God's grace. Scripture teaches us that your flesh has died. It has been crucified with Christ. And so to return to your former way of sinful living, it is simply not an option. You must be faithful to run the Christian race with endurance. This is what Peter is going to outline for us in verses one through six. We see this message portrayed throughout Peter's epistle, but we'll see it exemplified once again here in verses one through six. So with that being said, look at verse one with me. Peter begins saying this, And so the two opening words of this chapter, Peter says, since therefore, and again, we've highlighted this before, but this is a really important context It's connecting us to what Peter has already been talking about in verses 16 to 22. And so Peter says, since therefore, he's connecting us back with the example of Jesus Christ that we saw in verses 18 to 22. Christ also suffered once for sins. And Peter begins in chapter four, verse one, since therefore Christ suffered, What are we supposed to do? In verses 18 to 22, we see the work of Jesus Christ. Again, we see a triumphant Jesus conquering death, conquering sin, winning salvation for humanity. And in verse 1 of chapter 4, we see an important distinction. Since therefore Jesus did that, here's how you ought to live. And so we have the example of Jesus Christ held up before us once again. And Peter is effectively saying, because of the suffering of Jesus Christ, believers must be faithful to put on the same mind or to think the same way about suffering. Jesus set an example, and he set an example in that he was willing to suffer for sinners. He entrusted himself to the just judgment of God. And this is a theme that we've seen several times in Peter's epistle. And so because of the example of Jesus Christ, we must also be willing to suffer. Peter says in verse 18, the righteous for the unrighteous, Christ has suffered." Peter's making clear Jesus didn't deserve suffering, and yet he goes through it. He goes through it because of what it will accomplish in reconciling sinners to God. And so in this way, Peter's saying, in the same way, have that same mind. Recognize what your suffering for righteousness sake might accomplish for God's kingdom. This is Peter's purpose. Again, an amazing example that we as believers are called to emulate. And Peter gives us this charge. He commands us in this way by saying, arm yourselves. Again, this is a military term. And we've seen it before in Peter's epistle. You might think back to verse 13 of chapter one. Peter says this, therefore preparing your minds for action. Again, this is another military phrase. Peter invokes these phrase to give us a sense of urgency. These believers must recognize the seriousness of the struggle that lies ahead. They were engaged in spiritual warfare. They had to be actively deciding, actively putting on this mindset, preparing their minds for spiritual warfare. Are you doing that? Do you live that way? Actively preparing yourself for spiritual warfare. The ways that you can do that are very, very simple. You know how to do this. These are spiritual disciplines that you need to be engaged in as a believer. Reading your Bible, praying regularly, confessing sin, witnessing and evangelizing to the lost. These are spiritual disciplines that actively prepare you for spiritual warfare. They prepare your mind. This has been a theme for Peter. We've looked at many, many different commands throughout his epistle, and this is another one, a imperative command for us as believers. You must do this. Arm yourself. Prepare yourself. Just as a soldier must intentionally discipline his body and intentionally prepare himself for battle, equipping himself for battle. Peter wants the believers to understand the same gravity that goes into spiritual warfare. You must be intentional in equipping yourself for battle. Are you doing that? Are you living that way? Before we move on to the next phrase in verse one, I want you to recognize also a pattern that Peter is using. He says, and he finishes that next phrase saying, has ceased to sin. And so there's a really important pattern that I want you to recognize here. And Peter uses it many times in his epistle. We see Paul use it in his epistles as well. And really what Peter does is we see a Christological example. This is an example of Jesus Christ And then Peter gives a charge. And this charge is usually based on the example that he just mentioned. In a sense, because Jesus did this, you should do this. So we have first this example of Jesus. Then we have a charge because of the example, because of Jesus lived this way. And then Peter gives an explanation. Why should we live this way? Ultimately, he grounds his charge, his command to obedience in a theological truth or in a doctrinal truth. Once again, we see this unfold here in the beginning of 1 Peter 4. And I also highlight this as we transition because it helps us to recognize patterns that Peter uses, the author uses. But most importantly, I think it helps us to recognize commands that we must obey as believers. That's something that as you're reading through your Bible, as we work through a passage in a message, you should be looking for those commands. And this pattern, of example, command, and then explanation, this is something you should be able to recognize. So once again, if you're taking notes, maybe you're marking in your Bible, that would be a good thing to recognize. 1 Peter begins with that example of Jesus Christ. He says, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. There's a command. And then he says, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased to sin. That is the explanation. Here's why you should do what I'm telling you. Here's why you should put on the same mind that Jesus Christ has in relation to suffering, because whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Now, straight away, as you look at that phrase, you might question the accuracy of Peter's thought. You may say, it seems like he's saying whoever has suffered for righteousness sake, no longer struggles with sin. They're perfect in this way. And that clearly would not be Peter's He's not saying if you've suffered you will no longer struggle with sin. There are many many examples of individuals who have suffered for righteousness sake and they potentially even leave the faith or they struggle with bitterness. That is not Peter's purpose. It's not what he's teaching. Instead, Peter's point is this. Those who suffer for righteousness have demonstrated a clear break from sin. This is a tangible demonstration. If you're willing to suffer for righteousness sake, that you have forsaken your sin, you've turned to Jesus Christ, and this is the relationship that you value. And a tangible reflection of that is that you're willing to be maligned, physically persecuted for that truth, to believe in Jesus. And so this is Peter's point. These believers that suffer for righteousness, they clearly demonstrate their allegiance to God, and this is even at the cost of bodily suffering, even at the cost of injury, their suffering becomes a tangible picture of their death to sin and their new life in Christ. This is a breaking away from sin, and this thought is well-attested throughout Scripture. We see multiple passages that demonstrate this truth, and consider even Romans 6, 7 through 8, Paul says this, for one who has died has been set free from sin. Now, once again, Paul is not teaching that once you're set free from sin, you no longer sin ever again. No, that's not what he's saying. He continues on, now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. This salvation, it is pictured as a clear break from sin and a clinging to Jesus Christ. Galatians 5.24 says this, those who belong to Christ Jesus, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Again, this is a vivid image. Your flesh has been crucified with Christ, completely put to death. You are not bound to that anymore. you're now free to live righteously. That's what Galatians 5 is all about. This is true Christian liberty. The ability to live righteously. Because before Jesus Christ, you have zero capacity for righteousness. That's what Jesus does for you. Before Jesus, you have no capacity for righteousness. Every decision you make is evil and only evil. This is what the Bible teaches us. You are dead in your trespasses. And so when Jesus comes and he takes your sins on the cross, he is mortifying your flesh. He is killing your flesh so that you now can live righteously. You can live in a way that formerly you were not able to live. And so Christian liberty is not talking about, well, now we can do things like drink alcohol and we can, whatever the case may be, we can do these kind of maybe taboo things that some people think, well, you can't do that. But with Christian liberty, we can kind of do things that we may not be able to do. That is not what the Bible is talking about. The Bible is not talking about that. Christian liberty refers to your ability to live righteously by God's grace. Colossians 3, 3 and 5 also talks about this. Paul says this, This is, again, this is the imagery. You have died. Your life is hidden with Christ. Once again, you are freed from the bondage of your sin and your flesh. And this emphasis only becomes clearer as Peter continues in verse 2. Notice what Peter says in verse 2. So, as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. And so as you look at verse two, Peter's opening phrase, so as to, this is indicating he's offering further explanation on the previous context. Again, the previous context is verse one, when he says, whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased to sin. And he says, what that looks like is this, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. Again, what an incredibly practical message for us. He's expounding upon the meaning of cease to sin, what exactly does it look like to cease to sin, and so he explains this, for the rest of the time in the flesh. This essentially means, for the rest of the person's natural life, what happens? They live no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. They strive to glorify God. They don't prioritize their own passions. They don't prioritize their own lusts anymore. Instead, they are seeking to live for God's glory. Once again, Peter demonstrates that those who suffer for Christ, they have not become perfect. They're not fully sanctified and glorified. Instead, they have in a very noticeable way, they've illustrated their transformed hearts. They've illustrated the change of their desires, their new heart. Again, they've illustrated this by being willing to suffer. And this is something we've talked about all through chapter three. This willingness to suffer is ultimately rooted in our love for God. We might call it living for an audience of one. You're living for Jesus Christ and Him only. The rest of the world, it doesn't matter what they think. You're not living for them. You're living for God. You're living for Jesus Christ. And so you're willing to suffer. instead of conforming to a lifestyle that would make you virtually indistinguishable from the world around you. And you have to understand, this certainly would have been a temptation for these believers. Peter's writing in this way because these believers who are facing real physical persecution, there is a tangible temptation. Maybe I just blend in. Maybe I just live like the world and stop being persecuted in this way. Peter says, don't do that. You have died to your sin nature in this way. You have ceased to sin if you persevere, even in the face of suffering. As you think about this, I told you all last week, I gave you the illustration of a coworker that I had, and he was a believer, but instead of really standing out for Christ, and instead of being an example, his lifestyle was conformed, you might say, to the wickedness of the men around him. As I watched his life, as I listened to him speak, there wasn't anything tangible that set him apart as a believer. This is what Peter doesn't want the believers to do. Don't live this way. Again, his reason for doing this, my coworker, it was ultimately to avoid pressure that he might face for being a Christian in an unsaved environment. And it is very difficult to live this way. It's hard to be a light shining in a dark world, as Jesus describes us. It's hard to no longer live for human passions, but to live for the will of God. Because the world is going to look on at your life and question, why in the world are you living that way? Why would you make the decisions you're making? Why don't you just do what we do? Jesus tells us this in John 3.20, This is the nature, this is the nature of a light shining in the darkness. The darkness is constantly trying to overcome it. It doesn't like to be exposed. So you see the lost world hates when believers imitate Jesus Christ because it exposes them, it exposes their sin. You need to evaluate this evening as you look at this passage. What about your life? How do you live? Does the lost world necessarily feel exposed or convicted? It's not so much that you're trying to embarrass unsaved people with your testimony, but your good conduct should expose the work that Jesus has done in your life. and draw them to Christ in that way. Instead, it would be a real shame for the unsaved world to look at your life and say, really, I'm pretty comfortable interacting with that person. There's nothing about their life that makes me uncomfortable as a lost person. Peter says that is not the way it should be. There should be a tangible difference when you look at the world and look at a believer. Again, this is the imagery of a spiritual exile. There's something tangibly different about that person. You know they don't belong for a number of reasons. Does the unsaved world know you don't belong? There's something different about you. Peter says they should. They should be able to recognize that. Notice verse three. Peter continues verse three. 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. And so Peter now goes on to explain why believers should never be caught living like the world. And he says, what? Because the time that is past suffices for doing what Gentiles do. In a sense, Peter's saying, you used to live that way and that is over. It's done. You should not live like that anymore. Peter's effectively writing, you have sinned enough. The time that has passed suffices. That was good enough. You used to live that way and you shouldn't anymore. Again, this is such vivid language and it can be seen throughout the New Testament. We see multiple admonishments like this to the believers. The believers are repeatedly called, live differently, look different. As you think about this, we've seen numerous admonishments through the New Testament for believers to live lives that are changed. Keep your place in 1 Peter and turn over to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 6, just briefly. As you turn over to 1 Corinthians 6, we're going to look at verses 9-11, just quickly. Paul writes this in verses nine through 11. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And what? Such were some of you. but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God. Once again, Paul's purpose is to demonstrate this rampant wickedness used to describe the believers. You read through this list, this is a pretty all-encompassing list. sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy drunkards, revilers, swindlers. None of these people will inherit the kingdom of God. And what? Such were some of you. This is how you used to look. You used to live this way. But what? You were washed. You were sanctified. God reached into your sinful life. He saved you. And because of that, you can't live that way anymore. Peter's communicating this very same truth in verse 3. And so look back at verse 3 and notice the description that he offers of the world that surrounded the believers. Notice his description. He gives a similar list as what Paul does in 1 Corinthians 6. He says, the time has passed, this suffices for doing what the Gentiles wanna do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. And Peter gives this lengthy description of what describes the lives of believers in this context. And even what would have formerly described some of the lives of the believers that he's writing to it. So he's trying to describe in verse three, this is what the Gentiles do And your time for sinning in that way, it is over. The list that we read in verse three, it's commonly referred to in the New Testament as a vice list. We see several of these through the New Testament. Most of the time they describe Gentile living. Even unsaved Jews would not have been described. They would not have been characterized by some of these sins. Sensuality. passions, orgies, all of these characteristics, they describe some type of, some manner or degree of sexual sin. These words refer to an unrestrained, just completely giving over of yourself to pursue whatever sexual desires you may feel. As you consider that list and you read through it, certainly Peter strikes a chord with our culture today He describes quite well through the Holy Spirit what we face today as believers. He goes on, drunkenness, drinking parties. Again, this is just referring to wild, completely out of control parties. These encourage drunkenness. This is to completely give yourself over to substance abuse, to being controlled by various substances and passions. Again, you might notice all of these sins. Every sin in this list, it is related to rampant, out of control, lack of self-control. Complete and total lack of self-control. And the reason that that is so spoken against throughout the New Testament is that the believers were to be controlled by one thing. Believers are to be controlled by the Spirit, that's it. That's why drunkenness is so condemned throughout the Bible. Old Testament, New Testament, we see repeatedly. Don't be drunken with wine. Don't be drunk. This is listed as a characteristic for pastors, for deacons. We see it all over the place. Why? Because you're supposed to be controlled by one thing, the Holy Spirit. To give yourself over to any other control is sin. The last sin that Peter mentions in this list is lawless idolatry. Oftentimes pagan Idolatry could be described by all of the vices that's previously been listed in verse three. Pagan temples were known for prostitution, for orgies, for wild partying. Again, a total lack of self-control. And I love the way that Peter chooses to describe idolatry in this passage. He uses the word lawless, lawless idolatry. And you might wonder for a second, well, isn't all idolatry against God's law? Why does he need to qualify it this way? Well, many times when we think of the word lawless, our propensity is to believe that this word lawless indicates there are no laws. This is actually not the meaning of the word lawless. You might sometimes think of the Old West or the Wild West, and people would say, it was a lawless place. But again, this doesn't mean that there weren't any laws. Actually, again, that's not what lawless means. It's quite the opposite. An individual who is lawless describes someone who knows the laws, and they willfully disregard them. They live with a total lack of consideration for the laws. That's what lawless means. I recognize the laws, I understand the laws, and I'm choosing to live a lifestyle that is in complete disregard for the laws, for God's law. Again, lawless idolatry, it's describing someone who recognizes the sinfulness of idolatry and pursues it anyways. As you consider this passage, are there any idols in your heart, any idols in your life today? Certainly, probably none of you have graven images at home that you offer food to or worship in that way, but we recognize the concept of an idol is to place anything of greater importance in our hearts than God. It's to say this is rising to a level that I care about this more, I talk about this more, I think about this more than I think about God. Again, you recognize you're not supposed to have idols before God, but maybe you just don't care. That is lawless idolatry. To look into your heart and life and say, I recognize these things. I recognize that I have certain pursuits in my life that these do not honor God, and these certainly rise to the level that I care about them more than God, but I simply am not going to do anything to change that. It's lawless idolatry. Many times we would look at this passage and say, well, I kind of get away on that list of sins, right? I'm not out getting drunk, all of these all of these characteristics that Peter mentions. And then he throws that one in at the end. Peter says, you have said enough. The time is past. for you to pursue this type of lifestyle. You can't afford to live that way anymore. Why? Why can the believers not live this way? Notice what happens when you set aside that former way of life, that old man, and instead you put on the new man. Notice the end of verse three. With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you. So your refusal to give yourself over to the desires of your flesh, your refusal to look like an unbeliever, shocks the unsaved world. It's very interesting to note the phrase, flood of debauchery. This carries the idea of almost a groupthink mentality. Well, everyone's doing it, why can't I do it? You know, in a sense, we're all throwing ourselves headlong into this sinful behavior. Why don't you just come along with us? This is the idea. And so Peter says, with respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery. Everyone is going this way. The culture is pursuing this. And for you to not join in makes you stand out in an awkward way. Why don't you join us? You might think of issues that we see today. Why won't you affirm my gender identity? Why won't you allow me to take the life of an unborn child? Why don't you just have sex outside of marriage? Again, because your transformed life sets you apart from the lost. They see that and they question, why aren't you going along with this? The massive cultural wave has flooded over, people are living this way, lives characterized by debauchery, and there you stand. Totally separate from the culture, totally unwilling to conform to the sinful culture. This is a powerful testimony. And there's really nothing they can do, Peter says. All they can do is malign you. attack you personally, attack your character, and maybe in this day and age they're attacking them even physically, but it doesn't matter. Notice verse 5. Notice verse 5 again, repeated theme through this epistle, and it's come up here again, but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. This is why ultimately we can live righteously. This is why when Peter says, if someone is persecuting you, take it. And in our American minds, we're saying, you want me to be a doormat? I'm just supposed to take it when someone interferes with my rights. And Peter says, yes. And how can we do that? because we can trust God, the just judge. God is the ultimate avenger of wrongdoing and sin. He will judge the living and the dead, those who have already died for their sins against his people. Paul writes this in Romans 12, 18 and 20, beloved, never avenge yourselves. Again, never avenge yourselves. There's no reason for this. There is no justification, no matter what has been done to you, no matter your sense of justice that says, I will not be walked on. Peter, Paul, they say, never avenge yourselves. Why? But leave it to the wrath of God. For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him something to drink. For by so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." Peter gives us this same admonishment. When someone persecutes you for doing a righteous thing, what does he say to do? Bless them. Bless them is an incredibly loaded word. It actually means pray for their salvation. Not just say nice things about them, pray for their salvation. What an unbelievable testimony. Someone has maligned you, they have persecuted you in this way for doing nothing wrong. Peter and Paul, they say, not just don't take revenge, but actually seek to do good to that person. Ultimately, because we serve a good, a loving, a just God, we have no need to repay evil for evil. We can see evil going on around us. We can even, by God's grace, experience evil perpetrated against us. And we can respond with grace and love because we trust that God will fight for us. God will avenge those wrongs. And ultimately, even when we see horrible injustices happening all around us in the world, we can take comfort, those people will give account for the way that they've lived. This is a sober warning. Peter says this in verse six, 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 phrase for this is why, this refers to the judgment and our desire as believers that people might respond. Again, the reason that we preach the gospel is because we know there's a judgment, we have the truth, we know there's a God, and all people will give account to this God for how they have lived their lives. And so we must be faithful to boldly witness. Again, this draws us back into the context in verses 18 to 20 of chapter three. The example of the Spirit of Christ preaching through Noah to the wicked generations. Why? Because we know the truth. Judgment is coming. Repent. Turn back. We don't want to see this happen to you. Again, as spiritual exiles, we exist to point the world to the reality of the judgment. Christ's second coming. Their need for a Savior. Jesus comes the first time as a suffering servant. He comes the second time as a conquering king. He dashes the nations with a rod of iron. Revelation describes him as the Lion of Judah that rips apart unbelieving nations. Graphic, violent imagery of a conquering king returning to unleash vengeance on unbelieving peoples. We as believers are here to say, this is what's coming. Don't go that way. You have a choice. You have the ability to respond to Jesus's sacrifice. As you look at verse 6, one obvious question with this verse, Peter began saying, for this is why the gospel is preached even to those who are dead. What does Peter mean when he refers to preaching to individuals who are dead? Once again, this is almost similar to what we read at the end of chapter 3. Peter's referring to these individuals in their current state. Once again, as you look back at chapter three, Peter says in verse 19, he's talking about the spirit of Christ in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison. And we said, what is he referring to when he talks about spirits in prison? How is Jesus speaking to spirits in prison? Well, again, Peter was referring to them as they currently were. In their current state, they were in hell. They were imprisoned in hell. They had been judged by God. In the same way, in chapter four here, in verse six, Peter's referring to these individuals in their current state. As he's writing this, they had died. And so clearly he had preached the gospel to them while they were alive, they were unsaved, The gospel is preached to them, and after accepting the gospel, they have since died. Notice Peter's language. The gospel was preached to those who are dead. This took place in the past, and these individuals now have died. And so the preaching, again, it took place in the past. Peter's ultimate goal in preaching the gospel to these individuals is what? You notice at the end of verse six, that they might live in the spirit. that these individuals might have new life in Christ, living by the power of the Spirit instead of in the flesh. Truly, as you look at chapter 4, verses 1 through 6, this passage is so rich with application for us. But first, We have several applications we can take away. Number one, have you been made alive in the Spirit? Do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ? Really beginning in verse eight of chapter three, we see this gospel theme really carrying through the end of the chapter, and Peter picks it right back up in chapter four, this gospel theme. We see encouragements in verse 15 for us to witness. Ultimately, you must consider, has this gospel message transformed your heart and life on an individual level? Have you been reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Jesus is the only way that you can be made right with God today. If you don't have a relationship with Him, don't miss verse five. You will give an account to Creator God on the judgment day. This should be a sobering reality for all of us. Secondly, for believers, do you live transformed lives? As recipients of grace, you should be stewarding the grace that is given to you by God. You have a hope, an eternal hope, an imperishable inheritance. Your responsibility is to tell others about it. Do you do that? Do you live righteously? Do you seek to point the lost to Christ? You must. By God's grace, you can. Today, you can live righteously and sanctified because Jesus died for you. He purchased grace upon grace, John tells us, that empowers your walk with God. Today, once again, have you responded to that grace, and if you're a believer, are you living in light of that grace? Let's bow and close our time together with prayer. Dear Lord, we see in this passage, once again, the example of Jesus Christ. We see a charge for us as believers to follow in his example, and we see what motivates our obedience. What motivates our obedience is that we point the loss to you. We can win souls to Christ by our example of suffering for righteousness sake. God, we ask that we might be stewards of your grace today. We ask that for any who do not know you, that we would have a positive impact on their lives, that we would point them to their need for Jesus Christ by our own testimony. God, we ask that we would recognize as believers we cannot go back into the sinful lifestyle out of which we were saved. This simply is not an option for us. And so we pray that we would live in light of your grace. We pray that we would live transformed by the power of your grace. In Jesus' name, amen.