I’m preaching through book of 1 Peter at our church (Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville, IL). One think I noticed while working through 1 Peter 4:1-11 is the notion of TIME. It is fascinating to see how following Jesus transforms how we think about it.
1 Peter 4:1-11 Challenges How We View TIME:
- We center our lives on Jesus, who entered in our world in specific TIME in history to save us from our sins and show us how to live (4:1)
- Our TIME on this Earth is short and limited (“remaining time in the flesh”), and we are called to live a certain way (4:2)
- As Christians, the “TIME that is past suffices for doing what the unbelievers want to do” [living for sinful desires] (4:3); that is, we take ourselves by the hand and say NO to sinful desires and activities we once embraced.
- A future TIME of God’s judgment is coming, where God will judge the living and the dead:” everyone will be judged by God; but there is hope of mercy and eternal life for those who have believed the gospel (4:5-6)
- The TIME of the end of this age is near (4:7)
- This life is a TIME of living for God’s will and seeking to glorify Him in all we do (4:7b-11a).
- God is eternal and the TIME that He receives the glory and possesses dominion of everything is forever (4:11b)
