1 Peter 4:9 KJV [9] “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”      It is shocking to see someone who claims to be a child of God hold a grudge against another brother, but I understand that none of us are above it. I realize that my flesh is capable of harboring ill feelings toward another brother just as quickly as others. I also take into consideration those who may have been victims of abuse and that it may take years for them to overcome the trauma of their past. We all know God’s grace is sufficient, and it is …

1 Peter 4:8 KJV [8] “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”      Peter reminds us that charity should be at the top of every Christian’s list. If we are going to be remembered for anything, it should be for displaying the love of Christ. May the Lord help us to show charity to those who need it the most. It is easy to love those who love us back, but what about those who do us wrong? True charity does not pick and choose, but it is unconditional. Charity is …

1 Peter 4:7 KJV  [7] “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”      Peter admonishes the believer to be sober in this verse. In other words, we need to be serious about the Christian life. This does not mean that we cannot enjoy life or that we have to live in gloom and doom. The Lord wants us to have the fullness of joy because He knows that the joy of the Lord is our strength. However, we must be conscious of the hour in which we are living. We …

1 Peter 4:6 KJV [6] “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”      Peter refers to people in our text who are dead, but when they were alive, they believed the gospel and were saved. Their belief in Christ provoked ungodly men in the flesh who despised their faith and may have been responsible for their deaths. However, any persecution brought on a child of God would be a reward for them in eternity. Those …

1 Peter 4:5 KJV  [5] “who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.”      We cannot escape the fact or deny that we are all headed to a Judgment Seat. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. You will give an account of your life and service for Christ. If you have served Him with the right motive, you will be rewarded for your service to Him. If you have served Him with any other motive, then your works will be burned …

1 Peter 4:4 KJV [4] “wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”      The world will never understand why Christians live the way we do. They view the Christian life as a life of drudgery and bondage. They cannot understand why we would want to separate from worldly pleasures and philosophy to live a life dedicated to Christ. It makes no sense to unbelievers because they are still dead in their trespasses and sins. Satan has blinded their minds, and their only hope is to hear the …

1 Peter 4:3 KJV  [3] “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:”      Peter reminds believers that the way they used to live is in the past. Their old life is over, and their new life in Christ will be completely different than living after the flesh. This is true for us as believers today. The Lord not only saved us from Hell but from sin and ourselves. We have been given new life in Christ, …

1 Peter 4:2 KJV  [2] “that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”      Our thought on this passage is simple. We are not to live our lives each day yielded to the lust of the flesh. We are to live victoriously by living in the center of God’s will. God has a plan for each one of His children. It is our responsibility to yield to whatever He has planned for us.       The will of God is always plain to those …

1 Peter 4:1 KJV [1] “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;”      Peter uses the word “hoplizomai” for the phrase “arm yourselves.” This is the only place this word is used in the Scriptures. It describes a Greek soldier preparing for a battle by putting on his armor. If anyone understood the importance of being prepared for spiritual warfare, it was this apostle. He had experienced both victory and defeat in the service of God.       Peter reminds …

1 Peter 3:22 KJV [22] “who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”      I’m glad that our Bible is not only a historical book but a present and future book. It is the only book that accurately reveals the past, present, and future without error. The Word of God also makes it clear throughout its pages that God is on the throne. He always has been, and He always will be.       The verse before us teaches that God is not only on the throne, …