Peter says, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking.” The same way of thinking! What if we were told to arm ourselves with THE SAME WAY OF THINKING as Barack Obama, or Donald Trump or Alexander Hamilton, or Thomas Jefferson, or Malcolm X, or The Beatles, etc.? What if we were told to arm ourselves with the same way of thinking as Mr. Beast, or Dude Perfect, or Taylor Swift? …well then, I think we would!

Then Peter says, “Live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” Good examples of people who sincerely and substantially lived aligned with the will of God = Joseph (son of Jacob), Daniel, Huldah (wife of Shallum), Jael (wife of Heber), Joanna (wife of Chuza), Deborah (wife of Lappidoth), King David (in 1st Samuel), Jonathan (son of Saul), etc.

Peter says, “Go ahead and surprise people by the fact that you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and go ahead and brace yourself for the reality that they will malign you. *So we are supposed to knowingly take a path that will prompt people to malign us!?

Then Peter says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” *So this is very practical! #1. There are a multitude of sins. #2. How do those sins get dealt with/covered? #3. Earnest love (not the mere expression, “I love you” – but the reality of love). Let’s think of an example… if a child wants to talk with their parents about how they’re feeling (e.g. sharing with their parents some thoughts on how the parents have messed up) …then LOVE looks like the parents listening and being empathetic (even if they don’t agree with what the child is saying). For instance, in Psalm 13:1-2 our FATHER in HEAVEN is not actually guilty of ‘forgetting us’, HOWEVER – our HEAVENLY FATHER lovingly listens to the psalmist share his raw feelings. *And just to be CLEAR, love does not look like the father saying, “You are abusing me by sharing what you’re sharing! You are not honoring me! I am going to ‘be the bigger person’ and walk away from you! I am not going to have anything to do with you until you start ‘being nice’ to me again. I am going to say that you are the one who has made our relationship untenable, and I am the ‘good guy’, and you are rude and negligent!”

Then Peter says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” *So, for example, if you’re between the ages of 10-18, and you’re mom tells you to fold the laundry, or do the dishes, or sweep the kitchen, or vacuum the living room – then NOT GRUMBLING and hospitably reacting with joyful compliance to the command is the WAY TO RESPOND and PROCEED!

Then Peter says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies. *SPEAKING & SERVING!

Then Peter says, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” *Fiery trial? Sufferings?

“…If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” *If you’re insulted you’re blessed!?!?!! Look back up at that example I gave earlier in this blog post. The dad who disdains and slanders his child because of his extreme displeasure of the fact that the child attempted to have an honest conversation with him – – – THAT is a really good example of what being insulted for the name of Christ looks like (because Christ is all about John 4:29… and the dad in the example above is violently retaliating against the invitation to talk honestly about his relational history with his kids).

Then Peter says, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”