… because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.
Summary: Peter tells us that it is possible to be ”done with sin.” The price is to stay focused on Christ and adopt Christ’s attitude toward suffering. Today we explore what this means.
Today’s passage speaks to the heart of a question that haunts every believer: Can I ever be rid of sin? Peter says that the answer is, “Yes!”
Now, let me be clear: He is not talking about earning our way into heaven. It is too late for that. The lesson of Genesis 3 is that we were intended to be in relationship with our Father, and obedient to our Father. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, breaking the relationship with God. Ever since then, humanity is born into sin because we are not naturally in relationship with God. We continue to live in sin when we are disobedient to God.
In John 3, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that you and I need to be “born again.” By this, my understanding is, that we are restored to a relationship with God. Like the Prodigal Son, we who were once dead to our Father are now alive. (Luke 15: 11-32) It is the second part of the Genesis story, disobedience, that Peter is urging us to correct.
The second part of the curse described in Genesis 3 is having “eyes that are opened … knowing good and evil.” The evil that the serpent was referring to is anything that glorifies ourselves as opposed to God. When we work for God’s glory, we are functioning as God intended. Life is good! When we focus on our pleasure and glorify our wills, we turn our backs to God. This is not good.
Because we live in a broken world, turning to God is seen as a threat to Satan’s sovereignty. In the same way, denying our body pleasure for the sake of the “self” is directly turning our back on Satan. Both of these actions draw Satan’s wrath. One, in the form of attacks from other people, the other in the form of attacks inside our mind.
By repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus as Lord, we are invited back into God’s family just as the Prodigal Son was. This resolves the first part of our sin problem. The second part is resolved by choosing to turn away from glorifying our physical nature and instead, being obedient to our spiritual Father. This involves choosing God’s will over our own, and siding with God rather than people. The result of this choice is what Peter calls “suffering.”
Is eternal comfort with God worth a temporary discomfort in this life? That is the question we are being asked. The answer is a big YES!
Application: Arm yourself by keeping your eyes on Christ.
Food for Thought: What kind of suffering does Peter have in mind?
because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.
What kind of suffering does Peter have in mind?
Jesus Christ knew no sin and gave His life for our sins. Having never sinned, He was done with sin and He suffered in the body.
As believers we have Christ in us, have turned from sin are done with sin and as a result suffer in the body, during this lifetime. We are free from the power of sin, free from the guilt of sin, free from all fear of death, free to live in the presence of God. We see sin for what it is and we begin to suffer as Christ suffered while He walked among us.
We suffer in the body as we continue to exist in this world. We see the destruction and havoc brought on mankind by sin. The ruined families, people clinging to worthless decaying possessions or exchanging the praises of men for an eternal relationship with our Creator. As forgiven sinners, we continue to battle our flesh and it’s desires to sin.
And then we suffer the ever increasing opposition of this world which is ruled by Satan.
In the end, the Holy Spirit, dwelling in each of us, gives us the power to overcome temptation, to look beyond this temporary evil. We see our destination and like Stephen, we are able to look to heaven and smile. We work for God the best we can until the moment He calls us home, in whatever manner He chooses. BECAUSE WE ARE DONE WITH SIN.
Thank you, Ron!
Well said. You bring to mind Romans 12: 2. In Jesus we are able to, “… to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Hey Jeff,
Not sure, but their might be a pattern here. Seems like the answer to all our problems keeps pointing to Jesus. We May be onto something.
Blessings
Ron
Ron,
I’m kinda thinking the same thing, too. Could it be that simple???
🙂
As I said before I don’t like suffering,..done with it,..just like sin as Ron mentioned,..well I am doing my best to be done with it,..there are those days that the voice of the evil one makes it’s way to the front of my mind,..telling me things I don’t need to hear,..so I use the name of Jesus and tell that voice or that devil to flee,..oh yeah,..it works every time,..there is power in the name of Jesus,..and He is glorified when we say His name,..so if I suffer,..I will suffer in the name of Jesus the risen King,..
You got it John!
Blessings
Ron
Oh yes, John!
There is POWER in the name of the Lord!
Well said!
👍🏻