Daily Devotion in I Peter 4

Daily Nugget:
When a person gets saved, there will be changes in him. He will act, live, and think differently than he did before.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

After the Holy Spirit becomes the main voice and control of a born-again individual, there is usually one area that His convicting Spirit speaks to us about. He speaks to our hearts about the desires our flesh has (I Peter 4:2).

Fulfilling the lusts for the things in this world never actually filled us in the past and did nothing to help us. After salvation, the Holy Spirit attempts to direct us to get rid of the sinful, damaging baggage we do not need. In the past, indulgences of animal desires (“lasciviousness”), lusts, drunkenness, partying (“revellings”), and putting other things above the Lord (“idolatries”) ruled our lives (I Peter 4:3). Now, on the other side of salvation, they are to be halted.

Another important area that the indwelling Spirit of God will most likely address is the company one keeps. Those who were once part of our sinful lifestyles will either get saved or need to be separated from a saved individual. It is not uncommon that those that were “friends” in sin break off the relationship and even speak negatively of the saved person they used to sin with (I Peter 4:4).

These changes in the new believer are often emotionally painful. If they are not made, the person will certainly not lose their salvation. However, their testimony for Christ and their living for Him will not change to what God desires the child of God to be.

Many get saved, and immediately the Holy Spirit of God deals with their heart about an area of their lives that needs to be changed. Often, the child of God will try to obey the voice but will fail and fall back into sin. The Holy Spirit does not give up. Again, He deals with the person’s heart. He is certainly a second, third, fourth, etc. chance God.

However, when the individual hardens his heart and purposely disobeys or ignores the convicting Spirit, that is when God will cease dealing with the child of God’s heart until he repents. It is when he has said “No” to God just one too many times, God’s voice will stop speaking to them. It is in this place many Christians find themselves. God spoke to their heart about forsaking a lust they had before their salvation or their association with the ungodly, and they refused His commandments.

The key to having a successful Christian life is to listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit and to obey it. When He deals with past involvements, He is removing us from what He knows will harm us. We are new creatures in Christ. We have a second chance in life not to make the mistakes we made in the past. Listen and obey the Holy Spirit’s directions! 

Today’s Thought: 
“You will always have the best if you leave the choices up to God.”

Words to Understand:
Lasciviousness: lust for sin; lewdness
Oracles: the Word of God; response by or on God’s behalf
Revellings: partying; merrymaking

Today’s Reading:
I Peter 4
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;
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.
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:
4 ¶ Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
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.
7 ¶ But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 ¶ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.