How to Fight for Righteousness

[An audio recording of this sermon is unavailble.]

From the moment sin came into this world, God’s people have continuously been threatened by temptations drawing them away God.

Adam and Eve were lured into Satan’s lies. Noah had to resist a violent and immoral world. Lot had to confront the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Once the nation of Israel was formed, they faced a constant struggle to push back against the influence of the nations around them. Will we worship Yahweh, the God who has redeemed us? Or will we follow the culture?

When Israel came out of Egypt, they were given much of Israel’s gold—that was part of God’s blessing—but they also absorbed many of the Egyptian practices and superstitions. They were also headed to the land of Canaan, which God had promised them, where they would face more wickedness. Because of that, God gave them His Law.

The heart of the Law is what we call the Ten Commandments. The first commandment was a prohibition against serving any other god. Egypt was full of gods and so was Canaan. The second command was a prohibition against idolatry, which again was a massive part of Egyptian and Canaanite life.

Well, even though the Israelites pledged themselves to worship God as He had instructed, once Moses goes up on the mountain and stays there longer than the people were prepared for, their first order of business is to build a golden calf so they could worship it and make sacrifices to it. They partied like it was no big deal, and you can read about that in Exodus 32.

The story of the Israelites and the golden calf is not just a sad reminder about Israel’s sin and forgetfulness, it’s also a glimpse into the human condition. Even after God graciously renews His covenant with His people, they need regular reminders and warnings, so that they won’t bo pulled into the sins surrounding them.

Just before Moses dies, he writes the book of Deuteronomy which is another reminder about how God has redeemed them and how they are to worship Him. That book was necessary because the people were about to enter the Promised Land filled with all kinds of pagan practices.

Well, that need for reminders has never gone away. We still need them today. Even after we are redeemed by Christ, we still stray from the truth. We still feel the pull of the world, and we need to fight against it.

This morning, through the words of the Apostle Peter, we get another reminder about this ongoing battle. This is a battle we face for ourselves, and it’s a battle we’re also called to help others in. Whether you are young or old, if you are committed to serving Christ, you need to be ready to fight two major battles.

The first battle is internal. You need to fight against the sin in your own heart. The second battle is not separate from the first, but it’s connected to it. And that is the external battle against the influence of the culture.

Because of the sin that dwells within us, we feel the pull of this world. James 1:14 says that we are tempted because we are “lured and enticed by [our] own desire.”

The sinful desires within us are what make the sin of this world attractive. We can know something is wrong. We can know it dishonors God, but still we feel that pull. We have to fight against it.

Psalm 73 and Proverbs 24 include warnings against being envious of the wicked. Those warnings are there because God knows we are going to be tempted by the wickedness of this world.

First John 2:15 tells us not to love the world or the things of the world.

As God’s people we need to admit that we still have indwelling sin. We have sinful desires. Once we admit that, we’re more prepared to fight against it and also to help one another fight against it too.

This is the battle that Peter wants to prepare us for. Last week we looked at verses 1 and 2. And we saw that Peter is talking about a mental preparation. This is a mind prepared for spiritual battle. It’s prepared for the pain of righteousness.

Continuing on that topic, today we are going to see three basic truths that help prepare us for this battle, and I’ve reduced them to just two words each. When you’re in the midst of a battle, you don’t have time for long drawn-out principle, you need something fast. So, I hope these condensed truths help us. They are weapons of truth as we fight against sin.

The first principle is this: Jesus transforms. Jesus transforms.

This is what First Peter 4, verse 3 is talking about. Let’s read it again—For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.

That word “suffices” means “enough.” It’s the word you might use when somebody is doing something, and you want them to stop. “That’s enough!”

Peter uses that word to point to the transformation Jesus brings for those who follow Him. Jesus said that to follow Him means taking up your cross and denying yourself. That means you are willing, in a sense, to put the old “you” to death. Jesus wasn’t talking about finding a new job or a new spouse. He was talking about saying “No” to the sinful nature, which opposes God. He was talking about a willingness to serve Him, no matter the cost. That response of faith is the result of His work, by His Spirit, in someone’s heart.

When you come to Christ, you are acknowledging that it’s time to move on. Jesus transfers you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, and He transforms your life. He gives you a new heart with new desires. The old desires might still be there, but you now have the power to fight back. So, you’re no longer a slave to sin. You need to put that old nature to death. You need to resist what you used to pursue.

Sadly, we live in a culture where, instead of saying “No” to sin, more and more loudly it says “Yes.” That response is covered with language about self-esteem and acceptance, but really, it’s a world set against God and Christ, pursuing it’s own wickedness.

Thinking about the many expressions of how the world champions sin, Peter gives us a list. This is a list of worldly desires. These are the kinds of things that have no place in the life of a Christian. Jesus transformed you, so you are no longer part of this world. Time’s up for these kinds of things.

First on the list is sensuality. Other translations say indecency, unrestrained behavior or debauchery. The Greek dictionary I have uses the phrase “self-abandonment.” This is a term that points to behavior outside of what should be considered acceptable. Another good translation might be shamelessness. And there would even be a sexual connotation to that term.

The second term is “passions” or “lusts,” which points to evil desire. According to this world, just do what you feel like doing, and don’t let anybody stop you.

Next, it says drunkenness, which means an excess of wine. I am convinced that the wine drunk in the first century was not near the alcohol content of most drinks offered today. So, in order for someone to get drunk back then, they had to drink a lot of it. Today, you can get drunk a lot faster. But whether it happens fast or slow, getting drunk means you’ve surrendered a good portion of the control of your mind and body. That control of your life, however, according to Ephesians 5, is not be given to alcohol, but to the Holy Spirit. That’s why drunkenness and mind-altering drugs dishonor God.

The next two terms on the list are “orgies” and “drinking parties.” Other translations say “carousing.” These are terms tied to excessive drinking and partying and so, by extension, they also got applied to sexual activity which was tied to all that.

Sometimes the party might be very sophisticated, for the upper class. Sometimes, these were lower class parties. But whether it was masked by prestige or not, the same kind of stuff was going on. People were staying up late drinking and partying loudly. If I’m not mistaken, that kind of stuff still happens today.

The final item on the list is abominable idolatries. That doesn’t mean that this kind of behavior is only wrong if it’s done in the worship of an idol, but that’s usually how it was done in the Roman Empire. People worshipped all kinds of gods, and they used false worship as an excuse for all this kind of behavior, just like the Israelites and the golden calf.

That was the common life of the Greek and the Romans. But for those who had trusted in Christ, they had been transformed. So, Peter says to them, “You’re done with that now. Move one. You belong to Christ. You’re not of this world.”

All of us need to be reminded of that. No matter what your life was like before coming to Christ, we all need to remember that Jesus transforms us. To go back into the things of this world is like the prodigal son going back to eat the pods of the pigs. Second Peter 2 says going back is like a dog returning to his own vomit or a pig who was washed but goes back to the filth.

Don’t do that. Don’t get sucked back into the world. Don’t glorify the things of this world. You’ve been transformed. You belong to Christ. Your body belongs to Jesus. Those things, as Romans 6 tells us, lead to shame and death. That was the old you. You’re a new creation now. You have been transformed by Jesus Christ.

Be prepared to fight for what is pure and for what glorifies God. Be ready to push back against worldliness. Be ready for the pressure of this world.

This world will say to you: C’mon! everybody else is going to be at the party! Or, that’s just how people dress at the beach or at the gym. Or, It’s just one or two bad scenes in the movie. Don’t worry about it. Or, he’s really cute, or she’s so hot, just go for it. Or, c’mon it’s Halloween. Have some fun with us. And the list goes on.

We can give in to worldliness by our actions, but we can also do it by our entertainment and by our thoughts. Think about what you are valuing and promoting. Is what you’re doing and seeing more in line with Christ, or with the fleeting pleasures of this world.

For us parents, we need to equip our children for this battle too. They need to know that the reason we are not going to let them participate in something is not because we’re strict and we don’t want them to have fun. It’s because we want our household to honor Christ. We want them to know true joy and satisfaction, not the passing deadly pleasures of this world.

Galatians 5 is most well known for listing the fruit of the Spirit, but before that list we get another list. Paul calls this list the “works of the flesh.” He says: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Those whose lives are marked by the things on this list do not belong to Jesus Christ. They have not been transformed. If Jesus has transformed you, though, flee these things.

If you don’t have a biblical perspective, if you don’t remember that you have been transformed by Jesus Christ, you’re more likely to give in to the world. This world is not neutral. It’s run by Satan who wants to pull you away from the glory of Christ into the filth of this world.

Speaking of this world, notice what Peter says in verse 4—With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;

Peter refers to the activities of this world as a “flood of debauchery.” It’s an overwhelming wickedness. And when you don’t participate, they’re shocked.

Some of you have experienced this in a much more pronounced way, especially if you came to faith later in life. Your old friends, they don’t understand what’s happened. “Why aren’t you going to that party? Why aren’t you going to watch that video or see that photo? What’s wrong with you?” They don’t know what to make of it. How could you turn that down? How could you pass up this opportunity?

You have a love for Christ, and they have a love for this world. And that changed your relationship. They don’t know what’s gotten into you, so, they may end up maligning you, insulting you, as the end of verse 4 says. “You think you’re better than us. I thought we were real friends, but now I see what kind of person you really are.” Be ready for the insults.

If those attacks don’t happen on a personal level, they definitely come at a societal level. This world, to borrow from Isaiah 5, calls evil good and it calls good evil. It has substituted darkness for light and light for darkness.

When we stand up for unborn babies, when we say that a baby in its mother’s womb is a human being made in the image of God, and to willfully take that life is murder, they say we’re bigots. They say we don’t respect a woman’s right to choose, as if choosing to murder someone makes it acceptable.

When we say that God designed marriage and sexual intimacy to be exclusively between a man and his wife, they say we are intolerant and unloving. If you refuse to accept the LGBTQIA+ agenda, if you refuse to accept that a child can decide what gender they are, they say that’s hate speech; that’s a form of violence. This is the crazy, deranged world we live in. They say we are out of touch with reality, while they’re working on emojis for pregnant men.

More than likely that hostility is only going to grow. So, when the culture is against us, when the world attacks us because of our faith in Jesus Christ and because of our commitment to the truth, how can we be ready?

Here’s a second principle to remember. Principle number 1 was Jesus transforms. Principle number 2 is: Jesus judges. Jesus judges.

Look at verse 5. This world rejects the truth and rejects holiness—but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

When you feel the pull of the world, or when you face the attacks from the world, remind yourself that they will face the judgment of Jesus Christ. They will give an account to Him. That’s who verse 5 is talking about. Jesus is the One who will judge the living and the dead. Whether you’ve already died or are still alive, Christ will judge you.

The world judges us now, but in eternity, they will be judged by the King of kings before His great, white throne. That should comfort you, if you know Christ, and terrify you if you don’t. This world enjoys all its comforts and pleasures, but it’s only temporary. Judgment is coming. If you don’t know Christ, if you haven’t surrendered your life to Him, you will receive an eternal judgment.

In Psalm 73, when the psalmist speaks of how he envied the wicked, he also writes about a turning point. He mentions what it was that snapped him out of that allure to the world. He sees the world living in luxury, and here’s what he writes:

But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

Asaph, the man who wrote this psalm said he was snapped out of his temptation when he went to worship and was reminded of the end of the wicked. He was reminded that God judges.

We see the same thing in the New Testament with the Thessalonians. They were being severely attacked because of their faith, and here’s what Paul tells them. This is from 2 Thessalonians 1.

God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ¹⁰when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

Paul’s message is, “Don’t worry about those who oppress you. God is going to deal with them when Christ comes to judge the world. They will get what they deserve. No amount of suffering in this life can compare to the suffering under Christ’s eternal judgment.”

Jesus transforms, and Jesus judges. Those who come to Him will be rescued, and those who reject Him will be punished eternally. Those are powerful motivators to flee the sins of this world.

Let me give you one final motivation for today. Number 1, Jesus transforms. Number 2, Jesus judges. And now, number 3, Jesus rewards. Jesus rewards.

This is Peter’s point in verse 6, which says: For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

I think Peter here is pointing to the goal of the gospel. I don’t think he’s talking so much about the motive of those who preached it but about God’s purpose in sending the gospel. This is why the gospel was preached. God sent the gospel so that people would come to be reconciled to Him. The gospel reconnects sinful, fallen man to a glorious, beautiful, eternal heavenly Father because of what Christ has accomplished in His death and resurrection.

When Peter mentions those who are dead, he’s talking about Christians who has already died. And that might have brought some specific people to mind for his audience. They might have seen or heard of faithful brothers and sisters who were put to death for their faith. The gospel they heard and believed in is the same gospel we have today. It hasn’t changed.

Those former saints were judged in the flesh. They were rejected by this world, just like Jesus said they would be. But, Peter says, even though they were judged in the flesh, they were attacked in the physical sense, spiritually speaking, they are alive. They are with Christ who is seated in the heavenly places. They live in the spirit the way God does. In other words, they’re no longer bound and afflicted by this earthly existence. They are in perfect harmony with their heavenly Father. God has taken them to be with Him. That’s the reward of Jesus Christ.

He will come to judge His enemies, but He will rescue His own people. He has cleansed them from their sin, and He will reward them for their righteousness.

Nobody who belongs to Jesus Christ loses. No matter how agonizing or excruciating or painful this life may be, when you see Christ, none of you are going to regret the decision to follow Him. Eternal regret will only be for those who rejected Christ and His kingdom and His righteousness.

Jesus transforms. Jesus judges. And Jesus rewards. Remember that, and be prepared to joyfully and fervently fight for Jesus Christ.