Keep Fervent in Your Love

4 Therefore, since ^[a]Christ suffered in the flesh [and died for us], arm yourselves [like warriors] with the same purpose [being willing to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing God], because whoever has suffered in the flesh [being like-minded with Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [having stopped pleasing the world], ² so that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living for human appetites and desires, but [lives] for the will and purpose of God. ³ For the time already past is [more than] enough for doing what the [unsaved] Gentiles like to do—^[b]living [unrestrained as you have done] in a course of [shameless] sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. ⁴ In [connection with] all this, they [the unbelievers] are resentful and surprised that you do not [think like them, value their values and] run [hand in hand] with them into the same excesses of dissipation and immoral freedom, and they criticize and abuse and ridicule you and make fun of your values. ⁵ But they will [have to] give an account to Him who is ready to judge and pass sentence on the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is why the good news [of salvation] was preached [in their lifetimes] even to those who are dead, that though they were judged in the flesh as men are, they may live in the spirit according to [the will and purpose of] God.