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Keep Fervent in Your Love

Therefore, since (A)Christ has [a]suffered in the flesh, (B)arm yourselves also with the same purpose—because (C)he who has [b]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin— (D)so as to no longer live (E)the rest of the time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the (F)will of God. For (G)the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, [c](H)having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and [d]abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of (I)dissipation, (J)maligning you, but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge (K)the living and the dead. For to this (L)the gospel has been [e]proclaimed even to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh as men, they live in the spirit according to the will of God.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 4:1 Suffered death
  2. 1 Peter 4:1 Suffered death
  3. 1 Peter 4:3 Lit having gone in
  4. 1 Peter 4:3 Lit lawless
  5. 1 Peter 4:6 Proclaimed in their lifetimes

Living for God

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.[a] You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead[b]—so although they were destined to die like all people,[c] they now live forever with God in the Spirit.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Or For the one [or One] who has suffered physically has finished with sin.
  2. 4:6a Greek preached even to the dead.
  3. 4:6b Or so although people had judged them worthy of death.
  4. 4:6c Or in spirit.