Saturday, July 9, 2016

"But All The Cool Kids Are Doing It..." - 1 Peter 4:3-5

"3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." - 1 Peter 4:3-5

     I think this passage is pretty straight forward.  Before you came to Christ, you lived in your sin.  Peter says that that time before Christ was plenty of time to spend on that kind of lifestyle.  Lust, drunkenness... He is describing a life lived chasing pleasurable but ungodly things, which is a life of idolatry.  There is so much more than that, and we are called to be separate from that.
     Now, I definitely get the sense that he's specifically talking about overindulging in alcohol and not talking about having any alcohol at all.  "Drunkenness and drinking parties" go hand in hand.  A drinking party is an event where the main point is to drink and get drunk, like the ones they have at college frats.  He's not talking about an event where people have a beer or two and no one gets drunk.  I think that strays into legalism.  Anyway...
     Peter then talks about how some in the culture will look down on you for not engaging in the same sorts of things they do, and that they might harass you about it.  But he reminds us that they will all have to be judged by God and justice will be served in the end.  It is not our place to enforce God's law on others, God will do that himself.  We can take a little comfort from that; that as we submit ourselves to others, and they cause us harm, in the end God will repay them, unless they turn to Him.

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