Living With The End In Mind
Read the Text: 1 Peter 4
Memorize the Text:
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.
(1 Peter 6:6-7, CSB)
Consider the Text: 1 Peter 4:7-11
Humanity lives with a fascination with the end of the world. In fact, throughout history, individuals have attempted to predict the date of the end of the world, decipher every sign, and dream about how the end would occur. As believers, we must guard against a fascination with the end times and live faithfully in the moment. We live with the end in mind because the end provides us with hope and certainty. When living with an end-times perspective, we must live according to our eternal citizenship. In 1 Peter 4, the apostle provided several truths for believers to live in this mindset.
LIVE WITH PURPOSE
A believer must live life purposefully because of the certainty of the future. When we live with purpose, we live expecting the return of Christ. The return of Christ brings the passing away of the things of this world and the victorious reign of Christ. Thus, we live not haphazardly but to live out our true citizenship under the victorious reign of Christ. This approach to life means we live with an eternal perspective.
When you and I live with an eternal perspective, we seek to live in self-control and with a sober mind. When we live in self-control, we maintain our heads and do not allow the emotions of the moment or the influences of the outside forces to throw us off course. We live committed to the Lord. A life of self-control opens the door to living sober-minded because we seek to live alert and allow our senses to be awake. Thus, we prepare ourselves to live in purity.
LIVE WITH LOVE
The apostle called believers to live in genuine love. He defined this as loving earnestly. When we heed this calling and love earnestly, we love others wholeheartedly. We battle against selectively loving others and choose to follow the example of Jesus and love as he loves. The love mentioned exists so deep that people love one another genuinely, even when the other individual remains unlovable. Thus, believers live out true love because of an eternal perspective.
Love carries the activity of living together. The apostle mentioned that love covers the multitude of sins. Ultimately, this points to the love demonstrated by the Lord through the work of Christ on behalf of humanity. As followers of Christ, we receive the calling to love in a manner that covers sin with love for unity and harmony. Love drives people to the place of repentance and forgiveness. Thus, when we keep eternity in mind, our lives must carry the true nature of love.
LIVE WITH HOSPITALITY
A believer must live a lifestyle of hospitality. Hospitality means that one welcomes strangers into the home and treats them as one of the family. Hospitality means the love of strangers. In the first century, this existed in the welcoming of itinerant preachers into the home or believers shunned by their pagan families. Hospitality marks the body of Christ and, as a result, reflects the Lord because the lifestyle counters that of the world. Peter marked that hospitality must be practiced without complaint because it flows from love. The same is true today; believers need to develop a heart of genuine hospitality that flows from the love of Christ and shows the love of Christ.
LIVE OUT STEWARDSHIP
When we live with an end-times perspective, we live as faithful stewardships. We recognize that all giftedness and blessing come from the Lord and that we hold the responsibility to respond as a steward. The gifts must be used for the Lord's glorification and the body's edification. We must guard against the abuse of the gifts which center on the self and seek to use them in the service of others and the Lord.
As we put proper stewardship of talents, treasure, and time into serving others and the Lord, we must recognize that each believer carries varying gifts. As a result, the body must function as a unit depending on one another. When you practice good stewardship, you are relying upon the Lord for the gift and his strength for using that gift. Thus, stewardship occurs because we trust in the Lord. Looking to the end times, we find the motivation to live as stewards.
LIVE GLORIFYING GOD
When we live with the end times in mind, we seek to glorify the Lord in all we do. The apostle charge believers to make sure the Lord is glorified in everything and that all glory belongs to the Lord. Thus, we must reflect on the weight, measure, and amount of the Lord dwelling in us because we glorify the Lord with equal measure. The dominion of the Lord must motivate us to bring him glory because his rule is eternal.
When you investigate your life, do people see you or Jesus? Who do you seek to glorify in your life, the self or Jesus? When we assess this reality, we set the tone for proper stewardship, hospitality, and love. We find our purpose in life to bring glory to God and to serve him. May we take the challenge of Peter and live with the end times mentality.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
