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Daily Devotions

1 Peter

1 Peter 
Day 
Day 69

"Live according to God in the spirit"

Text: 1 Peter 4:6

THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL

The gospel of the Lord means “good news”. The Lord Jesus proclaimed it as “the kingdom of heaven”. He invited people to enter into God’s kingdom through repentance from sin and through faith in Him!

“For this reason the gospel was preached also
to those who are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh,
but live according to God in the spirit.”
1 Peter 4:6

1. “For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead”

a) The gospel preached to the dead.

i) We are dead in our sins.

ii) But God can make us come alive through the Gospel.

iii) This was one reason why the Apostles were motivated to preach the Gospel.

b) The dead cannot refer to the physically dead.

i) They would not be able to respond in any way.

ii) This cannot be a reference to those who had died in the past either.

2. “That they might be judged according to men in the flesh”

a) But when people come alive to God:

i) They have received salvation.

ii) They serve a risen Saviour.

iii) Their lifestyles will change.

b) Judged according to the flesh:

i) Their former friends would judge them.

ii) They cannot accept their faith.

iii) They will not accept their new lifestyle.

iv) They can be quite cruel in their treatment of their erstwhile friends.

3. “But live according to God in the spirit”

a) The born-again believer is now no longer “dead”.

b) He is alive in Christ Jesus.

c) He lives as God would have him live.

d) His spirit has come alive to God.

e) The true believer

i) He will bear with the taunts and harsh words that may be hurled at him.

ii) He knows that he cannot and will not return to his old sinful ways.

iii) He will learn to live for the Lord as he is taught and enabled.