Living in an Unwelcoming World

Preached by Pastor Chad Rickenbaker on September 20, 2026 [watch online] | 1 Peter 4:1–6

1 Peter — “Living in an Unwelcoming World” (Part 11)

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 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 4:1–6 (NKJV)

It’s football season. Not everyone is a football fan, and that’s okay. But if you’ve ever followed a team, you’ve probably had the experience of going to an away game. You were the visitor. You wore your team’s colors into somebody else’s stadium, and when your team did something good, you cheered.

A few years ago, Rachel and I went to a Clemson–Charleston Southern game together. Our family has a long connection to Charleston Southern: I graduated from there, Rachel graduated from there, and so did several others in our family. At the same time, forgive me, we are also hereditary Clemson fans. My grandfather and his brothers went to Clemson in the World War II era. So Rachel shows up in her CSU gear, ready to represent. Clemson wasn’t on their A game that day, and CSU was giving them what-for for a solid two quarters. Every time CSU did something great, Rachel was cheering and screaming, and I’m saying, “Honey, keep it down. We’re the away team!”

What does that have to do with 1 Peter? Living as a devoted follower of Jesus in this world is a lot like being the away team. Peter calls us “sojourners and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11). This is not our home field. This is not our home stadium. We’re the ones passing through.

Some people are indifferent to our presence. Others don’t like who we represent. Things can get tense, and as the away team we may even be treated poorly. That’s exactly what Peter is writing about. His first readers were being mistreated because of their faith in Jesus, and he writes to help them know how to live when they’re not the home team. In 1 Peter 4:1–6 he gives us three instructions for living in an unwelcoming world.

Have a Christlike Attitude

Peter begins, “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind” (1 Peter 4:1). When Peter says Christ “suffered,” he means that Jesus died for us. He has just described that suffering (1 Peter 3:18–22), and now he says that because Jesus suffered, we should think about suffering the same way He did.

Notice the words “arm yourselves.” That’s military language. Elsewhere the New Testament describes the Christian life as warfare:

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. —2 Timothy 2:4

To live like Christ and face suffering like Christ, we need the attitude He showed when He suffered. So how did Jesus handle it when people said unkind things to Him, betrayed Him, mocked Him, scourged Him and crucified Him? Peter has already told us:

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. —1 Peter 2:21–23

First, Jesus did not retaliate. When people spoke evil against Him, He didn’t give back what He received. As His disciples, we resolve not to return evil for evil.

But how? When someone insults me, it feels natural to insult them back. Peter shows us the second part of Jesus’ attitude: He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Jesus said, in effect, “Father, I trust myself to You. I trust this injustice to You, because You’re going to get it right.” So if you’re ever mistreated for a stand you have to take at work, among friends or at school, your mindset has to be the mindset of Jesus.

There’s one more part of His attitude: Jesus knew suffering was inevitable. Throughout His ministry He said, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4), until finally, “The hour has come” (John 12:23). He also told His disciples to expect the same:

Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. —John 15:20

That’s why Peter says “arm yourselves.” This isn’t a defeatist mindset. It’s saying, “This is going to happen, and I’m committing before it happens to how I’ll respond. I won’t revile in return. I’ll trust myself and my cause to God, who judges righteously.” One of Peter’s main points in this letter is that when we suffer differently than the world does, our lives stand out. People notice when you don’t react the way everyone else reacts, and God uses that to bring people to Jesus.

If it weren’t so true and so embarrassing, this would be funny, but when I think about a “Christlike attitude,” I think of church basketball. Everybody circles up at center court, someone volunteers to pray, and almost inevitably they pray, “Lord, help us play with a Christlike attitude.” Within about thirty seconds the players, the coaches and the fans have forgotten what they prayed for, and it’s fighting and feuding the whole game. Then at the end we circle back up: “Lord, forgive us for not doing the very thing we prayed for.”

Go back to verse 1: “Arm yourselves.“ Peter is saying you are responsible for your attitude. Jesus suffered, so adopt His mindset. He knew suffering was inevitable, so arm yourself for it.

Be Passionate About the Will of God

Now read the rest of verse 1 and on into verse 3:

…for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. —1 Peter 4:1b–3

“Ceased from sin” doesn’t mean sinless. None of us would claim that. Here is what I think Peter means. The Christian who has taken on Jesus’ attitude toward suffering says, “Jesus is my treasure. He’s my prize. He’s my Lord. If I have to suffer for being His disciple, I’m willing.” Whoever comes to that place in heart and mind is done with the old life. They won’t be perfect, but they’ve lost interest in it. When you fully align your heart with the lordship of Jesus and He is your greatest treasure, your “want to” changes.

The word “lusts” in verse 2 is a strong word meaning passionate longing. What should happen in our lives is a transition. We stop passionately longing for the things of this world and start passionately longing to do the will of God. Peter says we’ve already spent enough time doing what the home team does. Lewdness and lusts speak of sexual sin of every kind, whether fornication, adultery or pornography. Add drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties and idolatries. That used to be our passion, but not anymore. Your choices and your passion for God’s will send a clear signal that you’ve changed teams.

Years ago, before Dabo Swinney, Tommy Bowden coached Clemson while his father, Bobby, coached Florida State. When the two teams met, it was called the Bowden Bowl. Bobby’s wife, Ann, was caught in the middle, and in one early game she was interviewed wearing a shirt that was half Florida State and half Clemson. A few weeks ago, standing outside Joy’s parents’ carport, I noticed a flag I’d never paid attention to: a “house divided” flag, half Clemson, half Carolina.

Forget football for a moment and think about your relationship with God. I wonder how many Christians, how many churchgoers, are living like that flag: half home team, half away team, half in the world and half following Jesus. The Bible calls that a divided heart. What Peter calls for is this: when we have the mind of Christ and treasure Jesus, we have one passion, and it’s the will of God. We’re not riding the fence. We’re all in.

Notice what may happen when you make that commitment:

In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. —1 Peter 4:4

When you came to Jesus, you changed teams. Now your old friends, old coworkers and unsaved family don’t understand you. You seem strange to them. Sometimes your new life in Christ even brings them conviction. They’ll never say so, but God can use your changed life to show them that what they’re doing isn’t right.

We tend to jump to the worst level of persecution: dying as a martyr. That’s possible, but in our context it isn’t probable, and it isn’t what Peter describes here. He says they will speak evil of you. They’ll talk about you, make fun of you, ridicule you and push you to the outside. I have seen Christians stumble because old friends ostracized them. They felt left out and went back to the old life. Peter says to have the attitude of Jesus and, no matter what, don’t return to it. Be passionate about the will of God.

Why should we want our lives to stand out this way? First and foremost, for the glory of God. Second, with our new nature, we don’t want those things anymore. Third, when we live passionately for God’s will, the home team may see our new life and be drawn to Christ:

…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. —1 Peter 2:12

This is close to the core message of 1 Peter. When we endure hardship for being on the away team, we conduct ourselves the way Jesus did, so the watching world may see it, come to know Christ and glorify Him on the day He returns.

Sometimes Christians are known more for what we don’t do than for what we do. There should be both. Peter has listed things we used to do and don’t do anymore. But in 1 Peter 2:12, what the Father uses to draw people to Himself is less what we don’t do and more what we do: good conduct in the face of adversity, when it isn’t popular, accepted, applauded or approved.

Trust God for the Future

They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. —1 Peter 4:5

Peter says of us what he said of Jesus in chapter 2. When Jesus was reviled, He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. We’re pilgrims and sojourners, and if we stand and live for Jesus, we’ll seem strange to a lot of people. If we’re maligned or mistreated for it, it’s not our job to pass judgment on them. They will give an account. God’s got it, so leave it in His hands.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment… —Hebrews 9:27

So you don’t have to return evil for evil or harm for harm. You trust God with the future. One day He will settle accounts.

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

“For this reason” means because a day of judgment is coming. How do you preach the gospel to the dead? I believe Peter means believers who heard and believed the gospel and had already died by the time he wrote. The gospel was preached to them. In the flesh we all die, even Christians, but they “live according to God in the spirit.”

Peter’s point is that believers under unjust treatment, even death, can be willing and unafraid to suffer, knowing that all death can do for a believer is give them a triumphal entry into everlasting life. Not every account is settled here and now. In fact, the greatest accounts are settled on the day of judgment. No pressure from the enemies of the gospel can steal the believer’s victory. Suffering for righteousness’ sake has a perfecting power. It isn’t wasted. God uses it to build spiritual strength and fortitude in us.

Paul says it this way:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. —2 Corinthians 4:16–18

We don’t lose heart. We don’t give up or give in. Every day God’s compassion toward us is new (Lamentations 3:22–23), so we’re renewed day by day. Our affliction is light and it’s only for a moment, and it’s working for us an eternal weight of glory. Are you okay with waiting for that? If by faith you are, you won’t lose heart. If you want every account settled right now, exactly the way you want it, you’ll be discouraged.

I can’t see that weight of glory yet. I can read about what God says is coming for us, and I find hope in it, but I can’t see it. So I have to fix my eyes on what is unseen. When I focus only on the here and now, I see the effects of pain and affliction, and I get discouraged.

Some of us on the away team are thinking, “When is the bus coming around to take us home?” He’s coming. Jesus said only the Father knows the day and the hour (Matthew 24:36). Can you wait? Can you be patient?

Which Team Does Your Life Reflect?

Here are Peter’s three instructions for living in an unwelcoming world:

• Arm yourself with the attitude of Christ. Don’t retaliate, and trust your cause to Him who judges righteously.
• Be passionate about the will of God, whatever the home team says or does.
• Trust God with your future. The accounts will be settled, and your light affliction is producing eternal glory.

Get comfortable with standing out. Our students and children have learned that to be holy means to be set apart. If you’re set apart, you’ll look different, and people will notice.

So which team does your life most reflect: the home team Peter describes, or the away team, believers passionately devoted to the will of God? Maybe the message of this text for you is that you can’t live with a divided heart. You can’t wear one of those half-and-half jerseys. God’s Word calls us to an undivided heart and a life passionately devoted to His will. If we’re spoken evil of for that, may we have the attitude of Christ, who expected it, didn’t revile in return and trusted Himself to the One who judges righteously.

Maybe what you need to ask God for today is courage to stand out for Jesus, no matter what your friends say. Young people feel the pressure, and adults do too: “Don’t take it all so seriously. Tone it down a little and it’ll be easier.” Maybe today is the day to say, “I don’t want to live with a divided heart anymore. I won’t be perfect, but I want to be passionate about doing His will. If people think I’m strange, that’s okay. I just want to live for Jesus, and I want my life to stand out so He might use my good conduct to draw others to Himself.”

Scripture references in this message: 1 Peter 4:1–6; 1 Peter 2:11; 1 Peter 3:18–22; 2 Timothy 2:4; 1 Peter 2:21–23; John 2:4; John 12:23; John 15:20; 1 Peter 2:12; Hebrews 9:27; 2 Corinthians 4:16–18; Lamentations 3:22–23; Matthew 24:36. (NKJV)

Want to go deeper? Join us Sunday mornings as we continue our study through 1 Peter at Berea First Baptist Church.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.