1 Peter 4:3-4

3 For [gar] the time [chronos] past [parerchomai] of our life [bios] may suffice [arketos] us [hemin] to have wrought [katergazomai] the will [thelema] of the Gentiles [ethnos], when we walked [poreuomai] in [en] lasciviousness [aselgeia], lusts [epithumia], excess of wine [oinophlugia], revellings [komos], banquetings [potos], and [kai] abominable [athemitos] idolatries [eidololatreia]:

4 Wherein [en] [hos] they think it strange [xenizo] that ye [humon] run [suntrecho] not [me] with them to [eis] the same [autos] excess [anachusis] of riot [asotia], speaking evil of [blasphemeo] you: KJV-Interlinear

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, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 4 And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you; NASB

You have five potential live phases.The first is as an unbeliever.This occurs from the moment of your birth to the moment of your belief in Christ.

Everyone lives this phase of their life.

The second phase of your life begins the moment of your initial faith in Christ. This is your second birth. Just as your first birth occurred in an instant of time (you exited the womb and inhaled your first breath of air), so too your second birth occurs in an instant of time (the moment of your faith in Christ).At the moment of your salvation, you are in fellowship with God.

The third phase of your life occurs while you are a believer and it oscillates back and forth between fellowship and your carnal life.It begins at the moment of your first sin, ends at the moment of your confession, restarts when you commit another sin, ends when you confess, and so forth.

Your second and third phases oscillate back and forth between your carnal life and your spiritual life, but both occur during your life as a believer.

Your fourth phase of life begins at the moment of your physical death, and continues until you receive a resurrection body.

And your fifth phase of life will begin at the moment when you receive your resurrection body and will continue on forever without interruption.

Note quickly that each of these phase changes occur instantaneously. Only the second and third phase may be controlled by your own decisions. The decision to believe in Christ, and the decisions to confess.

Peter tells us here that when we have believed in Christ, then our first life phase, the time when we are totally under the control of our sin nature as an unbeliever, has passed away permanently.Once you believe in Christ, then you cannot return to your former state. Once born, you cannot unborn yourself. Once born again, you cannot unborn yourself.

But while you are a believer you can certainly imitate the lifestyle of the unbeliever, simply by ignoring doctrine.And if you do that then you will think and act just like any unbeliever, and you will be one of them, so to speak.

But, if you choose to ignore the call of your sin nature, and pursue the call of your spiritual life, then you will be ostracized, treated as an outsider, made fun of, shunned, ridiculed, even treated with contempt or violence.

You have a choice as a believer in Christ.You can live like any other unbeliever, cave in to the peer pressures of life, refuse to go against the tide of current or popular opinion, and in effect bow down to the god of the worlds philosophies, ideas, and beliefs.

Or, you can refuse to bow to the world, and take the hits that the world will throw at you.

The activities listed in verse three, are simply broad categories of the activities of the sin nature.We studied that yesterday. Whether criminal, human righteousness, lascivious, lustful, or asceticism, any activity sponsored by the sin nature is evil.

The world will demand that you conform to it, and any rejection of the world makes you an instant enemy.

And understand that the world, its philosophies, its religions, its beliefs, and so forth, make friends of no one, and sooner or later, enemies of everyone.

In doctrine, you will end up in life a winner, regardless of your circumstances.

In the carnal world, you will end up a loser, regardless of your circumstances.

Jesus Christ controls history, not man, not angels, certainly not governments. Jesus Christ holds you, the advancing believer, in the palm of His hand, and there you are under His protection, His perfect protection.

Whatever happens in life, and we are probably witnessing the beginnings of a difficult economic time in our history, just remember that it is Christ who will get you through it all, not the world.

So your best avenue of survival is to stick with your daily Bible studies, and in so doing, God will place the seeds of clear responsible thinking within your mind, so you can make the tough decisions and the right decisions that will help you get through life, regardless of what you may be facing.

Typically, the world that drifts away from truth, has to be hit hard, before enough folks get it, wake up, and get back to focusing on truth, God and their spiritual life. The more stubborn the population is, the more and harder the hits will become.So, as the Bible says, gird up your loins, prepare yourself.

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