Goodness doesn't save them at all

1 Peter.
{4:1} Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin
{4:2} That he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
{4:3} For the time past of [our] life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries
{4:4} Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with [them] to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of [you: ]



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Arm ourselves like Christ, with the same mind as Christ. Suffer in the flesh and cease from sin. We should no longer live the rest of our lives in the flesh to lust but to the will of God.


It's so hard to tell people not to live life catering to their pleasures when that's what we grow up being told we should do. We do a lot of things in life geared toward our happiness. We tell our kids that they can indulge their self-pleasure, in fact we go to great lengths to see that they stay happy and are content as possible. Kids today have televisions, dvd players, mp3 players, cell phones, access to computers and the internet, video games, computer games, we make sure kids are given these 'toys' and tell them that if they want more 'toys' they have to work for them. We train our children to be adults that will grow up to work so they can continue their self-seeking pleasures.


Is it wrong to want to please ourselves? Is it wrong to desire happiness and things that contribute to our happiness?


What's wrong is turning all our thoughts inward to ourselves because when we are so caught up in ourselves there is no room for anyone else. The will of God doesn't come into play when all we care about is our own will.


Walking in the laciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings and abominable idolatries... this is most of our lives. Seriously. We don't call it such, but it is. It's all about self-pleasure in lust, in drink, in partying, eating, following our addictions whether they're as seemingly innocuous as watching tv shows regularly- something we wouldn't want to miss. We pay homage to our pleasure addictions even when we don't call them such. When our lives are centered on ourselves and things which bring self satisfaction, they are not centered on God. This is our life. This is most of our lives. This is what we do and when we stop doing these things and seek to follow God what do you think will happen? If you're not running with the crowd you're running against the crowd and when you run against the crowd often the crowd turns on you and begins to speak against you and separate themselves from you.


1 Peter
{4:5} Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
{4:6} For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
{4:7} But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

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When we are dead in our sins who judges us?

2 Timothy
{4:1} I charge [thee] therefore before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his
appearing and his kingdom


Jesus judges us all.


We are all sinners and we are all dead in our sinning unless we accept the live of Jesus as our own and cling to Him for our salvation from our sins.


The living God in the spirit shall judge us all. We have to remember this and be sober and watch unto prayer. If we are of the attitude it doesn't matter what we do, that what will be will be, then we are lost. We know that we will be judged for better or worse and the judgment isn't based on whether you're *good or bad* it's based on your love of Christ, your willingness to live for God's will and not your own. Judgment for all, there is no escaping it and those who live their lives in harmony with God, seeking to follow His will and not their own will prevail. Giving up of self and giving to God. And this is why so many people who seemingly are good will not be judged righteous- their goodness doesn't save them at all- it's their love of God that saves through the love of His Son's and the willingness of His son to die for us through that love.


By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior, God's will be done now and forever.


Amen.