ith all the recent brouhaha (I seriously can't believe I just used that word, and highly doubt I even spelled it correctly) over Mark Driscoll and his language, I sincerely hope this title won't be considered scatological humor, its just that when I realized what I wanted to blog about, I instantly thought of the beginning of Kindergarten Cop when Arnold kicks down this door to some crack house and responds to some astonished crack head asking who he was by saying, "I'm the party pooper," just before pumping two slugs into the druggies chest.

With that in mind, I really felt that it was an appropriate title because this bit of Scripture will truly rain on some peoples parades and confront their partying ways, hopefully piercing their heart with conviction.

1 Peter 4:3
"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, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries."

I recently came across a professing Christians myspace that said, "I am a christain but i am flawed. I will go out with my friends and dance the night away (cocktail in hand) on a satureday and be at church bright and early Sunday morning letting God continue to mold and shape me as he see's fit. Thats just me. I'm random. I'm spontaneous." (The typos in the quote are not mine)

Now...before I get into it, I first want to point out that her saying "I am flawed" does not at all constitute a true confession of sins. True biblical repentance bears fruit, (Matt 3:8) resulting in righteous behavior, and ultimately a radically changed life (Rom 10:10), whereas this girl admits that what she is doing is wrong, however, she continues to do it anyway.

So...does this way of living harmonize with the Word of God? Can one have a divided heart, living a life of wanton pleasure, and at the same time truly be a disciple of Christ? Peter says earlier in this same epistle that we ought to be obedient children, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, commands us to no longer be conformed to our former lusts that we indulged in, in our ignorance, that is, before we were called out of darkness and to the light of Christ. We are also commanded to be holy just as God is holy (1 Pet 1:14-16). Furthermore, Peter says we should be putting aside all hypocrisy (1 Pet 2:1), which plainly means that we are not to be out dancing the night away, cocktail in hand, Saturday night and then turning around to play Church on Sunday morning. Peter goes on to say that we should be following in the footsteps of Christ who suffered, in fact, throughout this entire epistle Peter clearly shows us that the Christian life is one of suffering (not partying) by saying, "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose" (1 Pet 4:1a)

Our purpose isn't to pursue our needs, wants, desires and pleasures, but to live for Christ. Scripture makes it perfectly clear that we are not to be out partying like rock stars, because that is the way non-believers live their lives, but our purpose is to be unified to Christ in His sufferings (Phil 1:29; Phil 3:8-11). Or do we honestly think that some how that doesn't apply to us, or that we can escape such things when the one whom we profess to follow endured it?

Have we so quickly forgotten what Christ said in John 15:18-20, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master ' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

Christ suffered, and since we are obviously not greater than He is that means we will suffer also, so it is inevitable that our lives will be that of persecution and suffering if we are truly His disciples. But...why must we suffer? 1 Peter 4:1b-2 says, "because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."

It's a good thing, because if you are suffering for Christ and in the same manner as Christ, that means you are preaching the Word and suffering without reason, then you can count it all joy (James 1:2-3) knowing that you are being transformed into His likeness and that spiritual maturity brings holy living, which results in a life that has ceased from sin but that lives to do the will of God. Your priorities have changed.

That brings us full circle to our original verse...stop living and partying like non-believers because the time for all that type of behavior is over. The reality of the situation is that Christ died to save us from that sinful behavior...actually, that exact type of behavior is what killed the Son of God. If we have truly been called out of such ignorance and darkness, our eyes should be opened to the fact, and we should also realize that "the end of all things is near" (1 Pet 4:7), so instead of dancing the night away, with a cocktail in hand, we should be sober and alert awaiting the return of the Almighty. Not waiting, as in sitting there and doing nothing, but doing the will of God. As the old Puritan said, we should be preaching the Word as if Christ died yesterday, rose today, and is returning tomorrow. We should be acting with a sense of urgency, because really...this is life and death we are talking about.

Lastly, on a personal note, this particular subject is something that I have struggled with greatly in my own life. It was only a few years ago that my life was centered on getting wasted. Shortly after being called to Christ, I was unaware of these commands in Scripture, and I was unaware of the necessity to become Holy as He is Holy, so I continued in this sinful duality, and half heartedness toward God. I thank God, however, that He has not left us in the dark concerning such things but has revealed these commands and warnings in His Word, and that is one reason why it is so imperative to be addicted to Scripture as I mentioned in my last post, so that we can be transformed to the image of Christ through His supernatural Word knowing the very mind and will of God (Rom 12:2). Remember...if we hear the words of God and turn our back on His calling to pursue sin, we really ought to be stricken with fear and the possibility that we are not truly regenerate for the Scriptures say...

Hebrews 10:26-31
"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, 'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY' And again, 'THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.' It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."