Exiles: Week Sixteen
1 Peter 4:1-6
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. - 1 Peter 2:11
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. - Romans 6:6-7
LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
From the passage, what sort of opposition faced the Christians Peter is addressing? Why do you think the pressure to join in was so strong?
In what ways does our society apply pressure against Christian beliefs? In what ways does our society apply pressure against Christian behaviors? Which is more likely, and why?
In practical terms, what would it mean to “arm yourselves with [Christ’s] way of thinking” (v. 1)?
How does this passage strengthen us when we are faced with the sort of opposition imagined by verse 4?
How can we encourage one another not to be swept along by the pressures of an ungodly society?