“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.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Peter 4:2 Mean?
Peter describes the purpose of living in the body after encountering Christ: no longer living to the lusts of men but to the will of God. The time remaining in the flesh has a different purpose now.
The contrast is absolute: lusts of men versus will of God. The former life was driven by human desires. The new life is driven by divine will. The engine has been replaced.
"That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh" — the rest of his time. However much time remains in the body — days, years, decades — the remaining time has been redirected. What you do with the time left matters.
"To the lusts of men" versus "to the will of God" — these are the only two options. Every moment is spent on one or the other. There is no neutral time. The flesh is either serving the lusts of men or the will of God.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does 'the rest of his time in the flesh' create urgency about how you use your remaining days?
- 2.What does the shift from 'lusts of men' to 'will of God' look like in daily practice?
- 3.Is there neutral time — or is every moment directed toward one or the other?
- 4.What would change if you lived the rest of your time specifically for God's will?
Devotional
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. The rest of your time. However much you have left. The time that remains in your body has a purpose — and it is not the same purpose it had before.
No longer to the lusts of men. The old engine — desire, appetite, self-interest — no longer drives the machine. The lusts that used to organize your days have been replaced.
But to the will of God. The new engine. Not your desires. God's will. Not what you want. What he purposes. The reorientation is total — from self-directed to God-directed.
The rest of your time. That phrase carries weight. You do not know how much time remains. But whatever it is, it has been redirected. The remaining days are not yours to spend on yourself. They are assigned to God's will.
Every day is a choice between two directions: the lusts of men or the will of God. There is no third option. No neutral territory. The time in the flesh is spent on one or the other.
What are you spending the rest of your time on?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
That he no longer should live,.... The Arabic version reads, "that ye no longer should live". This expresses the end of…
That he no longer should live - That is, he has become, through the death of Christ, dead to the world and to the former…
That he no longer should live - in the flesh - Governed by the base principle of giving up his faith to save his life;…
The apostle here draws a new inference from the consideration of Christ's sufferings. As he had before made use of it to…
that he no longer should live the rest of his time The Greek form of the sentence points rather to the result than to…
Cross References
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