The time that is past suffices
Mon, 27 November, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.
3 The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
Peter starts this chapter by reminding us that Christ has suffered, and so we should be prepared to suffer in order that we might be sanctified.
What do we learn from this?
Sanctification is a process. It is a daily progression of living more and more in obedience to the commands of God.
In this verse, we see where we have come from. We might be able to look back on our past and see the most horrific sins. Or we might have grown up in a Christian home and don’t have a history of such awful sins as we see Peter list here. But one thing we do have in common as Christians. Regardless of when we were awakened to faith in Christ, and regardless of the kinds of sins we have been guilty of, all Christians should be able to look back on their lives and say, “By God’s grace, today I am living more in obedience than I did yesterday.” We can look back and see that we have made progress, however slight, and in spite of occasional regressions into past sins. There is a steady, upward progression in godliness. This is sanctification. We lived a life of sin. We are living a life of less sin.
Where is Christ in this passage?
Peter is telling us that our sanctification is based upon the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Because He died for us, we are now able to live for Him.
