1 Peter 4:1
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.
Does the Bible at this point suggest that physical suffering is a path to perfection and sinlessness? Are we being told that if we suffer physically we will be done with sin? Is it possible to reach a point where you are done with sin?
Why is the suffering of Jesus the point of reference? Is the writer suggesting that Christ suffered and therefore was done with sin? If Jesus was done with sin, does it mean prior to that He was a sinner or sinning? Was Christ also done with sin? What does it mean to be done with sin?
You are only done with school after sitting and passing your last and most important examination. Sin has made physical suffering a last and important examination in life. Whoever is able to endure suffering without giving up faith, has passed the most important examination in life, he or she is done with sin.
When Satan wanted to push Job to the limit is that he denies God, and he brought suffering. Job suffered losses. Job suffered the loss of wealth and children. Job lost the loyalty of his wife. Job lost his health. Job took suffering in his body without denying faith in God. Whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. If you can remain faithful after losing everything. If you can remain faithful after losing health. If you can remain faithful under that kind of suffering, you are done with sin!
Jesus conquered sin by taking suffering and dying on the cross. As He died Jesus said it is finished. He has conquered. He is done with sin! The worst that sin could do was to kill Him and He took it. If Jesus had yielded to the pressure and temptation of sin, He would not have been done with sin.
Jesus was tempted in the wilderness after suffering forty days and forty nights without food and water. When you can take suffering of the body without losing faith, you are done with sin. Paul and Silas took a serious beating and when thrown into prison they were singing songs of praise, this is because they were done with sin. Peter slept in prison yet the next day he was to be killed. He could afford to sleep because he was done with sin. If we can take physical suffering without losing faith, we are done with sin!
To be done with sin doesn’t mean you can’t sin again, but it means its power on you is weakened. Every day an addict goes without the drug they abuse is a day of victory over that drug. Every day that passes they can say, I am done with that addiction. A possibility of falling back is there but we get stronger every day that passes.
What physical pressure have you overcome today? Are you done with sin today? If you can say no to sin today, you have had a victory today, you are done with sin today. Sin’s best exam every day is suffering, if you like Jesus remain faithful during suffering, you are done with sin! Sanctification is when we get done with sin daily. Daily victories make us stronger and stronger.
Job 13:15
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely defend my ways to his face.
Even if God kills me, I will remain faithful to Him. When Job said those words and meant them, he was done with sin. Sin had nothing further to claim on him. He had withstood the worst test from sin, the test of his suffering. He was willing to die in faithfulness.
Daniel 3:17-18
(17) If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. (18) But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ”
The three Hebrew men were ready and willing to die in the fire even if God refused to save them from it. They were willing to suffer in the body. They were done with sin. They had passed sin’s best exam.
Even if I remain lonely for the rest of my life, I will not date a non-believer or have sex before or outside marriage. Even if it was the only meal between me and death, I will not eat pork or anything God forbids. Even if it was the only money I had to solve an urgent problem, I will not spend tithes and offerings on personal issues. Even if everyone betrays and hurts me in this church I will not leave because I am serving God and it is His church. Even if I am rejected by family and friends I will remain faithful to God and His true church. When you are willing to suffer rather than be unfaithful, you are done with sin at that point.
Every time you get done with sin, you become stronger against the next test that sin brings. The Holy Spirit guides us from one victory to another until we are saved into God’s kingdom. We get done today and tomorrow until finally we completely get done with sin. Jesus was tempted but He did not sin, He got done with sin daily in temptations that came. Eventually, Jesus died on the cross and said it is finished, He was done with all exams that sin brought and He had successfully passed, and now by His death, we are saved.
May God grant us daily victory against sin, until we finally overcome it. May we daily be done with sin by the willingness to take suffering rather than offend God. May the Holy Spirit help us, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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Amen!
Amen