Why Are Our Suffering and Service Especially Meaningful in These Last Days – 1 Peter 4:1-11?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Grace in Focus

Episode: Why Are Our Suffering and Service Especially Meaningful in These Last Days – 1 Peter 4:1-11?
Host: Bob Wilkin (B)
Guest: David Renfrow (C)
Date: January 14, 2026
Duration: 13 minutes

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Episode Overview

This episode of Grace in Focus delves into 1 Peter 4:1-11, exploring why suffering and service for Christ are particularly significant as the "last days" approach. Bob Wilkin and David Renfrow discuss the biblical call to endure suffering with purpose, the distinction between living for personal gratification versus the will of God, and the assurance of ultimate victory for believers who remain faithful. Along the way, they connect these ideas to Free Grace Theology, eschatological expectations, and Christian living.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Structure and Theme of 1 Peter 4:1-11

• Division of Text: The passage is divided into two sections: verses 1–6 and 7–11.
  • [01:00]
• Main Message: Believers are called to live securely in hope of future glory and to remain faithful—even in suffering—because ultimate rewards are promised.

"If we suffer like the Lord did...for doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing, there's a promise ahead of us." – David Renfrow [01:22]

2. Suffering as a Mark of Obedience

• Suffering Inevitable for Christians:
  • To follow Christ genuinely will often bring suffering, especially as the world opposes godliness.
  • [02:06]
• Contrast with the World:
  • Living in self-indulgence vs. living for the will of God.
  • Suffering for Christ reflects a life walked in the light.
• Salvation of the 'psuke' (soul):
  • Service and suffering play a role in the growth and reward of the believer’s soul.

"We're gaining the salvation of our psuke through service." – Bob Wilkin [01:40]

"The more we obey the Lord, the more I think we're going to suffer because the world around us does not like that." – David Renfrow [02:06]

3. Choices in Christian Living

• Two Paths:
  • Obey the Lord and potentially suffer, or conform to the world and live for short-term pleasure.
  • [03:00]
• Cultural Illustration:
  • Bob shares his experience in college—contrasting the temporary, unsatisfying pleasures of "drinking parties" with a life set apart for Christ.
  • [03:58–05:08]

"You've got two choices in life. Live your time in this flesh...either obeying the Lord and possibly suffering for it, or live like the world and have a great old time here. But it goes away." – Bob Wilkin [03:00]

4. Suffering Includes Social Exclusion

• Rejection by Society:
  • Christians may be mocked or shunned for refusing to participate in worldly activities.
  • [05:08]
• Living for Self vs. Gratifying Christ:
  • Renfrow summarizes living for "lewdness, lust, drunkenness" as self-gratification, whereas the Christian call is to serve Christ.

"They think it’s strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you." – Bob Wilkin (quoting 1 Peter 4) [05:22]

"Parts of society will reject you because you’re not going along...All that stuff [is] self gratification…Don't live your life obsessed with self gratification." – David Renfrow [05:36]

5. Accountability and Judgment

• Universal Accountability:
  • Everyone (believers and unbelievers) gives an account to God, who will "judge the living and the dead."
  • Referenced verses: Romans 14:9, Acts 17:31, 2 Timothy 4:1, Acts 10:42, Revelation 20:11–15.
  • [07:11–08:25]
• Specific Judgments:
  • Great White Throne (unbelievers); Judgment Seat of Christ (believers).
  • The immediate context is judgment of "Gentiles" (unbelievers), but the principle applies universally.

6. The Purpose of Preaching the Gospel

• Spiritual vs. Physical Death:
  • The Gospel is preached to the spiritually dead so they may live for God.
  • Receiving eternal life is just the beginning—the call is to live that life to God's glory.
  • [08:25–09:44]

"Gaining everlasting life isn't the end, it's the beginning. Now what do we do with the life that we have?" – Bob Wilkin [09:37]

7. Ultimate Victory Through Endurance

• Summary Principle:
  • Christians are to endure suffering, knowing Christ has secured victory.
  • Abundant life and ruling with Christ are reserved for "overcomers" who share in His suffering.
  • [09:44–10:40]
• Rewards Perspective:
  • Every believer enters the kingdom and receives eternal life, but greater rewards (glory, ruling with Christ) come from faithfulness and suffering.

"We are to endure suffering because Christ has assured our ultimate victory." – David Renfrow [10:07]

"If I’m not an overcomer, I’m not going to have the ultimate victory...the abundance of life and ruling with Christ, those things are reserved for those who suffer with Him." – Bob Wilkin [10:12–10:34]

8. Practical Applications for the "Last Days"

• Be Watchful and Serious:
  • The "end of all things is at hand"—urgency for sober-minded prayer (v.7).
• Love and Serve Generously:
  • Fervent love covers sins (Proverbs 10:12; James 5:20); hospitality and service without complaint (v.8–10).
  • Everyone should minister with their spiritual gifts.
• Faithful Teaching and Service:
  • Speak the "oracles of God," minister in God’s strength, so He is glorified (v.11).
  • [11:08–12:49]

"We all have spiritual gifts...minister or serve one another. That’s why we’re here." – David Renfrow [12:03]

"In all things God may be glorified." – Bob Wilkin [12:32]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You're going to serve the Lord or you're going to serve the devil, but you're going to serve somebody." – Bob Wilkin, referencing Bob Dylan [03:00]
• "If you suffer for it, that adds to the glory. If we suffer the way Jesus suffered." – David Renfrow [09:53]
• "How much we share in His glory depends on how much we suffer with Him in this life." – Bob Wilkin [10:40]
• "Our ultimate goal is to glorify God." – David Renfrow [12:39]

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Key Timestamps of Major Segments

• [01:00] - Intro to 1 Peter 4:1–11 and its main themes
• [03:00] - The “two choices” of Christian life: Suffering versus self-indulgence
• [05:22] - Social repercussions: being “spoken evil of” for not joining in sinful activities
• [07:11–08:25] - Universal judgment and accountability
• [09:44–10:40] - Assurance of ultimate victory and the overcomers’ reward
• [11:08–12:49] - Living in the “last days”: love, hospitality, service, and glorifying God

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Conclusion

This episode provides a deep dive into living a set-apart, purposeful Christian life in anticipation of Christ’s return. Suffering and service are presented not as burdens, but as opportunities to glorify God and secure lasting rewards. The encouragement is clear: choose obedience even at a cost, knowing that ultimate victory is assured by Christ, and glorify God in all things—especially in these last days.

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. Why does suffering for Christ seem to have a high premium? Why is it meaningful, especially in these last days? Thank you friend for joining us. This is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society and our web site is faithalone.org please go there to find out more about this organization, our focused free grace stance, the many hundreds of articles we have available to you there, and to find out about our national annual conference coming up in May. The dates are May 18th through the 21st. It will be held at a Christian camp, Camp Kopis in Denton, Texas. There is still an early bird discount. Take advantage of that. Get all the other details you [e-mail] events. And now with today's discussion from 1 Peter 4, here is Bob Wilken along with David Renfrow.

[B]

David, we've come to to Peter chapter 4, verses 1 through 11. And this breaks into two parts. The first six verses 416 and then 47 through 11. And in 416 it's a very powerful section. What is this section talking about?

[C]

It really talks about how a believer should live securely because of the promise of this future glory, that if we suffer like the Lord did, if we suffer for doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing, that there's a promise ahead of us.

[B]

And I think Hodges calls this through service. In other words, we're gaining the salvation of our psuke through service.

[C]

Yeah, we serve the Lord in spite of our suffering. Even in light of active persecution, we still obey the Lord.

[B]

Right. So he says here, therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself with the same mind. The same mind, meaning we too are going to suffer.

[C]

Right. The more we obey the Lord, the more I think we're going to suffer because the world around us does not like that.

[B]

And then he says, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live for the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men or the desires of men, but for the will of God. So in other words, if I'm suffering for Christ, it's because I'm walking in the light.

[C]

If you're suffering because of your obedience to the Lord, then that is going to be rewarded. And I think that's what he says here. Essentially, you've got two choices in life. Live your time in this flesh, in this mortal life, either obeying the Lord and possibly suffering for it, or live like the world and have a great old time here.

[B]

But it goes away, which is where he's going. And by the way, wasn't that Bob Dylan says, you got to serve somebody, Right? You're going to serve the Lord or you're going to serve the devil, but you're going to serve somebody.

[C]

Yeah, you're not in control either way.

[B]

And notice verse three. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the gentiles. I thought, that's funny. Instead of talking about the will of God, we're talking about the will of the Gentiles. And by gentiles there, he doesn't mean specifically non Jews. He means unbelievers.

[C]

He means people that are anti the God of the Bible. Yeah.

[B]

And then he says, when we walked in lewdness, lust, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. I guess, you know, Peter must have known about the fraternities. Maybe they had fraternities in the first century.

[C]

Oh, I think in college you don't need to be in a fraternity to experience those things.

[B]

I was at the University of California at Irvine, and I remember I got there and I came out of a very legalistic work salvation, sinless perfection cult. And so I didn't drink and I didn't do drugs. And right away, my freshman dorm, they're smoking marijuana right and left. My roommate had 10 people in the room every night, and they'd be smoking marijuana till like 10. And then when I would kick them out to go to bed, they'd go upstairs and do lsd.

[C]

Weed was not enough for them, was it?

[B]

So then I moved into with a person who didn't smoke marijuana. He just drank. And then the next year, I moved in with a Roman Catholic who didn't drink or do marijuana. So that was nice. But I remember my freshman year, these people would have keggers, you know, they'd go and they'd have these drinking games and. And I remember feeling sorry for them because the next morning they would be moaning and groaning and they would be puking and they would just be out of it. And I was like, how do they think? And of course, I grew up in an alcoholic family, so there was no appeal to that to me.

[C]

Sure, yeah.

[B]

But in any regard, he says, we're not to be that way, following the will of unbelievers. And notice, he says, in regard to these, they think it's strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, Speaking evil of you.

[C]

I thought that was an interesting phrase. They speak evil of you.

[B]

Doing Good, because you're not participating in their drinking games, their immorality, their other things. And that, by the way, is part of suffering for Jesus. Right?

[C]

Exactly. Yeah. That's why parts of society will reject you because you're not going along with the stuff that verse three, in other words, I summarized all those. The lewdness, lust, drunkenness. All that stuff is self gratification. And notice it says when you walked in lewdness. I've always taken the word walk as referring to your lifestyle.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So I think what verse three is saying is don't live your life obsessed with self gratification, but.

[B]

But in gratifying the Lord Jesus Christ.

[C]

Exactly. And that's the choice that all of us believers have.

[B]

Well, notice verse five, they will give an account. Giving an account refers to accountability. Right? That's where we get the word accountability.

[C]

Who are we accounting now?

[B]

Notice it says to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

[C]

Oh, him.

[B]

Now that occurs in a lot of verses. I think you jotted down what some of those verses are, but it's common all the way through the New Testament.

[A]

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[B]

What are some of the other verses that talk about the fact that Jesus is going to judge the living and the dead?

[C]

Well, we have Romans 14:9. And then Acts 17:31.

[B]

Right. When Paul is talking to the Athenian philosophers.

[C]

Right. And then two Timothy four. One. Remember, second Timothy is Paul's swan song. So this is an important concept, even to Timothy.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And then the last one that we listed here was Acts 10:42.

[B]

And all of these are talking about the fact that he's going to judge those who are living and dead. And this would encompass both the judgment of unbelievers and the judgment of believers. The judgment of unbelievers at the Great White throne. Judgment, Revelation 20:11, 15, which we're told they were each judged according to their works that were found in the books, the books of works. And then we also know that before the millennium, believers will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ. Of course, in the preceding verses, he's talking about the Gentiles who are involved in all these lewdness. So he's probably thinking primarily of unbelievers here.

[C]

And probably when you're talking that in the Roman Empire, you're talking about pagans.

[B]

And thinking then primarily of the Great White Throne judgment. But what he says in verse five also applies to believers. We will give an account. Now, of course, the they here would refer to these Gentiles. Correct. But the we would also be true. We're going to give an account. In fact, those other verses are open ended. They're believers and unbelievers. And notice what he says. For this reason, the Gospel was preached to those who are dead. It's interesting. This isn't saying Jesus went to those who were in Hades in a holding tank. This is talking about those who are spiritually dead. In verse five it's talking about those who are physically dead. But verse six is talking about those who are spiritually dead. Hodges brings this out in his commentary that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit. In other words, the good news is preached to those who are spiritually dead with the ultimate goal that they would live for God. Gaining everlasting life isn't the end, it's the beginning. Now what do we do with the life that we have? Are we living it in a way that glorifies God?

[C]

Right. The way I've summarized these first verses is we are to endure suffering because Christ has assured our ultimate victory.

[B]

Amen.

[C]

I mean, that's what this is saying. Make a choice, choose to do the right thing. And if you suffer for it, that adds to the glory. If we suffer the way Jesus suffered.

[B]

Yeah, but how did you put it again?

[C]

We are to endure suffering because Christ has assured our ultimate victory.

[B]

Our ultimate victory refers to overcomers. Yes, because if I'm not an overcomer, I'm not going to have the ultimate victory.

[C]

That's true.

[B]

I will of course get into the kingdom. I will have joy forever. I will have life forever. But the abundance of life and ruling with Christ, those things are reserved for those who suffer with Him.

[C]

Right. It's an exhortation to endure suffering. Those who do will receive that ultimate victory.

[B]

Yeah. In fact, 4, 13, which we'll get to in the next time, talks about the fact that how much we share in his glory depends on how much we suffer with him in this life. Right. But let's go through 7 through 11 and these verses are talking about suffering. Right. That we're now back on the salvation of our psuke through suffering in light of the fact that we're in the last days, by the way.

[C]

Right. He actually mentions that in verse seven, the end of all things is at hand. In other words, things that we know. And he says, be serious or be alert and watchful in your prayers above all things. Verse eight, have fervent love. This is a strong Greek expression here. Fervent love deeply one another. And then he quotes Proverbs 10:12 saying, Love will cover a multitude of sins.

[B]

Right. Which you get also in James 5:20.

[C]

Exactly. It's interesting. Now he's saying, because the end of time is near. We are yet again supposed to be kind to one another. Look at verse 9. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. Yes, and the same thing is verse 10 as each one has received a gift. Minister. In other words, we all have spiritual gifts. First Corinthians tells us that.

[B]

Right?

[C]

And then it says minister or serve one another. That's why we're here is to serve one another. We're not supposed to lord over one another. We are to serve with our spiritual gifts.

[B]

And then 11 looks at those who have the gift of teaching or even if they don't have the gift of teaching or we're to speak the words of God.

[C]

If anyone speaks, let him speak. The oracles of God. In other words, kind of like what Paul told Timothy, preach the word.

[B]

And if anyone ministers, let him do it with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified.

[C]

Right. Our ultimate goal is to glorify God.

[B]

And if we do glorify God, then we're going to have a greater share of his glory in the life to come.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

And that's where we're going in the rest of this. Well, thanks so much David and thank you all. And remember, let's keep grace in focus.

[A]

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