Adapted from a message by Pastor Ray Dash at Hope City Church on 1 Peter 4. This article is an editorial adaptation of the sermon, rather than a verbatim transcript.
Have you ever asked yourself a hard question like this one: “Am I really living what I say I believe?” Not what we tell people, not what we sing on Sunday, not what we post online, but the way we actually live day to day.
Pastor Ray Dash, visiting from The Rock in Newark, New Jersey, walked us through all of 1 Peter 4 in a message titled Different by Design. Peter wrote to believers who were already suffering under Nero and warned them that things would get harder. His letter shows us what a life changed by Jesus looks like when following Him costs something. Pastor Ray pointed to three marks of that life.
1. A different way of living (verses 1–6)
“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind… that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1–2)
Peter’s “therefore” points back to 1 Peter 3:18: Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. Because of what Jesus did, we can’t keep living the way we used to. “We have spent enough of our past lifetime” chasing what the world chases (v. 3).
Living differently will look strange to people who knew the old you (v. 4). Some may speak evil of you for it. But we don’t live for their approval. We live for the will of God.
2. A different way to love (verses 7–11)
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:7–8)
Knowing that Jesus is coming back shouldn’t make us anxious. It should make us serious and prayerful, and it should change how we treat each other. Peter calls us to fervent love, to hospitality without grumbling, and to use whatever gift God has given us to serve one another as good stewards of His grace (vv. 9–10). It all leads to one goal: “that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (v. 11).
3. A different way to respond (verses 12–19)
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you… but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings.” (1 Peter 4:12–13)
Following Jesus doesn’t make us immune to hardship: the hard report from the doctor, a wayward child, being the odd one out for doing what’s right. Peter says not to be surprised by these trials. When we suffer for the name of Christ, we are blessed, and the Spirit of glory rests on us (v. 14).
Peter also reminds us that “judgment begins at the house of God” (v. 17). Pastor Ray challenged us to let the Holy Spirit examine our hearts now, and to welcome God’s loving correction as His children. Those who suffer according to God’s will can “commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (v. 19).
Living it out this week
- Examine your life. Ask God to show you any place where what you say you believe and how you live don’t match.
- Put something on the altar. What is Jesus asking you to surrender so you can live for His will instead of your own?
- Love on purpose. Pick one person to serve, welcome, or pray for this week.
- Stand firm in the trial. If you’re walking through something hard, remember that God is faithful and hasn’t left you.
If you don’t know Jesus yet, Pastor Ray’s invitation is for you too. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Salvation is a free gift. You can be honest with God today, turn from your sin, and trust Him with your life.
A prayer for the week
Father, thank You for Your living Word. Help us not just to know the gospel but to obey it. Make us different by design: in how we live, how we love, and how we respond when life gets hard. Strengthen Your church so that in all things You may be glorified through Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.