Sacrifice and the Christian Life

By Justin Lonas

The Christian life has always included struggles against sin. Even Paul confessed to this (Rom. 7:15). We understand that our sin natures are not completely cast aside until we die or the Lord returns, and thus we are still capable of disobedience. This fact does not absolve us of the responsibility to do God’s will, however, and certainly doesn’t preclude God from delivering us from our sins.

In 1 Peter 4:1-2, Peter puts an interesting spin on our fight against the sin nature: “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”