With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

1 Peter 4:4-5

Peter had just exhorted Christians to “live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (4:2).  God wants us all to grow in all aspects of life to become more like the Christ, to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).  Peter himself had earlier in this letter exhorted us to “not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1:14-16).  Also consider the following directives:

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Col. 3:5-10).

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another” (Tit. 3:1-3).

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.  They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.  But that is not the way you learned Christ! – assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:17-24).

Basically, Christians are to grow more and more different from how they used to be and how the non-Christians around them continue to be as each day passes.  This naturally will be noticed by those outside of Christ with whom we interact, especially if they knew us before we obeyed the gospel.  As Peter noted above, they will be “surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery” (v. 4a).  You will no longer join them in sexually immoral practices or going to drinking parties (v. 3), their vulgar talk (Eph. 4:29), or their gossip (Rom. 1:29).  While they remain pridefully self-centered, you will grow more humble and more considerate of others before yourself (Phil. 2:3-5)…and they will notice.  Some, perhaps most, will “malign” you, i.e., speak evil of you and mock you (v. 4b; cf. 2:12; 3:16; Matt. 5:10-12; 2 Tim. 3:12).  I guess he thinks he’s better than me.  She’s turning into a holier-than-thou Jesus follower.  That will hurt, yes.  You might be tempted to retaliate or go back to how you were, but don’t do it.  Remember that they will have to “give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (v. 5; cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 12:17-21)…and so will you.  Keep working to become more like Christ.

Ask yourself this.  How different am I from the non-Christians around me?  How much have I changed?  How much have I stayed the same?

— Jon