Would you kindly comment and expand upon the full meaning of 1 Peter 4:1?
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
I’ve suffered much in the flesh and yet I cannot honestly say that I have ceased to sin.
Your own experience is shared by every other Christian and proves that the passage can’t apply to us literally, but only vicariously. If your physical suffering could stop you from sinning, the Lord wouldn’t have had to suffer for you.
But His suffering did put an end to your sin as far as God’s concerned, because now He can look upon you as if you’ve never sinned. (2 Cor. 5:21)
Therefore, our attitude toward sin should be framed by the realization that God Himself became a man and suffered in our place. Peter went on to say that because of this we should stop living to satisfy our own desires and instead live the rest of our lives for God.