17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. ~ 1 Peter 4:17-19
Today, we conclude our study of 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter has addressed a group of young first century Christians who were being brutally persecuted by all in the known world at that time. In today's passage Peter gives further instruction on how to handle suffering.
Suffering is within God’s will for the believer in Jesus Christ. This is true even when Satan may be the immediate cause. But, God is always poised to bring good out of our hardships, most importantly, to give us a deeper walk with Him. God uses all things together for our good and for His glory. When we give God enough time, He reveals the genius of His ways to us.
In v.17 of today's passage we read, "For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"
In v.17 of today's passage we read, "For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"
Peter speaks of judgment for believers in Christ here not as punishment, rather, he speaks of judgment as the act of separating the real from the fake. God uses suffering in order to inculcate His culture into our lives. Think of a judge who uses scales to weight two metals to determine which was is genuine and which one is a fraud. God uses the purifying work of suffering to change the believer from the inside out, enabling us to know what is good and of God. This work is a process we know to be sanctification. Whereas our justification before God was procured by Christ alone on the cross, our sanctification is a process whereby God is changing our souls which is made of our minds, our wills, and our emotions. God's role behind the suffering in the life of the believer in Christ is to inculcate His culture into us through our suffering.
On the other hand, the role of suffering in the life of the unbeliever has as its design to draw the unbeliever to faith in the God of the Bible. And, for those who do not believe, evidenced by their lack of obedience to God, they will spend eternity separate from God and all that is good. God did not create evil. And, hell seems to be a very harsh punishment for sin, that is until we understand that behind the smallest expression of wickedness is the wicked one himself. In hell, sin will one day be banished forever and never again will it threaten the well being of humans.
Judgement is always involved in the choices we make. This is the nature of the truth; it involves discrimination between that which is true and that which is false. Having trusted in the One who referred to Himself as the Truth, the believer is protected from the judgement of God. Not so, for the unbeliever.
For the believer in Christ, the judgement Peter wrote about here is different than the judgement God exacts on those who choose not to believe that the sacrifice of Christ paid the penalty for their sin. Believers in Christ go through suffering so that we may hone our abilities to make correct judgment. God does not allow suffering in our lives because He hates us, He allows suffering in our lives because He loves us and He desires for us growth. Our sufferings drive us to God enabling us to know the heart of our heavenly father.
For the believer in Christ, the judgement Peter wrote about here is different than the judgement God exacts on those who choose not to believe that the sacrifice of Christ paid the penalty for their sin. Believers in Christ go through suffering so that we may hone our abilities to make correct judgment. God does not allow suffering in our lives because He hates us, He allows suffering in our lives because He loves us and He desires for us growth. Our sufferings drive us to God enabling us to know the heart of our heavenly father.
In v.18 of today's passage we read, "And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
In this verse Peter quotes Proverbs 11:31. The salvation of the believer in Christ includes persecution and hardship. God uses suffering in our lives in an instructive way. It is kind of like a remedial test through which God teaches us the destructive nature of sin and the gloriousness of the truth. That kind of judgment is hard for us and it will continue in our lives until the Lord takes us home to live in eternity with Him. Suffering helps us to see the importance of a clear evaluation of all things, including our suffering. It is hard, but as we grow in our understanding of it, we will recognize its real value.
In this verse Peter quotes Proverbs 11:31. The salvation of the believer in Christ includes persecution and hardship. God uses suffering in our lives in an instructive way. It is kind of like a remedial test through which God teaches us the destructive nature of sin and the gloriousness of the truth. That kind of judgment is hard for us and it will continue in our lives until the Lord takes us home to live in eternity with Him. Suffering helps us to see the importance of a clear evaluation of all things, including our suffering. It is hard, but as we grow in our understanding of it, we will recognize its real value.
Whereas it is hard to get heaven into the believer, it is impossible for any human to get into heaven apart from him believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it was the Lord Jesus who said, "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven."
According to Luke's gospel, the word used for needle was a surgeon's needle. Luke narrowed the word so specifically because he himself was a doctor. The point the Lord Jesus was making is it is most difficult for someone who trusts in money to get into heaven. In fact, when the disciples heard this teaching, they were greatly astonished and they said, "Who then can be saved?" The disciples being Jewish believed if the rich can't get saved, nobody can get saved. Of course, they were wrong. They believe that if one has riches, wealth it's a sign of God's blessing on that one's life.
No person on earth can be saved in and of and by himself. It is simply impossible. This is why the Lord Jesus had to come and live a perfect life, measuring up to the truth, and dying a perfect death, defeating death through His resurrection. His purchase of our salvation is something no human could possible do due to our fallenness.
In v.19 of today's passage we read, "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."
God is a faithful Creator, not just of a few small things in our lives, but of the entire universe. He spoke, and light was created. He breathed, and life began. He keeps the planets spinning. He keeps our hearts beating. He is our faithful Creator. Sometimes we feel as if our lives are spinning out of control, yet God has always been faithful to hold our lives together when we let Him. The Creator of the universe is trustworthy. The God who created the heavens and the earth is big enough to handle whatever problems we encounter in this life. He has a proven track record. So, Peter reminds us to trust Him in our suffering.
Peter ends today's passage with a challenge to trust God while doing good. We are to trust God in our suffering while doing good. We, as believers in Christ, should be the most motivated to do the will of God for many reasons, especially for the sake of those who have not trusted Christ as their Savior. I believe the paramount to the good that we can do in this world is topped by being faithful to share the gospel with the lost. I am most grateful to those who loved me enough to tell me the truth. Without their stedfast obedience, I wonder where I would be today. I am truly grateful for the many who chose to obey the God of the Bible and tell me of their relationship with Him and to share with me the gospel of Jesus Christ.
