6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ~ 1 Peter 4:6-7
Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter has just reminded us that all those who in the end did not trust in Christ's finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin will spend eternity in hell. Think of that for a moment; All who reject the free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ will spend eternity in hell.
Hell is one of the most controversial doctrines in Christianity. Many find it hard to accept the idea that sin or man's rebellion against God has eternal consequences. They would rather believe that Hell is a modern invention, or perhaps a poetic image that represents something less than it is. But, Hell is a very real place. Many believe the only thing the Lord Jesus ever talked about was heaven. Surprisingly, He spoke far more about Hell than He did about Heaven! In fact, He spoke more on Hell than any other subject.
In v.6 of today's passage we read, "For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit."
This verse begins with "For this is the reason" which refers to the fact that all men, women, boys and girls will one day give account to God for their sinfulness. For those who have trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sin, they will spend eternity in heaven. This verse refers to those who heard the gospel when they were alive on this earth and they did not choose to believe and then they died. The gospel was not preached to our dead Christian friends in vain. The reason the gospel was preached to those who have died is so that even though it looks like they have been judged like everybody else, they haven't. They are alive in the spirit. Their spirits are alive because they were born again. Right now they are with the Lord.
In v.7 of today's passage we read, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray."
The last words of the Lord Jesus in the book of the Revelation are these: "Yes, I am coming soon." When we read that, we ask, "So how soon is soon?" And I'm actually helped by a book by C. S. Lewis called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in the Chronicles of Narnia series where there's a conversation between Lucy and Aslan the lion who was the Christ figure in the book. As they part company, Aslan said to Lucy, "Lucy, don't look so sad. We will meet soon again." And she says, "Please, Aslan, what do you mean by soon?" And Aslan replied by saying, "I call all times soon."
"The last days" is technically a phrase in the New Testament that refers to the time between the first coming of Christ and His Second Coming, that of all of human history, that is the last part of human history. We currently are living in the last days, but we must be living in the last part of the last days, because of all of the predictions made that have been fulfilled in our lifetime. Particularly, the formation of Israel as a country once again in 1948. And, since the end is near, we must pray with diligence. As our tomorrows become fewer, our prayers must increase.
Time is running out on all who have yet to place their trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. This explains Peter's admonition to us in this verse. Being alert and sober minded means that our reliance on God through prayer must increase. In today's passage, the Apostle Peter connects the nearness of the end with our earnest need to pray. Instead of working frantically before the time runs out, we should rest increasingly in God’s sovereignty and seek His help. The most important thing we can do in a given day is to pray. The importance of daily communication with God cannot be overestimated. Daily prayer gives us the opportunity to share all aspects of our lives with God, and in so doing, we are sensitized by Him to be involved in what He is doing in this world.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, "The heart of prayer is the prayer of the heart." Prayer does not consist simply of words, gestures, or eloquence. Prayer is the address of a poor soul to our loving Father in heaven. So, if we desire to see a change concerning any issue, especially in the lives of the lost, we must pray so that God will intervene. And, as we pray, we do well to remember Martin Luther's quote about prayer: "Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness."
