1 Peter 4:17-19 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us… To be saved is what the generality of persons in the world wish for. I am satisfied that the genuine sense of our text hath a particular reference to temporal salvation from calamity, for the copulative particle "and" makes a connection between it and the foregoing verses, where we have the apostle speaking unto God's people about their suffering for the cause of Christ. He tells them of judgment beginning at the house of God, by which we are to understand affliction and calamity, wherewith God exercises His people. But the text need not be particularly confined to this sense, but may hold good with respect to eternal salvation. 1. That the people of God are a righteous people. They are called so in the text, not that they are so in themselves or by nature. They are righteous in the righteousness of Christ, who is called the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30). A principle of righteousness is planted in them at their conversion, from whence flows a righteousness of conversation (Luke 1:6). 2. That the people of God shall be saved. Our text plainly supposes it, though while in the world they are persecuted. Now what is it for them to be saved but to be delivered from sin and misery, and brought into the enjoyment of eternal glory by Jesus Christ. "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation."(1) They shall be delivered from sin and misery. From sin, both from the guilt, filth, power, and being of it. (2) They shall be brought to the full enjoyment of eternal glory; and their bodies shall also be saved. 3. That though the righteous be saved, yet it is with abundance of difficulty. In temporal calamity the Lord may suffer things to run to the very last extremity before He appears for His people's salvation. Now their being scarcely saved is not for want of power in God, for "He is able to save to the uttermost," nor is it for want of will, for He win give grace and glory (Psalm 84:11), nor is it for want of an appointment, for He hath not "appointed them to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9); but the difficulty lies in the things they meet with in the way to salvation. (1) At their entrance into the way to heaven they meet with abundance of difficulty. The gate of conversion is strait, and a crowd of oppositions meet them at their entrance. Many temptations does Satan lay before young converts, and such a mighty advantage has he against them, their corruptions being strong and grace weak, that they find it a very hard thing to escape. The world also, sometimes with its charms and sometimes with its frowns, bears hard upon the poor creature, so that if he escape being entangled it is with great difficulty. (2) In their progress on the way to heaven they meet with so many oppositions that they are but scarcely saved. The way to heaven is but a narrow way. God's people, like those in the shipwreck with Pard, escape all safe to land, yet it is with a scarcely, they get over the turbulent sea of this world. Oh, the snares that are laid for them! (3) At their exit out of the world they meet with abundance of difficulty, so that though they be saved, yet it is with a scarcely; their enemies would not suffer it if they could hinder it. When their souls are ready to take their flight into another world, then is Satan most busy to hinder their salvation. Now though it be impossible for him to hinder their salvation, yet he may so molest them as to make it difficult to obtain salvation, so that they shall find they are but scarcely saved.This further appears — (1) From the frequent apprehensions they have of their being in danger of hell and destruction. (2) This is further evident from the fears there are in the people of God about their salvation. 4. That as it is impossible for the ungodly and sinner to be saved as such, so their misery is unspeakable. Where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? (1) Negatively, I shall show where they shall not appear. Not in heaven. Not in the presence of God, for the foolish shall not stand in His sight; He hateth all the workers of iniquity. Not among the righteous. Sinners shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous. Where, then, shall the wicked appear? (2) Positively, they shall appear in hell. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." They shall appear at the awful tribunal of God, before His judgment seat. And are the righteous scarcely saved? Hence learn — 1. That going to heaven is not so easy a thing as some imagine. It is not an empty profession of religion that will serve the turn. 2. Are the righteous scarcely saved? Hence we learn what a miserable disappointment many meet with, who, instead of getting to heaven, fall into hell. 3. If the righteous be scarcely saved, then we may from hence learn the miserable condition of the wicked in the other world, who are not saved. (1) O ye sleepy, secure sinners! where will you appear? (2) O ye drunkards! where will you appear — you that waste your time and estates, that spoil your constitution, and abuse the good creatures of God? (3) O ye fornicators and adulterers! where will you appear? (4) O ye sabbath breakers! where will you appear? (5) O ye swearers! where will you appear? (6) O ye scoffers at religion! where will you appear? (J. Sedgfield.) Parallel Verses KJV: For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? |
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