IF IT BEGINS WITH US . . .

" 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? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:17, NKJV)

BY SAYING THE TIME HAS COME," the Spirit means this principle has been brought to its highest expression in this day. Now that more has been given, more is required. If God had the closest regard for those to whom He committed His oracles, how much more will He have for those who have been forgiven and received His righteousness? He will surely chasten them, as it is written, "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor 11:32).

IF GOD JUDGES THE GODLY, and does it first, what will He do with the ungodly? If He is exacting and precise in His treatment of the righteous "now," what will be His manner of dealing with the unrighteous "then?"

WHEN CONSIDERING THE APPARENT EASE the ungodly enjoyed, it caused some confusion for Asaph, writer of the 73rd Psalm. He said he was "envious of the foolish" when he saw their "prosperity" (v 3). They did not seem to have "trouble as other men," but prospered in the world and increased in riches (v 4-12). He, on the other hand, was plagued all day long and "chastened every morning" (v 14). However, Asaph's thoughts abruptly changed. He had an experience and consideration that altered his entire view. "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction" (vs 17-18). Considering the "end," or conclusion, of the unrighteous will cause their success to appear a snare, and a narcotic that puts them to sleep.

NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "us" and "them" is obeying the Gospel. Obeying the Gospel is believing the record God has given of His Son, which compels one to call upon the name of the Lord, and do whatever He requires. That faith enables the believer to overcome the world, for perceiving the truth of Christ, and maintaining that perception, causes the world to lose is attractiveness and power (1 John 5:4-11). Those who are overcome by the world do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, profession notwithstanding (1 John 5:5).

SCARCELY SAVED. These are certainly arresting words. On the surface, they seem to contradict expressions like life "more abundantly" (John 10:10), "so great salvation" (Heb 2:3), pouring out the Holy Spirit upon us "abundantly" (Tit 3:5-6), and an "abundant entrance" into the everlasting kingdom (2 Pet 1:11). Some other versions accentuate this seeming contradiction. "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved" (NIV), "If it is difficult for the righteous to be saved" (NASB), and "If the righteous are barely saved" (NLT). Some believe Peter is referring to a statement made by Solomon. "If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!" (Prov 11:31, NIV).

THE MEANING OF THE TEXT is not that we will be "scarcely saved" when we stand before God in the judgment. That is when an "abundant entrance" will be ministered to us, and we will stand "faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (2 Pet 1:11; Jude 24). This is referring to our experience in this world, when we are sailing through treacherous waters, as it were, and exposed to storms and various trials of our faith. We are being "tried by fire," and come safely to land, like those shipwrecked with Paul, ONLY by the grace of God (Acts 27:43-44). Even at the judgment itself, we "shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor 3:15), passing the test of Divine judgment. Those who speak of a simple salvation are in error. It is no small task to bring those, who were once enemies and alienated in their mind through wicked works, to stand at last without a fault before God. There are siftings and trials in this life, with hardships and difficulties. Only faith is equal to these experiences, and only faith will enable us to stand with joy before the Lord. Viewed from our own effort and involvement, we are "scarcely saved."

WITH THIS IN MIND, "where will the sinner and the ungodly appear?" What will be the portion of those, who have indulged the lust of the flesh, been disobedient to the Gospel, and remained unlike God in their ways and thoughts (Isa 55:7-8)? This is to be weighed in view of the present experience of the godly. Rather than asking, "Why do the righteous suffer?", or "Why do bad things happen to the godly?", there are other questions that should be asked. "If the righteous suffer, then what will be the final end of those who are unrighteous?" "If the righteous are put to the test, will not the unrighteous also be put to the test in the end?" The seeming success of the "sinner and the ungodly" is short-lived. They are in "slippery places," where a split second can change the whole picture, like it did for Herod (Acts 12:22-23). Their sin is putting them to sleep, causing them to think this world is the only world, and this time is the only time. But there is an ultimate "end" to which they will come. It will begin with their appointed death and judgment.

IF WE PONDER THE PRESENT SUFFERING of the saints, we can see the end of the ungodly more clearly. Our difficulties and trials in this world are nothing to compare with the future of the ungodly. That is something to think about!

– Given O. Blakely