1 Peter 4:16-19 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 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? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Should We Judge?

People are fond of mis-quoting Jesus, saying

“Judge not, lest ye be judged”

This mis-quote is from Matthew 7:1, and it goes on to say:

Matthew 7:2-3 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Jesus was not telling us to NOT judge, but to JUDGE RIGHTLY. We are to look at our lives BEFORE we look at the lives of others. The Pharisees were always judging others, but not themselves. They were fault finders. Jesus went on to say:

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

We are to be careful to judge ourselves first, then others. Our judgments are based on what God has said, not on what we feel. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 89:14 (NKJV) Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.

It is God Who establishes right and wrong, good and evil. As we as Christians follow Jesus, we often quote Him by saying “It is written”. We are to make righteous judgments based upon what God has said. The Scripture commands us to judge ourselves. We judge our walk with God before partaking of the Lord’s Table. The Apostle told the Church:

1 Corinthians 11:28-32 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Salvation is not just a FREE GIFT, it is a STEWARDSHIP from God. We act as good stewards by FOLLOWING JESUS, by doing the Scripture as He did the Scripture.

We who are saved are members of God’s Family.
We who are saved are members of Christ’s Kingdom.
We walk according to His rule.

Judgement Must Begin At The House Of God

1 Peter 4:16-17 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:

Word Study: IF you are suffering because you are a Christian, THEN the Bible tells us to “not be ashamed”. This is the Greek mē aischýnomai, which means “do not be disfigured or dishonored, flooded with shame”. Christians should not be ashamed of being different. We are not of the world, though our Lord has left us in the world. The world and the devil will do all it can to shame us, to try and make us blend with it.

We should not be ashamed of the Gospel.

The Apostle said in Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

“NOT ASHAMED” here is the same Greek word aischýnomai, but strengthened with the addition of the prefix epaischýnomai, which means “to feel shame or be mortified”. The world mocks Christianity because we say that faith in Christ Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation. The world believes there are many ways to God, in fact, that there are many gods and goddesses. Yet there is only One Way, and that way is faith in Jesus! And as Christians we live by our faith. Those who are JUSTIFIED, made right before God, LIVE BY THEIR FAITH.

Those who are made right by God because of their faith in Christ will follow Christ unashamedly!

We should not be ashamed of following Jesus. Christianity is like a life long “follow the Leader”, with Jesus as your Leader. When the demons met Jesus, they cried out:

Mark 3:11 … UNCLEAN SPIRITS on seeing Jesus FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM and cried out, THOU ART THE SON OF GOD …

Luke 4:41 … and DEVILS that came out of many cried out on seeing Jesus, THOU ART CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD…

There are many who profess Christ as Savior and Lord, and yet show less evidence of salvation than the demons did. The Bible says:

James 2:17-20 (NKJV) faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Those who are saved are indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit guides us into following Jesus daily. He guides us into all truth (John 14:26), reminding us of that which Jesus has said. The Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, loves God more than we love ourselves. The Bible says:

Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

We should not be ashamed of being different. When I was growing up, it was expected that we go along with the crowd. Yet Jesus calls us out of the world, out of the crowd.

The World Follows Flesh And Feeling.
The Christian Follows Faith. We Follow Christ.

1 Peter 4:16-17 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 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?

If you are suffering as a Christian, glorify God for it. Jesus said:

John 15:18-20 (NKJV) If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

As Christians, we are to be like Christ, not like the world. We are to be friendly and loving to others, but NOT TO SIN. We are not to blend with the world, but to bind to Jesus. If we are saved, the Holy Spirit will guide us and encourage us to find ourselves in the Word of God. When we sin, the Spirit will convict us to turn from our sin, and to return to Jesus where there is safety and joy.

If we refuse to repent and return to Jesus, then one of two things is true. Either, you were not saved in the first place. Or, you will experience the discipline of God. Peter asks two questions here that are very telling.

1 Peter 4:17 … if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Word Study: Peter asks, “If judgment BEGINS in the House of God, the Church – then what is the END or FINAL DESTINATION of those who refuse to OBEY the GOSPEL?” The day that a person hears the Gospel and OBEYS it, that person is saved by Grace. The words “OBEY NOT” is the Greek “apeithéō”, which means “to refuse to believe in, to be disobedient to”. To be saved you must OBEY the Gospel.

A person is SAVED by OBEYING the Gospel.
A person is NOT SAVED by NOT OBEYING the Gospel.

This is the mark of an unbeliever, a lost person, that they OBEY NOT the Gospel. We are told in another place:

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints …

God will punish all those who harm us one day. God will “take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord”. Those who refuse to OBEY the Gospel will be punished in flaming fire, and will be cast forever from the “presence of the Lord”.

What does it mean “obey the Gospel”? It means to REPENT, and stop being your own god. It means to TURN TO Jesus, and entrust your life to Him. Then you FOLLOW Jesus. You obey Him. Jesus said,

Luke 6:46 (NCV) Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord”, but do not do what I say? …

and again,

John 14:15-18 (NKJV) If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Obeying the Gospel is following Jesus. Obeying the Gospel is repenting, turning to Him, and doing what Jesus says. When Peter went to the Centurion’s home to share the Gospel and he Cornelius was saved, Peter said:

Acts 10:34-36 … In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all

If someone comes to me vand says, “Preacher, I want to be saved. But I want to remain in my sin. I want my salvatiuon to have no impact or change on my life”. To that person I am obligated to say that they cannot be saved unless they REPENT, and TURN from their sin and to Jesus. Jesus is Lord of all. You must realize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and that Jesus is that Savior. You must put down your sin, and turn to Jesus, embracing His salvation. You must follow Jesus.

The Righteous Are Saved With Hard Work

1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Word Study: The righteous are “SCARCELY” saved. What does that mean? The word translated “SCARCELY” is the Greek mólis, which means “with much difficulty, with much work, hard work”. God put a lot of effort in the salvation of this world. Though it was MAN who brought sin into the world, GOD decided that He would intervene and offer salvation to whosoever will. But God could not “wink at” sin.

God in His nature is HOLY and without sin. God is PURE and RIGHTEOUS. The Bible says of God, “You ALONE are Holy” (Revelation 15:4). When Moses sang about God, he said,

Exodus 15:11 Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you– majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

The Angels of Heaven continually sing “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). When the prophet looked into Heaven, he saw the Angels singing “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3).

Man brought sin into the world.
Sin brings separation from God.
Man is born in sin.
Man is born separated from God.

Adam put us all into a hopeless and helpless situation. Yet our God is faithful. Though we be faithless, He is faithful (Isaiah 25:1). So God got to work.

First, God had to show us that WE could not mend the breech our sin brought between us and Him. God gave mankind ANIMAL sacrifices. These sacrifices were TEACHING TOOLS to show us the horror of sin, that sin MUST be paid for. So God allowed us to kill animals, shedding it’s blood to give us a yearly, momentary covering for sin. Yet the Scripture says:

Hebrews 10:4 … It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. So HE CAME INTO THE WORLD.

The sacrifice of animals in a Temple showed us that we could not make sin right. There had to be more. There had to be a Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). God Himself had to come into the world. The “Seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15) had to come. God must lower Himself into our story. He must re-create Himself. God must become Man. This is no light thing. This is difficulty. This is an exteme hardness!

God gave man a means to cover sin temporarily.
He gave animal sacrifices.
God gave man a mark to show he belonged.
He gave circumcision.
These things were just temporary.
Until God did the hard work.

When the Angel came to Mary and told her she would bear “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35), Mary asked “How can this be, as I am a virgin?”. The Angel said, “It will be a work of God … for WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE” (Luke 1:37).

So God became Man. The Impossible became Possible. Jesus Christ is “Emmanuel, God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Heaven gasped, amazed at this thing!

But the hard work wasn’t over. Becoming perfect and sinless Man, Christ walked on this earth for over three years. No sin was found in Him. And the Bible says,

Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) … when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Jesus came, born under the Law of circumcision and animal sacrifice. And Jesus, God’s most precious and only Son, went to the Cross of Calvary to make payment for our sins. God did the hardest thing that any Parent can do. He allowed – no, He ordered His Son to the Cross. Jesus Christ shed His Blood on Calvary, making payment for our sins.

If the righteous are saved through such an impossible and difficult act, the act of Calvary – then what hope do the “ungodly and the sinner” have? None whatsoever. Where shall the “ungodly and the sinner appear”? They shall appear once in eternity before the God Who hates sin. They shall appear in eternity before a Great White Throne, as God in fury looks upon them. Then shall the Scripture be fulfilled:

Revelation 20:15 (NKJV) And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

If you suffer for your faith, dear Christian, realize that your suffering is but temporary. He tells us:

1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

As we suffer for Christ, let us keep DOING WELL, living in love toward God and others. No matter what you are suffering, it is nothing compared to what the lost will one day endure FOREVER. When you suffer, comfort yourselves that Jesus suffered on this earth so that you might be saved. You need to suffer IN your faith, for one day you will be IN Heaven – and your suffering will be gone.

That will not be the case for the unbeliever, for the person who refuses to obey the Gospel. Oh, that all would obey the Gospel today! For Christ’s sake. Amen and Amen.