1 PETER 4: 18-19 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" When you read this verse, do you ask yourself something like, "What? What does it mean "if" the righteous are barely saved? How can that be? I thought Jesus saves the repentant sinner, period. How can we be barely saved?" Answer: It is not that we are "not quite saved or barely saved" as the verse to some may seem to be implying, because we are certainly saved; but it is because of the great danger and difficulties we encounter and go through that we are scarcely saved. Let me expound.
We were by nature children of wrath, dead in trespasses and sins, with no power or wish to turn to God. But through grace we have been led by the Holy Spirit to see our danger and to seek Christ; a change of heart has been wrought in us by the Spirit of God; we have become a new creatures in Christ Jesus and have passed from death unto life. But difficulties are not over. Snares and temptations lie in our path; and our hearts, though renewed by grace, is by no means free from sin. We find the Christian life to be no smooth and easy course—but a race, a strife, a warfare, from first to last; and often has each of us to mourn over his own slip-up's and shortcomings. And we experience trials of another kind too—losses, sorrows, afflictions; for God does not leave His children un-chastised! The chastisements He sends are proofs of love, rather than of anger—and sometimes seem to fall heaviest on the best Christians. I have been chastised on many occasions and by it have understood, learned, and matured further in the spirit changing little by little, from glory to glory, as I become more like Him.
Therefore, it is through danger and difficulty, temptation and trial—that the Christian is saved. Many a rough place must we pass; many a battle must we fight; many a sorrow must we bear—before our course be done. We ARE saved, but "scarcely saved." See? Tried and harassed we may be—but not lost. Worn, tempted, and persecuted—but not cast away. God's love and faithfulness are engaged for our salvation. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and my Father are one" (John 10:27-30).
But now comes a solemn question: If the righteous is scarcely saved—then what will become of the unrighteous? I'm not asking personally, it is the Bible that puts this question about the unrighteous person. The words are these: "If the righteous one is scarcely saved—then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18). They are in fact the words of God, though written by the apostle Peter. They are God's words to you if you are among the ungodly and the sinners—God's solemn question to your soul. A question, but a question without an answer: The answer is left to you.
"The ungodly and the sinner." Why are there two words instead of one? On purpose, it would seem, to take in sinners of all sorts—the hardened transgressor, the man who lives in habitual sin, the bold wicked man—the weak and wavering man, the light and careless, the worldly, the empty professor of faith —all who are living without God in the world, all who are not washed in the blood of Christ and renewed by the Spirit. It is quite plain that the apostle means here all who are not righteous; he puts the righteous on one side, and the ungodly and the sinner on the other side; and on one side or the other, he means to take in everybody. It is just the same as if he had said, "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall all the rest appear?"
Now, ask yourself honestly whether you are among the righteous. The question is not whether you are better or worse than your neighbors; that has nothing to do with it—but are you righteous? Does salvation apply to you? Are you converted? Do you believe with the heart? Are you seeking daily to live to God? If not, then this question about the ungodly and the sinner is for you. Perhaps you do not like either of these words. You do not pretend to be righteous—yet you are not so bad, you think, as those who are called ungodly or sinners.
Then, I ask you, if neither righteous nor ungodly—what are you? Put your finger on that word in the Bible which describes you. You cannot. There is nothing in the Bible between righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, reconciled and unreconciled. And if you are not righteous in God's sight, then before Him—whatever you may be in your own eyes or in the eyes of the world—before Him, you are ungodly or sinful. I urge you—weigh this well. And now to the question itself, "Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" This question must not be taken by itself; it hangs upon what has gone before about the righteous: "If the righteous one is scarcely saved—then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
The full meaning is this. Seeing that even the righteous man is scarcely saved, that his dangers and difficulties are great; that he finds it necessary to "put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11), to "press toward the mark" (Philippians 3:14), to "strive to enter through the narrow gate" (Luke 13:24), and that, though saved to the uttermost by Jesus Christ—yet it is as one is rescued from the water or the flames—seeing all this, what will become of the wicked? Shall the righteous be scarcely saved—and you so easily? Shall he reach Heaven by so rough a road—and you by one so smooth? Shall he go in by the straight gate and the narrow way—and shall you choose the broad gate and the wide road, and yet find it leads you at last to the same happy place? Shall he take up his cross and follow Christ—and shall you follow nothing but your own will, and yet win Christ in the end? Never repenting, never turning, never believing—and yet saved? Finding without seeking; not running the race, and yet winning the prize; wearing a crown, though never having taken up your cross? Impossible! Reason says so—conscience says so, and, as plainly as words can speak, God Himself has said so. Have you never read of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:30), of the sheep and the goats, of the right hand and the left (Matthew 25:33)?
Do you remember what the Bible says about a broad road and a narrow road, a straight gate and a wide gate and about the places to which they lead? Here are Jesus' own words: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). The righteous and the wicked are traveling different roads—and will come to different ends. It is true, they are mixed now, as plants growing in one field are mixed; but it won't always be so. A great separation day is coming, when every plant which God has not planted shall be rooted up (Matthew 25:13); and all refuges of lies shall be swept away (Isaiah 28:17), and the true sheep of Christ from every quarter shall be gathered together into one fold, into which no mere pretender shall ever come. To that great day, this question itself seems to point, "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Appear when? Why, on that very day when the Lord Jesus shall appear in His glory, and the saints who slept shall appear with Him, and His waiting people on earth shall appear with joy to meet Him. Then, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Appear they must, somewhere. They cannot hide themselves. "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him" (Revelation 1:7).
Oh, unbeliever, where will you appear, and how will you feel then? In vain will you call upon the mountains and rocks to fall on you, and hide you "from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!" (Revelation 6:16). You must come forth—you cannot escape from that all-seeing eye—you must meet the Judge. Where will you appear? I leave the question to your conscience. "If the righteous one is scarcely saved—then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Look on to that great day—so sure to come and coming so swiftly! Look to it as if it has already come—imagine yourself even now before the throne; imagine that, just as you are, you are suddenly called to stand there. Where do you appear? What do you feel? Which side are you placed on? What words do you hear? How does it fare with your soul? Can you think of this—and yet continue in sin and still put off coming to Christ? His word cannot fail. Not one true believer shall be lost. "He is also able to save to the uttermost, those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25)—and He will save them with an everlasting salvation.
Turn from sin and the world.
Leave the broad road and begin to walk in the narrow way.
It is a safe way, though narrow—the only safe way; and happy, though rough.
However, it is not always rough; it has many green spots, many pleasant places; and even when rough, One is with us in it, to help and cheer us by His presence.
I urge the undecided, set out on the narrow road without delay! Too much time has been lost already—lose no more. No longer run the risk of appearing among the ungodly and the sinners at His coming—flee to Christ at once; be instant and urgent at the mercy seat; pray for the Holy Spirit, for light, pardon, grace, and strength; you may be reckoned among the righteous even now, and be saved in the day of the Lord! Light is growing dimmer, Time is growing shorter. Jesus is coming to gather His righteous.
Until He Comes,
-Pat-
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