Amos 3:2
“You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
Hope, faith and love exist. The greatest of these virtues is love. When the culture wants you to hate…love. Peter draws on the Septuagint (ancient Greek Old Testament) version of Proverbs 11:31 to remind his audience of the high cost of following Jesus in a world that condones sinful behavior and reviles the name of Christ. All nations will be judged and it starts with those who claim the holy name of God. Pray for the soul of America. Carla
1 Peter 4:16-19
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now
“If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
19 •Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. (NKJV)
Judgment does not always imply condemnation in Scripture. When used in relation to Christians, it consistently refers to the evaluation of a believer’s works for the purpose of reward (1 Corinthians 3:10–15). The house of God here is not on a building but on believers. Throughout this letter, Peter speaks of those who are not part of God’s eternal family as being disobedient (2:7, 8; 3:1, 20). No one deserves to be saved, and no one is able to be saved by his or her good works (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Since everyone deserves condemnation, the fact that anyone is saved is solely the result of God’s grace.
If God does not hold back judgment from His own people, imagine the end of the enemies of God who have no one to justify them before Him (Psalm 1:4–6; Revelation 20:11–15).
Christians are to entrust their very lives to God, especially in the midst of suffering, always recognizing that He is the faithful Creator who is in control of all things. God never gives us more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13); everything He does always has a good purpose (Romans 8:28). The NKJV Study Bible
The Greek term used here for Christians rarely occurs in the New Testament despite its later popularity as a designation for people who follow Jesus and trust in His saving work (Acts 11:26). Here Peter probably uses the term to affirm believers’ identification with Christ and His sufferings (1 Peter 4:13). The time for the judgment to begin out likely refers to future judgment at Jesus’ return rather than present sufferings. Those who suffer for Christ’s sake can be confident that God’s judgment will validate their hardship. Peter lives in the era between Jesus’ resurrection and return—thus, relatively speaking, the judgment is imminent and has in many ways begun, since the time to choose Jesus is now (2 Peter 3:8).
The household of God evokes the building metaphor from 1 Peter 2:4–5 and refers to the family of believers in Jesus. Peter maintains that God will judge all people impartially, but also stresses that He will begin with His own people. All people will be held accountable for their actions, even though God will grant mercy to those who chose the path of faith in Jesus.
Just as Jesus faced suffering—being mocked, beaten, and crucified—to make the gift of salvation possible, believers must faithfully follow their Lord until the end of their lives or Jesus’ return. This is not because their salvation depends on it—Jesus alone saves them (1 Pet er 1:3–12)—but because others may come to Jesus due to their model of faithfulness.
Those who do not walk the path of faith will experience the full ramifications of their sin when God judges all of humanity. Peter asserts that God desires for Christians in the Roman Empire—including himself and the churches to which he writes—to consider their suffering as a means of becoming more like Christ. They suffer according to God’s will by suffering as Jesus would.
Although they are experiencing overwhelming evil, believers should continue to do good, as a means of honoring God and demonstrating that they trust Him with their entire lives. Faithlife Study Bible
Proverbs 11:31
If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and the sinner.
Jeremiah 25:29
For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the LORD of hosts.’
Luke 23:31
For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”
“There’s the beautiful quote by Dr. King that says the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. Now, there have been many, many days of recent when you could certainly have an argument over that. But I’ve lived long enough to see that in action and to put some faith in it. But I’ve also lived long enough to know, that arc doesn’t bend on its own. It needs all of us leaning on it, nudging it in the right direction, day after day. You’ve gotta keep, keep leaning. I think it’s important to believe in those words, and to carry yourself, and to act accordingly.” Bruce Springsteen
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