1 Peter 4:18

"If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

Prov 11:31

Salvation is a much bigger reality than the church often give it credit as being: salvation very often means salvation during this life that extends into the life hereafter. However, in this case Peter is pretty clearly thinking in the after this life sense. He is referring to the Judgment. One day every man, woman, and child will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and be separated; even our words will condemn us (Matt 12:37).

Peter is looking toward that day and he is concerned to speak to the suffering Christians in his care regarding those sufferings in light of the Judgment to come. The righteous person is one who stands in a right relationship to God: these are those who ultimately will be saved. The ungodly and the sinner are those who do not stand in a right relationship with God and ultimately will not be saved following the Judgment. And Peter is picturing the Christians who have been declared or credited with righteousness and looking at them seeing how little they deserve this salvation (which of course is not at all!) and saying , 'Whoa! I can't believe that guy is getting saved! He made it by the skin of his teeth!' And of course, Peter is right: that guy is only saved by the alien righteousness that belongs to another and is given to him as a gift. The ungodly and sinner doesn't even have any teeth to make it by.

So, how does this relate to the salvation Peter is talking about? Those Christians are suffering. Those Christians are having pain. That pain and suffering are coming about from God through the unbelievers who are persecuting them (or else because of their own sin). This is a purifying judgment so that when they stand in the last day they will not face the judgment the unbelievers will. Instead they will be pure and holy and glorifying to God: because He has made us so.

Father, thank You for fire now, so I won't face the Fire later.
Son, thank You for taking the fire for me, so I won't face the Fire later.
Spirit, thank You for being fire now, so that I won't face the Fire later.

What fires are you facing now? What do you think God is purifying you from?

Facing fire together,
Pastor Greg