Have you ever read a Bible verse and it scared you? Now, I am not speaking about any of the prophetic books where there are many images of frightening strange-looking animals and terrifying judgements. I am referring to the first letter of Peter which was believed to have been written to the persecuted church in five regions of Asia minor, which is now known as modern day Turkey. This was sent to the Christians who were in exile to exhort them to stand firm in their faith in Christ amidst persecution. Peter had encountered many hardships because he followed Jesus, so he understood the “fiery trials” they faced, and he encouraged them to be steadfast and even rejoice as they shared in Christ’s suffering. But, after he wrote all this, then is where the fearful part of the letter comes for me.
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? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 1 Peter 4:17-18
Does this mean that even if I think I am right with God it could still be hard for me to get to Heaven even after all the suffering I have encountered because I have followed Christ? Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states:
The apostle in this passage seems to have had his eye on a verse in Proverbs, Proverbs 11:31, and he has merely expanded and illustrated it: "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." By the question which he employs, he admits that the righteous are saved with difficulty, or that there are perils which jeopard their salvation, and which are of such a kind as to make it very near not to happen. They would indeed be saved, but it would be in such a manner as to show that the circumstances were such as to render it, to human appearances, doubtful and problematical.
I am not sure about you, but it seems a bit alarming to me that a righteous person could have a challenging time being saved. However, this is similar to what Jesus had stated to His followers in the Sermon on the Mount.
“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
I want to be among the few who find this narrow gate and difficult path which leads to life… I have had to stop and take a breath even as I am writing this, and I am remembering that in Isaiah all our righteous acts are described as filthy rags. Being self-righteous and a legalist will not get us any closer to Heaven. On the contrary, it may lead us away from it and God. Being a busy Church worker with our own righteousness could be problematic for us. It is important we examine our hearts to see if we are really on the difficult way. For many of us it is in our nature to want life to be a smooth road. But that is not the life of a true believer of Christ. Suffering loss for Christ is a major part of this journey of faith.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. Philippians 3:8-9
The way to eternal life through Christ is hard and as the Bible tells us the righteous are “barely saved”. Many church leaders may put on a show to attract people to their congregations while offering them a prosperous life. But true believers need to be submitted to Christ, ready to participate in His sufferings and willing to choose the gate that is small and the way that is narrow that leads to life. This path may be difficult, but it is without a doubt worth it.
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