PETER 4:18, 1st, C. H. Cayce “And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” The question has been asked, “Who is the [pg 167] ungodly man?” Perhaps it would be better to read also the 17th verse, which says, “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?” Verse 18, “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
“The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” This judgment has to do with the house of God. The alien or unregenerated sinner is not embraced in this language at all. It is the regenerate character that this language embraces. The apostle is talking about the Lord’s children. In verse 15 he says, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” The Lord’s children should not live in such a way as to “suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” They should not be busybodies; they should each engage in their own calling, doing what the Lord requires of them, and not meddle with the affairs of others. They should not be evil-doers. They should endeavor to do right at all times and under all circumstances.
Doing right will not bring confusion and division in the church of God, where the judgment begins. The judgment is in the house of God, and that one who brings trouble in the church by wrong living or by introducing new means and measures, is necessarily judged as an evil-doer, or as a busybody. He cannot escape such judgment— he cannot be saved from it.
“Them that obey not the gospel of God,” we think, are the Lord’s children who hear the gospel, or understand it, but do not obey it. There are commandments, admonitions and exhortations in the gospel, which are all to the Lord’s children, to those who have been born of God; but all the Lord’s children do not obey those commandments and admonitions, nor heed the exhortations. Hence the Lord says, “If His children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.” The “end of them that obey not the gospel of God” will be in suffering the chastening rod for their disobedience. “For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me. I [pg 168] n will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.”— Heb 10:26-30.
The Lord judges His people, and punishes them for their disobedience. The one who does not according to his Master’s will, yet knows His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. When we disobey our blessed Saviour, our punishment is sometimes very sore We render ourselves worthy of sore punishment, indeed, by refusing to obey our blessed Saviour, who has done so much for us.
“If the righteous scarcely be saved.” If those who live right, who endeavor to obey our blessed Master, “scarcely be saved”— scarcely escape the chastening of the Lord, scarcely escape sore punishment, “what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” And “if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” The grace of God in the heart teaches us that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. If we do not live as His grace teaches us, we live ungodly lives, our lives are not then God-like. We suffer for our wrong doing in consequence. The Primitive Baptist, March 12, 1907.