1 Peter 4:18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Peter is apparently quoting from the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 11:31. This is the form of a qal va-homer interpretation: one is true in the one situation is much more true in another situation. If the righteous must develop faith and live in obedience in order to face judgment with confidence, how much more will difficult will judgment day be for the ungodly and sinner? God is a fare judge and knows all that we do and think. God knows our motives. God also knows our weaknesses and humans. Ultimately, what will save us or condemn us is what we do with the message of the gospel and the light we have received. Those who have been given much will be accountable for this. We should not read this verse to mean that it is difficult to be saved or that we have to work hard to be saved. The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is a free gift from God. But also should not be interpreted to mean that we must not strive to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We must give our whole selves into our salvation process. It is not enough just to act on a moment of faith and think that we are secure for eternity. This is one of the weaknesses of Calvinism. It is too easy to forget the need for obedience and endurance through persecution. This also should not be interpreted to mean that we need to live in doubt all the time if we give in to a temptation. That can be a perceived weakness of Arminianism. The truth is more likely in between these: we have assurance of our salvation (a strength of Calvinism) but also realize the need to be obedient in faith (a strength of Arminianism). This verse is also a warning to the ungodly and sinner, that those who persist to live in sin will face more difficulty in finding salvation.
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