If So -- What Then

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1 Peter 4:17-19

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us…

"Scarcely saved" points out the difficulty of salvation. It is no light thing to be saved; omnipotent grace is needed. It is no trifling thing to be lost, but it can be done by neglect.

I. THE FACT. "The righteous scarcely are saved."

1. From the connection we conclude that the righteous are saved with difficulty because of the strictness of Divine rule.

2. From the experience of saints we come to the same conclusion. They find many saving acts to be hard, as, for instance —

(1)  To lay hold on Christ simply, and as sinners.

(2)  To overcome the flesh from day to day.

(3)  To resist the world, with its blandishments, threats, and customs.

(4)  To vanquish Satan and his horrible temptations.

(5)  To perform needful duties in a humble and holy spirit.

(6)  To reach to gracious attainments and to continue in them.

(7)  To pass the tribunal of their own awakened and purified conscience, and to receive a verdict of acquittal there.

3. From the testimony of those who are safely landed (Revelation 7:14).

II. THE INFLUENCE FROM THE FACT. "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

1. If even the true coin is so severely tested, what will become of the "reprobate silver"?

2. If saints scarcely reach heaven, what of the ungodly? What can they do who have no God? What can they do who have no Saviour? What can they do who are without the Spirit of God? What without prayer, the Word, the promise of God, etc.?

3. If saints are so sorely chastened, what will justice mete out to the openly defiant sinner?

III. ANOTHER INFERENCE. Where will the mere professor appear? If the truly godly have a hard fight for it —

1. The formalist will find ceremonies a poor solace.

2. The false professor will be ruined by his hypocrisy.

3. The presumptuous will find his daring pride a poor help.

4. He who trusted to mere orthodoxy of creed will come to a fall

5. Height of office will do no more than increase responsibility.

IV. ANOTHER INFERENCE. Then the tempted soul may be saved. It seems that even those who are truly saints are saved with difficulty; then we may be saved, though we have a hard struggle for it.

V. ANOTHER INFERENCE. How sweet will heaven be! There the difficulties will be ended forever. There the former trials will contribute to the eternal bliss.

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