by Rev. A. B. Ndebele
(This sermon was preached by the Rev. A. B. Ndebele at Ingwenya on Thursday, 14th December 1978, at the Prayer Meeting).
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? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:17, 18)
In the words before us, the Apostle Peter brings to our notice two points which I would like to deal with, as the Lord may help us by His Spirit.
1. The fact that God is to judge his creatures beginning at His own House.
2. The questions that arise from so thorough a judgment, by so great a judge.
That God is to judge mankind by that Man Whom He has raised up to be a Prince and a Saviour, is taught in the Scriptures. In as much as in the commercial world, the foot-rule, the weighing scale, the gallon, are used to determine the measure required, so in the spiritual world it is the Word of God that is the measure of man’s character, and spiritual state before God. Man either stands or falls by the Word of God, that is, the Bible.
In the message before us Peter says: (1) that the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God; (2) that the righteous are scarcely saved.
By the House of God we may understand this to be in reference to those men, women and children who no longer live the rest of their time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. It is true that in time past they wrought the will of the Gentiles when they walked in lasciviousness, lust, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings and abominable idolatries. But believers have been washed, have been sanctified, have been justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Among the believers, which people form the House of God, we find Abraham, the father of the Faithful. We have Isaac, the son of Promise, also Jacob, Joseph, David, Job, and among the New Testament saints we find Peter, Philip, Paul, Barnabas, Mary and Martha.
According to the words of our text, even the household of God must be brought under the scrutiny of His Word. When their deeds are thoroughly examined in the light of the strict justice of God, everyone of them fails to reach the standard. Abraham has his faults, one of which is his taking Sarah’s maid as his wife, which brought trouble to his home. Ishmael is born, not of promise, and when Isaac, the son of promise, is born there arises endless strife and enmity between the two families. This went on until it was said, “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.”
We have a long history of holy men of God who were laden with sin and iniquity. King David, a man after God’s own heart, is found shamefully fallen with Bathsheba; Jacob, whom God loved while he hated Esau, is found guilty of dishonesty when he cheated his father Isaac to obtain a blessing. Job, a man that has no equal in his day as a servant of God, is found cursing the day of his birth.
Coming to the New Testament believers, we meet the disciples who at the call, “Follow Me,” left all and followed the Lamb of God whithersoever he went. Yet Peter denies Him, Judas sells Him for thirty pieces of silver, while the rest forsake Him and flee. Martha, who loved the Lord with all her heart, is found complaining of her service. Mary who sat at the feet of the Lord to learn of Him, and is meek and lowly of heart is heard complaining, “They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid Him.” Mary should have remembered the words of the Lord Jesus that He would arise from the grave in three days.
Yes, my friends, after examining the lives of the holy men and women who make up the House of God, we must come to the conclusion that they could not make Heaven of it, by the deeds of the Law. Not one of them could have been saved by the merits of their own works. They were all saved by the grace of God. Surely it was of God’s mercy that they were not consumed with the sinful world around them.
The stains in the lives of the Old Testament and New Testament saints prove positively that they were all scarcely saved. Yes, every one of them was as a brand plucked from the burning. They all escaped by the skin of their teeth. Moreover, all the believers that have followed the New Testament saints will sincerely join the Apostle Paul in testifying, “Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
Those are righteous who come to trust in the finished work of the Cross of Calvary. They are clothed in the righteousness of Christ the Lord, and they all have come to pray, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” They know themselves to be truly sinful, and that their own righteousnesses are but filthy rags. Therefore, they prefer and appreciate salvation by the grace of God. Yes, they are scarcely saved, rescued by the Hand of God.
- The questions which arise from so great a cloud of witnesses surely must be: “If judgment begins in the House of God 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?” Those who obey not the Gospel defy the calls to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They give a deaf ear to the Gospel which invites sinners to believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
But Gospel rejectors laugh to scorn the faithful saying and despise the only method whereby they could be saved from sin and death. The question is, What will their end be? How shall they appear before the holy and just Judge of the whole earth? He who takes notice of sin in the life, thoughts, and words of His saints, He who found fault with His servant Moses who led His people from Egypt across the Red Sea, through the wilderness, but could not enter the Promised Land. What shall be done with sinners guilty of the most abominable wickednesses? Oh! What will happen to drunkards, harlots, liars, thieves, and all those who forget God?
- By way of application, and coming closer to yourself — and myself with you — poor sinner, have you ever prayed for the salvation of your immortal soul? If God judges His House, and if the righteous scarcely be saved, what will happen to you? What do you think yourself? If some men and women who are your neighbours worship God daily, and you hear them crying, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and you have never thought about these things, what will happen to you? When you go to your beer-drinks, they do not go with you. When you worship the spirits of your ancestors, they do not accompany you. How will you stand before a Holy and just God?
We may go on to say that if the men we were speaking about, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter and Paul were scarcely saved how shall you yourself fare? You know how wicked your deeds are. How can you escape who neglect so great salvation? My friend, begin today. Yes, begin just now to think about your soul, your sins, your God, and seek the Lord Jesus who says, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool.” “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord.” Do come to Him now, friend. The matter is solemn and urgent. May He add a blessing to His Word.