… and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
Summary: Today Peter finishes his thought about judgment with a reference to obedience. How are obedience and faith related?
This passage is so deep that it feels like we need a submarine to explore it. Peter begins this verse talking about the “time for judgment.” He ends it with an implied admonition to “obey the gospel.” These two phrases about judgment and obedience capture my attention and hold it.
What does Peter mean when he writes, “obey the gospel?” I thought all I had to do was to believe? Is there more?
Let’s go back to the very beginning of Peter’s letter. He writes, “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ …” (1 Peter 1:1(b)-2(a))
In verse 22 Peter writes, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth…”
In chapter 2, verse 8, Peter writes that the people who stumble, “stumble because they disobey the message…”
Peter’s words echo the letter written by Jesus’ brother, James. He writes, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2: 18(b))
How are we to understand this?
Suppose that I offer to sell you a car for one dollar. That sounds like a pretty good deal, right? Now suppose you ask to see your “new car,” and I show you this:
Not much of a car, is it? No engine, no seats, no glass, no nothing. It was a car at one time, but is it a car now? Not so much.
Now don’t get me wrong! I am not selling works righteousness. As I said earlier, this is a deep subject. When Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, he says:
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” (John 3: 14-15)
I believe that Jesus is looking to save every soul he can and that he needs very little excuse to do that. However, he is God. He does deserve to be obeyed. I believe that obedience is needed for faith to be active and effective. He wants us to have that “new car” faith, but the price is obedience, not dollars.
Application: If God has put something on your heart to do, obey.
Food for Thought: What does the ”gospel of God” mean to you?
Wouldn’t the gospel of God be the Word of God? As you stated so many times in this blog how the bible is Gods word exactly how He would want it.
Good point Tim. We need to obey what the word of God reveals about Jesus. In fact, Jesus is God. There is little distinction between the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ. Since Jesus is the word of God (John 1: 1), and the way, truth and life (John 14: 6), He is connected to the gospel like the sun is connected to daylight. The gospel is Christ and Christ is the gospel. We need to trust in Christ as opposed to our own righteousness as that is what God calls us to do. Those who disobey the gospel of God are denying Jesus.
Thank you, Rich.
I appreciate you expanding on Tim’s excellent comment. The Bible is a bit like one of those nested Russian doll sets. You open one doll and there is another inside, and then another and another. The Gospel of God is most certainly the Word of God. Yet as we drill down into the Word we find the Gospel again and again. Pretty cool!
My Bible dictionary defines “gospel” as good news; good tidings, which would mean to me the good news from God, “salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.”
To receive this Gift of salvation requires an act of repentance on our part. An act of turning to God, from sin, opening the door for Christ to come into our hearts. The thief on the cross and Ephesians 2:8-9 show us salvation is based on God’s grace and that we respond by faith: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
The “gospel” good news from God is also His entire word, the “Bible” which reveals the life we must lead to maintain a relationship with our God, allowing Christ to grow in us as we minister to the world around us. I understand this to be called the process of sanctification or a continued life of repentance as we grow in Christ.
Acts 26:20 reveals, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.”
God is fully aware of every thought and imagination of our hearts, He knows every single act of our lives and the depth of our sins. If He were to open the flood gates of all sin locked away in our hearts some of us would face an unattainable task and collapse in fear. So rather than overwhelm us, God reveals what He has always known to each of us piece by piece in the priority He determines for the ministry He has always had in mind for us. This “gospel of God” will take us on a lifelong journey which will bring us closer to God with each step we take.
So far the path has been far from boring.
Ron,
Well said! I appreciate you mentioning the thief on the cross. His situation illustrates both our need and our Lord’s generosity.
👍🏻
Thank you so much all of you. Thank you for bringing my mind to the scriptures and verses of The Word. I’m not at the years of dedication to God as you guys, but you all are such an encouragement of how much of a faithful servant I can become. You all are following Jesus by leading as an example.