Scripture to Read: 1 Peter 4:6
Yesterday, we saw that while unbelievers may ridicule us for our faith, they will be held accountable before the throne of God and face His judgment. The truth is we would face this same judgment if we had not surrendered to Christ as Lord of our lives. Now, we will all give an account to God one day (Romans 14:12), but the beauty is that Christ will speak on our behalf (1 John 2:1–2, Romans 3:25, Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 4:10). So, as Christians, our account has been paid by the blood of Jesus Christ. We see that the Gospel has been preached to everyone who has gone before us. God tells us in 1 Peter 4:6 that everyone from the past who believed His Truth, though they died in the flesh, they now live forever with Him in the Spirit. Every human being will experience one death, and that's our death in this fleshly shell. But for every follower of Christ, we will only experience one death, while every lost soul will experience a second death. For every lost soul, this second death is their eternal separation from our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, everyone is born into this world unrighteous, but the unrighteous are the very people God came to save through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, receiving salvation comes through repenting of our sin and trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Jesus Christ is our only hope in both life and death. Therefore, we must share Him with everyone so all may have the opportunity to be in a right relationship with Him.
Challenge & Application
1. How does the hope God shares in 1 Peter 4:6 encourage you as you consider suffering for your faith in Him?
2. Who will you share the Good News of Christ with this coming week?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!