4:18
Peter then quotes from Prov 11:31. When we are forgiven we are not “let off”. The gospel is about ending the rebellion, we need to be forgiven, justified because of all our sins, but we also need to be transformed. God’s purpose is that we become Christlike (Rom 8:29), so He will work in our lives to bring this about and this work will often be painful. If this is true of us, what are the prospects for the unsaved? The notion of a God who will let everyone into heaven, send no one to hell, is completely without foundation in Scripture. Salvation is a much more serious business than that.
4:19
This verse sums up Peter’s instructions on dealing with difficult times. First suffering can be according to God’s will. If we find ourselves in this situation we should commit ourselves to our faithful Creator. God knows exactly what He is doing and we can trust Him. Note also the implication that God is actively involved in creation right now. And the primary way in which we trust Him is by continuing to do good. When going through hard times or persecutions our emotions can be all over the place, so much so that we don’t know if we are trusting God or not. The proof that we actually are trusting Him is if we continue to seek to live in His ways.
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