21  Spiritual Duty in a Hostile World  (1 Peter 4:7–11)

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (4:7–11)

Beginning in the late 1960s and extending through most of the 1970s, the evangelical church in North America experienced a renewal and expansion by means of the so-called Jesus movement. It featured a renewed interest in Bible study, and, as a result, evangelism and disciple-ship, especially on college and university campuses. New Scripture translations and paraphrases appeared (e.g., The Living Bible, Good News Bible, New International Version), and other modern translations gained greater acceptance (e.g., Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New English Bible). At the same time, evangelical broadcasting, publishing, and music ministries expanded rapidly. Across the continent, many new independent churches appeared and, along with some existing evangelical churches, experienced rapid numerical growth. Some built larger auditoriums and other facilities, and thus to a degree those churches were precursors of today’s megachurches.

However, present-day trends in evangelicalism have departed greatly from those biblically driven days of revival and renewal. The seeker-sensitive philosophy of church growth, with its spirit of inclusivism and de-emphasis on doctrinal clarity and love for the truth, has imbibed the world’s marketing strategy and developed a kind of pop gospel that currently dominates the ecclesiastical landscape. As it continues to eliminate every bit of offensiveness from its communication and thus loses a grip on the true content of the biblical message, the church increasingly exhibits a self-centeredness grounded in secular psychology, pragmatism, and an eagerness to make unbelieving “experts, ” in effect, the most influential church consultants. (For a much broader and more in-depth analysis of these phenomena, see John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, revised and expanded ed. [Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1988, 1994; The Gospel According to the Apostles [Nashville: Word, 1993, 2000]; Why One Way? [Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2002]; and Hard to Believe [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003].)

The pursuit of social and cultural acceptance is a more subtle and insidious threat to the church’s spiritual health than is theological liberalism, which is clearly defined and easier to recognize and confront. Worldly evangelicalism pretends to adhere to the truth yet quietly undermines it. It offers a pop-style musical experience, sentimental emotion, attention to self-defined needs, and practical problem-solving techniques (often derived from market surveys) instead of scriptural answers regarding law, sin, forgiveness, and righteousness.

The contemporary church urgently needs spiritual revival, and that will occur only when believers get beyond personal desires and long to think, speak, and live in the ways Scripture outlines. When they do, the church will be more than a crowd; it will become spiritually powerful before a hostile world. To that end, the apostle Peter in this passage instructs Christians concerning three very basic aspects of our duty: the incentive to our spiritual duty, the instructions for our duty, and the intention of our duty.

THE INCENTIVE TO OUR SPIRITUAL DUTY

The end of all things is near; (4:7a)

The word rendered end (telos) does not necessarily indicate cessation, termination, or chronological conclusion. Rather here it means “consummation, ” “fulfillment, ” “a purpose attained, ” or “a goal achieved.” In this context, it refers to Christ’s second coming. The end in view here is not the consummation of persecution for Peter’s readers. Neither did the apostle have in mind an imminent change in government that would result in more benevolent treatment for believers. His reference to the fulfillment of all things indicates he is speaking of the Lord’s return (cf. Acts 3:21; Col. 3:4; 2 Thess. 1:10; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Heb. 9:28; Rev. 20:11–13).

The verb translated is near (ēggiken) means “approaching.” The perfect tense indicates a consummated process with a resulting nearness—the event (Christ’s return) is imminent; it could occur at any moment (cf. Matt. 24:37–39; Rom. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:2; Rev. 16:15; 22:20). Therefore believers are to live with an ongoing attitude of anticipation or expectancy, as a mark of faithfulness. That Peter lived with a sense of this imminence is shown as earlier in this epistle he encouraged his readers that they were protected by God’s power “for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5)—“at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:7; cf. 1:13; 2:12). Numerous other New Testament references also stress the importance of believers’ anticipating the Lord’s imminent return (Mark 13:35–37; Luke 12:40; 21:36; 1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Tim. 6:14; Titus 2:13; James 5:7–9).

The Jews who lived during Christ’s earthly ministry witnessed the end of the Old Covenant and the inauguration of the New Covenant. The entire Old Testament system of ceremonies, rituals, sacrifices, priests, and offerings terminated with the tearing in two of the temple veil and the opening of the Holy of Holies to everyone (Matt. 27:51; John 19:30; Heb. 10:14–22). In A.D. 70 God punctuated that transition by sending judgment by means of the Roman army under Titus, its general, to destroy Jerusalem and the temple. That fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy to the apostles, “Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down’” (Matt. 24:1–2).

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning the split-second suddenness of the rapture of the church, the first event in the sequence leading to Christ’s return and earthly rule:

At that event God will clothe every Christian in immortality (cf. 5:4; Phil. 3:21; 2 Tim. 4:8) within the fraction of a second it takes light to refract off an eye’s pupil. That event is both sudden and a mystery, which indicates He has not yet revealed all its details, including the time.

Concerning the rapture, Paul instructed the Thessalonians,

“We” indicates the apostle believed Christ’s return could happen in his lifetime. Today’s church should live with far greater expectancy (cf. James 5:7–8).

The author of Hebrews exhorted his readers to keep meeting together and encouraging one another because the day of Christ’s return was “drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). Nearly 2, 000 years have elapsed since then, and His return is obviously nearer. Therefore it is even more urgent today that believers not neglect meeting to edify and comfort one another with divine truth (cf. Acts 2:42; Rom. 15:5–7; Heb. 3:13; 10:24–25; 12:26–28).

The apostle John, as he neared the end of his life, was firmly convinced that the return of Christ, with all its attendant events and phenomena, divinely revealed to him in the visions of revelation, could occur very soon. Under the Spirit’s inspiration, he testified to that truth and to the blessing of Christians’ living in daily anticipation of it (cf. Rev. 1:3; 22:20).

Just prior to His ascension, Jesus told the apostles, “It is not for you to know times or epochs [concerning the establishment of His earthly kingdom] which the Father has fixed by His own authority” (Acts 1:7; cf. Matt. 24:36). Even though God wants believers to focus on the hope of Christ’s return, He has chosen not to reveal its exact time. If they knew the specific date of the Lord’s return was far off, believers could lose motivation and become complacent or, if they knew it was near, engage in frenzied, panicked activity as the day approached. Imminence eliminates both extremes so all Christians throughout the history of the church can live with biblically balanced expectancy.

Living with the realization that the first feature of the Lord’s return, the rapture of the church, is near, energizes believers for holy living. John wrote,

Realizing also that when He returns He will come to judge the ungodly (4:5; cf. 2 Thess. 1:6–9) prompts saints to evangelism, as Paul indicated: “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences” (2 Cor. 5:11).

The early church was already in the last days (1 John 2:18), which had begun with Christ’s first coming (Heb. 1:1–2). Paul described to Timothy in detail the spiritual atmosphere of his times, so he would know what to expect as he labored in the church:

The author of the letter to the Hebrews provided further commentary on the full significance of Christ and the last days:

The Lord’s first coming provided salvation through His death at Calvary. Through Christ’s atoning work, God redeemed believers from the kingdom of darkness, forgave their sins, and placed them into the kingdom of His Son (Col. 1:13–14; cf. Ps. 103:12; Matt. 26:28; Acts 26:18; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:19; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Col. 2:13; Heb. 9:14; 1 John 1:7). Christ came to demonstrate His authority, proclaim His kingdom, and defeat sin and death (cf. Ps. 45:6; Isa. 9:7; Jer. 23:5; Matt. 12:28; 18:3; Mark 1:15; Luke 10:9, 11; 11:20; 17:21; John 18:36; Rom. 14:17; Heb. 1:8; 12:28). The church is now in the final days of that spiritual and inward kingdom. His return and judgment will culminate in His establishing His thousand-year earthly kingdom (cf. Isa. 65:17–25; Ezek. 37:24–25; Hos. 3:5; Zech. 14:16–21; Rev. 20:1–6) prior to the eternal new heavens and new earth where the righteous will forever dwell (cf. Matt. 25:34; John 14:2; Heb. 12:22–24, 28; 2 Peter 1:11; 3:13; Rev. 3:21; 7:16–17; 21:1–4; 22:3–4).

Other New Testament texts support Peter’s exhortation here that believers ought to live holy lives, expecting the imminent return of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7; 16:22; 2 Peter 3:11–13; 1 John 2:28). Scripture, however, does not call for overzealous eschatological extremism (e.g., date-setting, undue preoccupation with or fascination about unrevealed details, unwise speculation about the relationship of current events to last things, or dropping out from society or shirking responsibility while passively waiting for His return). Jesus taught,

When He comes back, Christ will serve those who have patiently anticipated that day. But He also warned believers to be alert and prepared for that event (Matt. 24:42–44), because they do not know the precise hour or date of His appearance (cf. 2 Peter 3:10).

The apostle Paul asserted that the characteristic of every true Christian is a desire to please the Lord: “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:9–10). Christians will stand before Christ at that judgment to give an account for their lives. He will not judge them for their sins because His sacrifice on the cross has already cleansed those away. At that judgment the Lord will reward all believers for works that were good, assessing their effectiveness, dedication, devotion, and usefulness in serving Him (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10–15; 4:1–5). A realization of that future reality ought to instill within every believer a desire for constant purity (2 Peter 3:14, 18), as it did for the apostles Paul (Phil. 3:14; 2 Tim. 4:7–8) and John (1 John 3:2–3).

THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR DUTY

therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; (4:7b–11a)

All those demanding commands make it clear that anyone who would truly receive Jesus Christ must first count the high cost of doing so. Following Jesus demands total self-denial and eager submission to His lordship, even if obedience means death. “He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23; for more on the cost of disciple-ship, see John MacArthur, Hard to Believe [Nashville: Nelson, 2003]). When evangelizing others, believers need also to encourage them to consider the cost (Matt. 19:21; Luke 9:59–62; 14:26–33; cf. Matt. 13:44–46). However, even though the gospel message is a call to submit to Him, it is a gracious invitation. Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:29, 30). Discipleship is costly and eternally joyous, but the cost of rejection is infinitely greater and eternally horrific (cf. Ps. 9:17; Prov. 13:15; Isa. 33:14; Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 25:41; Luke 16:23). A life without Christ sooner or later entails crushing guilt, hopeless disappointment, unsolvable problems, and after all that, eternal condemnation. So discipleship is a paradox in that following the Lord is costly but easy (cf. Matt. 11:28–30; 1 John 5:3)—and demanding but rewarding (cf. Rom. 2:7; 8:17–18; Heb. 4:9; 10:35; James 1:12; Rev. 2:10; 3:21; 21:7).

God not only calls disciples to obey His commands, but by the Holy Spirit’s power, working graciously through Scripture, He enables them to fulfill those commands (Eph. 5:15–21; Phil. 4:13; Col. 3:16–17; cf. 2 Tim. 1:7–8). Because the postmodern world is so complex, contemporary Christianity often erroneously assumes that solutions to believers’ problems and difficulties are also complex. But the basic principles of the Christian life are simple and direct, since God has chosen humble, common people to know His purpose and will (1 Cor. 1:27–28). And because of regeneration, believers long to obey God and be more conformed to the image of Christ (Phil. 3:7–14). Sin does limit their ability to do what is right (Rom. 7:19), but all genuine Christians hate sin and love righteousness (vv. 22–25). The key to handling trials and temptations is developing daily spiritual discipline (cf. Luke 6:40; 16:10–12; 1 Cor. 4:2; 2 Tim. 2:2), which includes cultivating the necessary spiritual disciplines that produce growing faith and courage (cf. Ps. 31:24; 1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:16; Col. 1:23; Heb. 11:1–2; 1 John 5:4–5).

This section contains three basic elements saints need to build godly lives and stand strong and effective in witness to the world: personal holiness, which concerns their relationship to God; mutual love, which concerns their relationship with each other; and spiritual service, which concerns their responsibility to the church.

CONCERNING PERSONAL HOLINESS

therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. (4:7b)

It is axiomatic that godly thinking is at the heart of communion with God, since the more one knows a person’s mind, the richer the relationship will be (Rom. 12:1–2; Eph. 4:23–24; Phil. 4:8). The word rendered be of sound judgment derives from a term that literally means, “be in one’s right mind” (sōphroneō)—to be under control and not be carried away by an errant view of oneself (Rom. 12:3; cf. Prov. 23:7), or undue emotion, or uncontrolled passion. Mark used it to describe the maniac Jesus freed from the legion of demons (Mark 5:15). The verb also refers to guarding the mind (cf. Prov. 4:23) and keeping it lucid. The Christian mind must be clearly fixed on spiritual priorities and righteous living (Josh. 1:8; Matt. 6:33; Col. 3:2, 16; Titus 2:11–12)—objectives that a self-indulgent, deceptive world, heavily influenced by Satan, constantly seeks to distract from, deflect, and destroy (cf. 1 John 2:15–16). When believers’ minds are subject to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5) and His Word (Pss. 1:2; 19:7, 10; 119:97, 103, 105; cf. 2 Tim. 3:15–17) they see matters from an eternal perspective.

Holy living also requires spiritual alertness. Sober spirit (nēphō), closely related in meaning to sound judgment, denotes being spiritually observant. Jesus expressed a similar sentiment when He warned the apostles to “be on the alert” (Matt. 24:42) and to “keep watching” (26:41).

Godly thinking and spiritual alertness are crucial for the purpose of prayer. Prayer is the access to all spiritual resources, but believers cannot pray properly if their minds are unstable due to worldly pursuits, ignorance of divine truth, or indifference to divine purposes (cf. 1 Cor. 14:15; Heb. 10:22; 1 John 5:14–15). Saints who seriously study Scripture and discover its profound truths about God experience rich communion with Him (Ps. 42:1; John 14:23; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3), understanding what Paul called “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16; cf. Isa. 40:13; 2 Tim. 1:7). This essential element in one’s relationship to God is illustrated by the Spirit’s relationship to the Father. Paul wrote, “He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:27). Because the Holy Spirit and the Father know each other’s minds perfectly, there is perfect agreement in the Spirit’s intercession.

Holy living comes when believers read and meditate on God’s Word daily so as to know the thoughts of God and commune with Him according to His will. Jude calls this “praying in the Holy Spirit” (v. 20).

CONCERNING MUTUAL LOVE

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. (4:8–9)

Mutual love primarily concerns believers’ relationships with each other. Above all refers to the supreme importance of that virtue in the Christian life (cf. 1 Cor. 13:13; Phil. 2:2; Col. 3:14), and the participle rendered keep collects “sound judgment” and “sober spirit for the purpose of prayer” under the priority of fervent … love for one another. Fervent (ektenēs) denotes stretching or straining and pictures a person running with taut muscles, exerting maximum effort. Ancient Greek literature used the word to describe a horse stretching out and running at full speed. Earlier in this letter (1:22), Peter also used its related adverb to describe the intensity and exertion that ought to characterize Christian love. Such love is sacrificial, not sentimental, and requires a stretching of believers’ every spiritual muscle to love in spite of insult, injury, and misunderstanding from others (Prov. 10:12; Matt. 5:44; Mark 12:33; Rom. 12:14, 20; 1 John 4:11; cf. Rom. 12:15; Gal. 6:10; Eph. 5:2; James 1:27).

It is self-evident that genuine love inherently tends to forgive the offenses of others (cf. Prov. 10:12). But commentators differ on how to interpret the expression love covers a multitude of sins. Some say it refers to God’s love covering sins, whereas others say it describes believers who are lovingly overlooking each other’s transgressions. Since the text offers no explanation, it seems best to understand the phrase here as a general axiom. Whether from God or man, love covers sin.

Love derives from the well-known Greek word agapē (cf. 1:8, 22; 2:17; 3:10), which carries a strong volitional significance. Salvation results from the Lord’s choosing to love all those who believe: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8; cf. John 3:16; 1 John 4:19). Christians must follow His example, choosing to love even the unlovely, because “the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:40) hinges on doing so (vv. 37–39), as does their witness (John 13:34–35). The command to be hospitable (literally, “to love strangers”) takes that love beyond the circle of Christians’ friends to other believers they do not even know (cf. Heb. 13:2).

According to the Mosaic law, the Jews were to extend hospitality to strangers (Ex. 22:21; Deut. 14:29; cf. Gen. 18:1–2). Jesus commended believers who provided food, clothing, and shelter to others (Matt. 25:35–40; cf. Luke 14:12–14). However, the spirit of hospitality extends beyond the tangible acts of providing meals or a place to stay. It includes not just the act, but an unselfish attitude, so that what is done, no matter the sacrifice, is done without complaint. Biblical hospitality knows nothing of the “Poor Richard’s Almanac” mentality that says fish and guests smell after three days.

Because believers still sin (Rom. 7:18–19; 1 John 1:8; cf. 1 Tim. 1:15), the only thing that will preserve the church’s unity is love that forgives and reaches out in kindness to strangers. Love also plays a foundational role in the evangelization of the unsaved. Jesus told the apostles, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

CONCERNING SPIRITUAL SERVICE

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; (4:10–11a)

Every Christian has received a special gift (spiritual gift), a divine enablement for ministry to the body. Paul wrote, “To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…. One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:7, 11). As each part of the human body has a particular function, so does each member of the body of Christ (cf. 12:14).

The categories from which the Lord draws the components for each believer’s gift are given in two Pauline passages:

(For complete commentary on these two spiritual gifts passages, see John MacArthur, Romans 9–16, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 1994], 153–78, and MacArthur, 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 1984], 289–307.)

Each believer’s spiritual giftedness is unique, as if each were a spiritual snowflake or fingerprint. It is as if God dips His paint brush into different colors, or categories of gifts, on His spiritual palette and paints each Christian a unique blend of colors. Not only does God grant spiritual gifts and arrange them in different ways (Eph. 4:7), but He also gives believers the necessary faith to exercise them, as He did Paul (cf. Rom. 12:3). Paul summarizes the power of their operation as follows: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons” (1 Cor. 12:4–6).

Because the Holy Spirit sovereignly superintends the distribution of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:11), believers cannot earn, pray for, or in any manner generate them (cf. Acts 8:20). The term rendered “gift” in Eph-esians 4:7 (dōrea) emphasizes the freeness of His grace and gifts, whereas charisma (gift) highlights the gracious aspect of what God has done. In the New Testament, that word refers both to spiritual gifts and salvation (e.g., Rom. 1:11; 6:23; 1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6).

When believers employ their gifts in serving one another, they minister in a fashion that mutually benefits the church (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7). Conversely, nonuse of gifts or wrongly depreciating some gifts (and perhaps also those who possess them) adversely affects Christ’s Body:

The highly visible, up-front gifts (e.g., preaching, teaching, evangelism) are not necessarily the most valuable in every instance. God views all believers’ gifts as edifying and their exercise essential to the well-being of the body of Christ. Good stewards are those who manage their spiritual gifts wisely and use them obediently (cf. 1 Cor. 4:2; Titus 1:7). Peter’s readers were familiar with stewards who handled an owner’s land, funds, supplies of food, and other resources. The apostle’s analogy was obvious, and not using one’s gifts weakens the local church because others cannot replace the unique giftedness of those who are not ministering.

The variety of spiritual gifts is expressed in the word manifold, which literally means “many colored” or “multi-faceted.” Two believers may have the gift of teaching, but each will demonstrate it with a unique blend of grace and faith. That provides for edifying and useful spiritual diversity within the church. One leader’s preaching may emphasize the showing of mercy and gentleness, whereas another’s may emphasize the discerning of truth, and another’s the wisdom in its application.

Since spiritual gifts result from the grace of God, the church cannot devise some human scheme for passing them out. Many Christians may not be able to neatly categorize their own gift because of its uniqueness, but they can be available to the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:26; Rom. 14:17; 15:13; 1 Cor. 2:10, 12–13; 2 Tim. 1:14) and observe how He motivates and uses them in ministry.

The two broad categories of spiritual gifts are speaking gifts or serving gifts. Whoever speaks will minister through categories of preaching and teaching, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. Whoever serves will minister through areas such as administration, prayer, mercy, or helps. And those who speak must communicate not human opinion but the utterances of God, as revealed only in Scripture (cf. Acts 7:38; Rom. 3:2). Similarly, any serving gift is to be exercised, not by human power, but by the strength which God supplies (cf. Phil. 4:13), that is, in dependence on the Holy Spirit.

THE INTENTION OF OUR DUTY

so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (4:11b)

As is the goal of everything for believers, the purpose of their fulfilling the obligations of Christian duty in the midst of a hostile world is that God may be glorified. These final clauses of the passage constitute a doxology—an expression of praise and glory to God (cf. Rom. 11:36; 16:27; Eph. 3:20–21; 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 25), which Christians can correctly utter only through Jesus Christ. In all things refers to all matters of Christian responsibility.

Commentators have long discussed whether to whom refers to God or Jesus Christ. It is best to view the designation as a blessed and inspired ambiguity—the glory and dominion belong to both God in Christ and Christ in God, forever and ever (cf. Pss. 104:31; 113:4; 138:5; Hab. 2:14; Matt. 17:2; John 1:14; 10:30; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3; 2 Peter 1:16–18).

Believers should want to glorify God in all they think, say, and do. The apostle Paul said, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). They will more readily obey Paul’s exhortation if they are motivated by the certainty and nearness of the Second Coming, resulting in personal holiness, mutual love, and spiritual service within the church.

Peter closed this passage with the familiar amen, a term of affirmation that means “so let it be.”

J. C. Ryle’s observations on holy living still apply to all believers living in a world hostile to Christianity: