I Peter 4:7 "The end of all things is near". There is no question but that the early Christians expected the end of the world to be in their lifetime. Whether this is what Peter had in mind or not, we cannot know. However, it would be well for all of us to heed his words, for indeed the end of all things is relatively near for all of us. Even the oldest of us lives a very short time in the history of our world. The end is always near. So, even if that is not what Peter meant, it would be well for us to hear his admonitions, because they certainly apply to each of our individual lives.
Here again, Peter emphasizes our responsibility to each other. When he says, "Love one another deeply", and "Love covers a multitude of sins", there are two ways of looking at it. One who loves deeply does not indulge in sin, for all sin is selfishness, and a lover is seldom guilty of that. Also, loving
our fellowman causes us to overlook and forgive many mistakes and other acts, which might otherwise break relationships, cause harsh
judgments, and break up the unity of the body of Christ.
Next, Peter echoes the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 12, when he says, "...each one should use whatever gifts he has to serve others". He is not
talking about miraculous gifts, but the ordinary gifts all of us have, which enable us to make life easier for those around us. A smile, a word of
encouragement, a sympathetic touch, a helpful hand...all these we each possess. Peter says to make our life worthwhile, while it lasts, we should use these gifts to serve others.
When Peter says that when we speak we should do it as the very words of God, he does not mean we should act like we have all truth and everyone should listen. He means we should speak as the loving Father would speak to His children, not as one human judging and critiquing another. My words should never bring glory to me for my wisdom, but instead should credit God with all blessings, and urge others to follow Him to peace and love.
Finally, in this section, Peter deals much with suffering for the cause of Christ. Under Roman persecution, this was a constant problem. In the midst
of his admonitions on this subject, he quotes from the Proverbs: "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" This does not mean that we have to work hard to be saved because of our works. It means that, in this world, where good people are always persecuted in one way or another, it is difficult to maintain your faith in the goodness of God. However, the effort is well worth it, for those who make no effort to serve Him simply have no hope at all.
