1 Peter 4:7-9 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray. 8Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Show hospitality to one another without complaining.”

Near to The End

Now, this was written a very long time ago, not long after Jesus’ death and resurrection. And the end of all things was near even then. So what did Peter mean by that? Perhaps he was saying these were now the last days, which they were and still are, before the return of Christ. And if you read the old commentators, they will vary in opinion on this subject. But does it really matter who is right and who is wrong? Not really. The point is that we will not live forever, and one day Jesus is coming back, and we need to be ready.

Getting Ourselves Ready

So, how do we get ready? Some people are fully focused on getting ready for some kind of natural (or unnatural) disaster yet to take place, and so they are encouraging everyone to have canned foods, water, and other physical necessities. Is this a good idea? Sure! But is that what this is talking about? No! This is about being prepared spiritually for Jesus’ return. We need to be living for our Lord in walks of obedience to His commands in holy living. Sin must no longer be our practice. We should obey God, instead.

People of Sound Judgment

We, as children of God, are to be those who have renounced ungodliness and worldly passions, who are now living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. We are to be sensible people, people of sound judgment who make good and godly choices and who no longer follow after the patterns of this sinful world. Our thinking and our reasoning should be under the control of God and not of the flesh. So we should be walking in the ways of righteousness and no longer as slaves to sin.

Show Hospitality

We who are following Jesus Christ with our lives are to be hospitable people who invite others into our homes for a meal or just for a friendly visit or for a time of Bible study together, and the like. We are to be kind, thoughtful, and generous people who are sensitive to the needs of others and who reach out to help meet those genuine needs where we are able to do so, as led by the Holy Spirit. We are to be good neighbors who care about others and who represent Jesus Christ well in all that we are and do and say, for the glory and praise of God, and for the salvation of human souls. Be Jesus to others.

Love One Another

The word translated here as “love” is “agapé,” which is a love centered in moral preference. For it means to prefer. And in this context it means to prefer to love, and it means to prefer what God prefers which is all that is righteous, just, morally pure, upright, godly, faithful, honest, and obedient to God and to His New Covenant commands. This love comes from God and is not of human flesh, so we are to love others like God loves us. So we prefer to live like Christ in doing God’s will and in loving even the unloving.

Love Covers Over Sin

When others sin against us, we do not “trade tit for tat,” i.e. we do not get even with them by sinning against them. We forgive them. But we do not ignore the sin. We do not cater to the sin. We do not tolerate the sin. And we do not pacify people in their sins who are deliberately and habitually sinning against the Lord. The Scriptures teach that we are to call out sin for what it is, call people to repentance, and call them to obedience to God and to His commands. And we are to warn of the consequences of habitual sin.

The Gospel

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to Him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) Him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to His commands, in His power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Nearing The End
An Original Work / October 31, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Devotion, as Written, recorded on YouTube

Arise and Shine

Based off Isaiah 60
An Original Work / March 6, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Arise and shine; your Lord has come.
Allow His light to flow through you,
For many walk in wickedness.
Show them the way to life anew.
Arise and shine. Your Lord loves you.

Lift up your eyes, and look about.
Some do believe, while others doubt.
Believe in all God’s promises.
The many will, in Christ, find rest.
Lift up your eyes, and you’ll be blessed.

Arise and shine; salvation comes
To all who trust in Christ, God’s Son.
Forgiven of their sins, they’ll be,
When they repent on bended knee.
Arise and shine, so all will see.

Lift up your eyes, and see your Lord.
He will revive His church, forlorn.
Though humans have forsaken you,
They will find Christ, and walk in truth.
Lift up your eyes; God honors you.