For It Is Time For Judgment to Begin at the Household of God

by Mike Ratliff

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17 ESV)

I was reading my dear brother Ken Silva’s fine article, Doug Pagitt Excited About Interfaith Powwows At Solomon’s Porch, today and noticed in the very first paragraph a reference to 1 Peter 4:17 and judgment. Here is part of that quote, “…and I’ve warned you that there is a tsunami of apostasy—pushed along by 1 Peter 4:17 judgments—headed toward the church visible.” A number of you have approached me wanting me to address this or that well known leader in the visible church who is apostatizing even going so far as to call some of them out and make them stop what they are doing, if that were possible. My brethren, I do not like what is going on any more than you do, but I agree with Ken, what we are witnessing is something that is being allowed within the Sovereignty of God for His purpose. The visible church is going down the tubes, but what about the real church, the remnant? What about it? Didn’t our Lord say, “The gates of Hell shall not prevail over His Church?” (Matthew 16:18) Of course, that Church is the real Church, that one built upon the Rock of Faith that is the gift from God, not the works of men. This visible church consists of what we see with our eyes and a lot of it is that which is not eternal. It is only the product of men and their labors. What is being torn apart by apostasy is that church. What about the genuine Church, the one built without hands, the one on the rock that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against? What about it? Will all this apostasy touch it? That is what we will look at in this post.