1 Peter 4:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

NIV: The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

NASB: The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

CSB: The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer.

NLT: The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.

KJV: But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

NKJV: But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

Peter is writing to Christians who suffer for Jesus' sake, to those who have taken on Christ's attitude that hardships for God's cause are part of our purpose as His people. He now offers a perspective which is both encouraging and a warning: It's almost over.

More specifically, Peter writes that the end of all things is near, or "draws near." Everything necessary for history to come to an end has already happened. Messiah has come, lived, died (1 Peter 3:18), been resurrected (1 Peter 3:21), and ascended back to His Father where He reigns now over the universe (1 Peter 3:22) and is ready right now to judge all who live and have ever lived (1 Peter 4:5). Along with the other New Testament writers, Peter affirms that we are now living in the last days or end times. True, by God's grace, it has been 2,000 years since Peter wrote these words (2 Peter 3:9). That span seems extremely long to short-lived humans (2 Peter 3:3–4), but the day continues to draw ever nearer. So, what is the right response to this awareness that the end of all things is near? Panic? Isolation? Indulgence in pleasure-seeking? Peter's answer is that the most rational response is to pray. And, that prayer requires strong and clear minds. This is yet another reason not to jump into the mindless pleasure-seeking described in prior verses. Instead, Peter writes, we must be self-controlled, or alert, or exercising sound judgment about our choices. And we should be sober-minded. In this context, "sober" means "serious." In other words, we should be careful about how we live. Our choices impact our ability to think clearly. It is better to be self-controlled, so that we can pray.

How necessary is prayer for Christians? It is crucial. How concerned are we about keeping our minds nimble and focused for the purpose of praying? That's a harder question. What, if anything, is keeping us from thinking clearly and praying faithfully?

1 Peter 4:1–11 urges Christians to take on Jesus’ attitude toward suffering. We should see it as an expected part of fulfilling God’s purpose for us on earth. Those who willingly endure suffering for Christ set the course of their lives away from mind-numbing sins. This is true even when those who still commit those sins bad-mouth them. We must stay alert so that we can pray in these end times. We must keep loving each other, using God’s gifts to serve each other with God’s power in and through us, so all the glory goes to Him.

Peter continues to describe how Christians should respond when faced with persecution: Take on Christ’s attitude, and expect God’s purpose for your life to include suffering. Set the course of your life away from mind-numbing pleasure seeking. Be alert so that you can pray effectively in these end times. In fact, rejoice if you share in Christ’s sufferings. God uses suffering to refine the faith of His people, and our present suffering contributes to future glory. If you suffer, keep doing good while trusting your soul to your Creator.

Peter’s letter to Christians is about how to live in the world while suffering for faith in Christ. Thus far, he has assured Christians that their future is secure with God. We are His holy people, set apart for His purposes. Christians are called to live in submission to every human authority. Now in chapter 4, Peter writes that we should take Jesus’ attitude toward suffering and expect it in this life, avoiding mind-numbing sin while loving each other earnestly. God may use suffering in this life to refine our faith, but the end of all things is near.

Some 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus, Christians are facing greater persecution for their faith. How should they respond? How should we respond to suffering today? The apostle Peter writes this letter both to comfort believers and to encourage them to stay strong. He urges them to put all their hope in their perfect future with Christ, and to obey and trust Him in the present, even in their suffering. Christ suffered greatly; now the Christ-followers have the opportunity to follow Him even in this, showing His grace and power in their hopefulness, obedience, and faith.