Self-Control and Sobriety

Eschatology—the doctrine of last or final things—is a topic that has fascinated many believers across the ages. Periodically in the history of the church, interest in the last days has reached a fever pitch, leading people to set dates for the return of Christ, to abandon their earthly duties, or to devote all their theological study to eschatology. Scripture, however, never commends such things when it talks about the last days. Instead, the Bible’s teaching on the end of history and the second advent of Jesus is typically given to establish a theological foundation for an exhortation to faithfulness to our present callings (e.g., see Phil. 4:4–9).

We see this in today’s verse. Peter has been teaching us that we should be resolved to suffer for Christ and not to fear pain because final judgment is coming. On judgment day, all people will give an account to God for their lives, and only those who have persevered in trusting Christ and died in faith will be resurrected to eternal glory. The rest will be resurrected to everlasting condemnation and punishment (1 Peter 4:1–6; see also Dan. 12:1–2; Rev. 20:11–22:5). That we should not fear suffering is one practical ramification of the fact that eschatological or final judgment is coming, but it is not the only conclusion for Christian living that Peter draws. The sure coming of the end should also make us “self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of [our] prayers” (1 Peter 4:7).

We have significantly erred if our understanding that the return of Christ is at hand leads to wild speculation about the timing of events and the date of Jesus’ return and to the abandonment of faithfulness in our present vocations. Awareness that Jesus will soon come to judge the living and the dead should motivate obedience to our duties, for the Lord will not reward those who shun their worldly responsibilities or develop intricate timetables and theories about the end of history and all related persons and events. Christ will reward those who do the will of our Father in heaven, who use their gifts for His kingdom, who care for His people (Matt. 7:21–23; 25:14–46). Of course, we do not merit eternal life through this obedience. Salvation is a gift of God received by faith alone in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8–9). Nevertheless, the Lord made us for good works (v. 10), and these good works consist not in speculative eschatological predictions but in service to God and neighbor fueled by the Holy Spirit and fostered through prayer (1 Peter 4:7).