In one sense, salvation is amazingly simple. You only need to believe in Jesus. In another way, though, Peter takes it as a given that “the righteous are scarcely saved” (1 Peter 4:18). The fault is on our side, with the lingering unsubdued sin in even the most righteous. The difficulties give us pause for thought and reason to review carefully what progress we are making in the Christian life. The Covenanting minister John Welwood (1649–1678) was known for the “fiery earnestness” of his preaching. He travelled around, preaching where he could, until he was banished to Perth. In the following updated abridgement of one of his sermons, Welwood explores the implications of the difficulties of salvation.

One reason why the righteous are scarcely saved is because no one is so righteous as to be without their own faults, their own sins, their own failings. No one is so righteous but they have their own strayings. David confesses this. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek thy servant” (Psalm 119:176).

The other reason is because God is a very holy and a spotless God. Not that He is an unmerciful God, or in any way cruel, but He is so holy a God in His nature and divine perfections. Compare together the corruptions that remain in the holiest of believers, and the spotless holiness of God and His infinite indignation against sin, and it is no wonder that the holiest people find a difficulty in coming to heaven.

How should we reason from this?

If the righteous are scarcely saved, how many of this generation will be saved?

Abraham, Lot, Jacob, Caleb and Joshua escaped when the Lord poured out His wrath on the wicked generations in which they lived. But they were indeed unusual people. “If these things be done in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?” (Luke 23:3). If the Lord has chastened His own people, what shall become of those who are ungodly? Many think they will duck down and let the blast go over them. Many think that they will live at ease in Zion, and others think they will be wise enough to keep a whole skin, and their estates, lands, business interests, etc, when they refuse to speak up for God when He calls them to witness for Him.

I assure you, it will be odd folk who shall stand when He appears. They shall be folk that have neither touched, tasted nor handled the corruptions of our times. The Lord will come with deliverance, and it shall be glorious, but it shall be a costly deliverance. He will have the majority of all sorts, especially ministers, swept away, and He will have another sort of people than the present lukewarm, formal generation. He will have folk that will not seek their own things, but His things. For if He cannot get a church to His mind, He doesn’t care for it at all. He doesn’t care if He casts it into the depths of the sea. He will have a church fit for glorifying Him, or else none at all.

If the righteous are scarcely saved, is our own confidence well-grounded?

I don’t say this to discourage you, as if the work of religion was a hard and intolerable work, but it is not as easy as people think it is. Heart religion is a strange thing. It is a serious business to “take the kingdom of heaven by violence” (Matthew 11:12). It is a great matter to get an eye to Christ, to get corruption mortified, to get your heart set on things above.

I remember someone saying, “Grace is nothing but Christ conquering, triumphing, and fighting in the soul. Where there is grace, there will be much hammering between grace and corruption.” I assure you, it is no small matter for someone to be redeemed from death, for a devilish creature to become a heavenly creature, to have his life “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). True religion is a strange business.

Some folk, all their religion is to give the Lord a good evening and a good morning in prayer, and hear sermons. They never knew what it was to pursue salvation in earnest, never knew what it was to be concerned for their souls so as to forget all other things beside, never knew what it was to see the Lord Jesus and His sufficiency, and a new way opened out to them that they never knew before.

What are you going to do? How do you intend to be saved? What foundations have you built on? For my part, when I have chatted with folk, I found few who could give me a reason for their hope. They would senselessly say that they hoped to get to heaven, and could say no more. I believe that many, if they had any convictions, it was like a scratch on your finger with a pin, soon healed again. If I only had one word to say, it would be this: Be sure you are in Christ! Don’t let the devil and your own deceitful heart cheat you. Please, watch out, and make sure you have oil in your lamps!

If the righteous are scarcely saved, why can’t the godly be content?

Some who are truly godly have difficulty in attaining to the light of God’s countenance, to grace, to dominion over sin. They are often sorrowful. But be content. The truth is, as Samuel Rutherford says, it is like wanting two summers in the same year, if we want both heaven here and heaven hereafter!

If a man should be tossed about in body and soul every day, and lose health and wealth, wife and children, and yet get to heaven at last, it is well. Many want all the conveniences, but isn’t it enough, in a time like this, if you get your own soul for a prey? If you get to heaven, even if you had to swim through a sea of troubles, it is good enough.

There are two things to labour at until you are a conqueror. Labour to be above sin, so that it does not endanger you any more, and labour to get above every cloud of desertion, so that you can sail with the wind behind you. But as time goes on, you learn to be content to have clouds, and a body of sin and death to wrestle with. You must fall and rise, ride the ford as you find it, and take it as you come to it. So, my friends, be content if you get to heaven.

The truth is, you will have a sea voyage. Corruptions will follow you, and will not leave you till you are within the thresholds of heaven. Till then, Satan will pursue you. But when you get there, all your enemies will beat a retreat, and never vex you any more. Resolve to meet with trouble and perplexity and roaring waves. But the comfort is, you shall not make shipwreck. Mountains of waves will look as if they will overwhelm you, but they shall not prevail (Psalm 32:6). Only, please remember this, for I think many godly people cannot get sin underfoot and cannot feel God’s smiling face — you must be content. You may say, “If I could get assurance of heaven, I would be more content.” No, my friends, you must be content to have darkness as well as assurance. You must be content with what you meet with.

Folk dream of ease, but don’t worry. You will get ease enough in heaven. We will not be here long, therefore let us be faithful for God.

If the righteous are scarcely saved, do we not need to be diligent?

You need to be careful in your walk. Not only the foolish virgins but also the wise were found sleeping when the bridegroom came. When God comes, there will be few people that He won’t have something against. To some He will say, “You heard compromised preachers, and never mourned over it.” To others He will say, “You didn’t preach at all costs, but shirked the risks.” To others, “You gave no faithful warning.” To others, “You heard many sermons, but took little instruction.” To others, “You made a pact with My enemies.”

Therefore, I beseech you, be intent on religion, for God is coming. You need to get the thing very clear, and have your certificate to hand. Have you been dying daily? Have you been suffering daily?

If the righteous are scarcely saved, how should we understand the troubles of the righteous?

Do not misinterpret providence. When the people of God meet with difficult providences, this is what it is teaching us.

1. See that God has His own way of bringing His people safely to Himself.

2. Fear God, and give glory to Him, who can do such alarming things.

3. Labour not for the meat that perishes, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life. Set your affections on things above, and not on things on earth. Seek a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and a habitation that cannot be dissolved. Make sure your have treasure in heaven.

4. Consider whether this is a time to be decorating your house, when God’s people are reduced to wandering and hardships.

5. Remember that if you do not repent, you shall all likewise perish. Many think there are no judgments coming, but what reason can they give for that?

I beseech you, by the mercies of God, as you love the welfare of your own immortal soul, search your own soul, try your ways, and turn to the Lord. Search out the evil of your ways, and pray for enlightening grace. The Lord make you consider these things, and to His name be everlasting praise. Amen.

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