At the end of “Saving Private Ryan,” James Ryan, now aged, visits the grave of Colonel Miller, the man who searched all over France and gave his life to get young Ryan out of World War II and back home to Iowa. Old Mr. Ryan asks his wife, “Have I been a good man?” That is a question deep within us all, a question that arises from the instinct put in us by the Creator that we are accountable for the life we live.
Over the weekend I studied 1 Peter 4:1-11. This is a section of the Bible that doesn’t get much play in the church, and part of the reason for that is that some of it is difficult to interpret, some verses much debated. One thing is clear, however. Peter speaks to the need we all have for approval. Christianity then was not the dominant religion it is today. It was a small group within Judaism. As a small Jewish sect, Christians refrained from some common pagan practices. For that they were negatively judged. If your neighbors and townspeople are down on you, where do you find approval for trying to live a good and godly life? Peter writes, “But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:5-6) That is, the people who put you down for living according to the commandments, something happening more and more in America today, will one day be judged themselves by God. Friends and loved ones who have died in the faith heard the Gospel and now live with God. Should you live and die without the world’s approval, you have God’s approval through faith in the Savior Jesus.
“Have I been a good man?” He had been a good husband, father and citizen but the fact he had doubts shows that we can never be totally sure until we hear God say, “Well done.” (Matthew 25:21) Until then, “I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)
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