“Now ‘If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?’”
Note: The NIV misses the impact of this verse by translating it as “if it is hard for the righteous to be saved”, whereas the correct meaning is more like that even for the righteous one the gap is only the width of a whisker.
Question: What does it mean to you that you have been scarcely saved?

Who is the righteous one?

The term is used here in the New Testament sense. That is different to the Old Testament, where it was usually applied to those who strive to worship God and obey His Law.
Here, it is applied to those who repent of their sin, believe in our Lord Jesus, and receive the gift of His righteousness won for us on the cross.
The discussion concerns the suffering about to be borne by righteous believers, that they are by no means exempt from suffering because they believe.

Scarcely Saved

If God’s power is infinite, wouldn’t his power be more than enough to redeem us by a wide margin?

I have known people who are so acutely aware of their past sin, that even after having studied the bible and worshipped regularly, they are still troubled by a basic inability to accept their past can be forgiven. These people are in no doubt about it being scarcely achieved, because they still find it difficult to believe it has been done.

If we think the margin was wide, perhaps we under-estimate the depth of our sin from which Jesus came to save us. I am persuaded of being scarcely saved by the record we have of the depth of suffering which Jesus endured to save us, for He bore an infinitely great burden of pain and suffering for us.

And perhaps we under-estimate the power and influence of Satan, who traps many people in his clutches. Even while Jesus has overcome the power of sin, death, and the Devil, if people do not turn to Jesus to receive the freedom He has won for us, they cannot resist the Devil in their own strength. Another persuasive aspect of being scarcely saved is when we look at the tendency of mankind to reject Jesus’ gift, for many still reject Him. The narrow margin is shown by the widespread presence of evil in our world today.

Personal Response

For me, being saved remains an amazing miracle, it is beyond human reason and nature. When I consider every wrong thing I have ever thought, said, and done, my sin is infinite in scale. I can only begin to understand His salvation when I begin to understand the infinite love of God for mankind, even such a love that led Jesus to lay down His life for me.

That’s more than a close shave, it’s impossible from our human view. But it has already been done by almighty God in Jesus.