1 Peter 4:6 KJV
[6] “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”
Peter refers to people in our text who are dead, but when they were alive, they believed the gospel and were saved. Their belief in Christ provoked ungodly men in the flesh who despised their faith and may have been responsible for their deaths. However, any persecution brought on a child of God would be a reward for them in eternity. Those Christians put to death in the flesh by fleshly men were promoted to glory!
The world judges believers as the sons of God, the servants of God, and the saints of God. We could not be given any better titles than these! Let the world say and do what they will, but they can never change who we are as people of God. The word “preached” in our text means “to announce joyfully.” We are the only people with a message that all the world needs to hear. It is a joyful message to be declared on every street corner and from house to house. You see, the gospel is the good news for every generation.
We must not be timid about our message nor allow fear to hinder us from proclaiming the gospel with great joy. The Lord will give us boldness and grace to proclaim the gospel joyfully. If the day comes in America when we are persecuted for our faith, we must continue to provide the gospel to a lost world. Christians are still sharing their faith around the world despite persecution. Some have even been called upon to die for their faith, but they proclaimed it joyfully with their dying breath.
Think about the power of the gospel. It can save a soul from Hell and light a fire in a man’s soul to preach it in the face of death. I heard about a preacher walking down an alley heading to his vehicle. A man stepped out, put a gun to the preacher’s side, and told him that if he did not give him all of his money, he would kill him. The preacher looked at the thief and said, “Son, you cannot threaten me with heaven.” He then told him he would give him his money as a gift if he would allow him to share the gospel with him. He proclaimed it joyfully!