"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
1 Peter 1:5
Part 1
Today: We are Kept by God’s Power
Our almighty God has provided kindly for our salvation. He planned our deliverance from sin to be effective in the past, the present, and completed in the future. In the past, we were “saved from the penalty of sin.” In the present, we are “being saved from the power of sin.” And in the future, finally, we “will be saved from the presence of sin” when we are with our Lord.
Our verse (v. 5) is the final phrase in a single sentence in three verses.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Great words! They tell us that our salvation will be completed when we are with Jesus. We will look at verse five, keeping it in the context of the sentence.
“Who are kept by the power of God.”
Our salvation is all about God’s power to do what is impossible for the sinner to do for himself or herself.
“Kept.” This ancient word translated as “kept” is a military idea that means literally “garrisoned…guarded.”[1] Paul also used the word in his writings. In its literal sense, “Aretas, the king, kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison” (2 Corinthians 11:32). And figuratively, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
The wording in our verse points to our salvation as “something in progress, a continuous process of protection. Hence, [literally], who are being guarded”[2] (Vincent).
Such a gift so valuable needs to be kept secure. We human sinners have not the strength in ourselves to protect this salvation and keep it safe, but God does.
“And we need to be kept! Keeping is not necessary unless there is danger outside and weakness inside.”[3]
The good news!
“We are guarded in the world as our inheritance is kept in heaven”[4] (JFB).
Believers rejoice! Our extraordinary “inheritance” in Christ is “incorruptible, and undefiled, and” it “fades not away.” This inheritance is “reserved in heaven for you” (v 4), and it is guarded by God’s power until we meet Him in heaven to receive it!
Note these prepositions. This inheritance of God’s child is kept “by (in) the power; through faith; unto salvation”[5] (Vincent). These words help our understanding of the verse.
By (in) – Power, God’s power is the cause. Objectively, this is the power of God that surrounds and shields the believer.
Through – Faith is the second reason. Subjectively, we know that we are guarded by God and are safe.
And in the spirit of Elisha, we can say, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16). We are on God’s side!
Unto – Salvation, safe with Him in eternity, the final result!
What does it mean that we are “kept by the power of God through faith?” Come back tomorrow, and we will think this through.
Quote: “The power of God has not in the least bit been diminished over the past 2000 years. Our Lord still sits on His great throne, and His train still fills the temple. He still walks on the wings of the wind, He still rides on the backs of the mighty cherubim, and He still is the Triumphant Champion from Calvary. All hell still bends to His will, and sin and death have lost their hold on all who rest in the shadow of His presence. And the God who calmed storms raised up dead men to life, and multiplied fishes and loaves to feed thousands is the same God we have today”[6] (Eric Ludy).
[1] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword. 1 Peter 1:5.
[2] Vincent, ibid.
[3] Guzik, David. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. 1 Peter 1:5. Emphasis his.
[4] Jamison, Fausset, and Brown. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. 1 Peter 1:5.
[5] Vincent, ibid.
[6] Ludy’s quote is from his book, “Wrestling Prayer: A Passionate Communion with God.” Downloaded: Wednesday, October 28, 2020. From: https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/6783281-wrestling-prayer-a-passionate-communion-with-god.