Kept

“Kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation” (1 Peter 1:5).

What words of power and grace are these! “God . . . power . . . faith kept . . . salvation.” Consider them for thy comfort, O my soul!

“GOD.” Almighty, all knowing, ever-living, ever-loving. He is thy God. It is He who gave His only Son to meet thy need. It is He who sends His servants with the glad tidings of His grace. It is He who brings thee near to Himself in righteousness. It is He who has “blotted out as a thick cloud” thy sins. It is He who cleanses thee from every stain through the precious blood of His beloved Son. He has taken thee up for blessing, and He will carry thee through all the changes of thy life.

POWER. All power is His. In heaven and on earth He rules and overrules. He is above all. Though He be unseen His hand controls. And He works all things together for the good of His dear children. Their ultimate blessing is ever before Him, if they pass through trial and tribulation He will order from His throne on high so that what seems evil is turned into good. Remember this that “the Lord on high is above the noise of many waters; yea than the raging waves of the sea” (Ps. 93:4). Never is He weary. The worlds were made and are upheld by His might, and He can maintain the weakest believer.

FAITH. Faith is the link with Him. As the electric current flows through the wires from the powerhouse into the lamps which light our houses, so the power of God flows into our lives as we believe upon Him. And He maintains our faith, as He maintains all else. In Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” Christian is viewed standing amazed as he sees a fire burning brightly, and even more brightly, although water is being thrown upon it plentifully. He cannot understand the matter, until taken to the back of the fire. Then he is shown that oil is being poured upon the flames and that thus the fire is maintained. So the enemy of our souls is ever wishing to extinguish the fire of grace in us, but the power of God is ever put forth to maintain us.

KEPT. “Kept by the power of God.” Through thick and thin, fire and flood, amid foes and fears, we are preserved—guarded by the power of God.

In glory above, the inheritance is reserved for us, for ours is a heavenly portion. And here, while pilgrims still on earth, and “surrounded by a host of foes,” we who believe are preserved. The inheritance is kept for the heirs. The heirs are kept for the inheritance. It is the same almighty power which is exercised in heaven and on earth. If it were not for this we should fall out of rank and perish. We need to be kept and are kept.

“SALVATION.” In this passage, as in many others in Scripture, is looked at in its completion. Already the salvation of our souls is ours. Jesus is our Deliverer from the wrath to come. We fear not now the judgment soon to fall. But while this is true—most happily true—yet we wait for the full, final salvation, the salvation of our bodies, at the coming of our Lord. Every day brings us closer to the glad hour of His return. “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11). The believer is viewed as being saved from the fear of wrath, and already saved from the power of Satan, from the power of sin, from the present evil world. But he waits for the Lord Jesus as Saviour to complete His gracious design, to fashion our bodies that they may be made like unto His own.

Glorious consummation! Till then we are “KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH.”

I.Fleming

S.T. 1933