Kept By the Power of God:

This doctrine teaches that those whom God saves, He keeps. God commences salvation and He sustains it. Not one who God saves will lose the blessing of salvation, but will enjoy relationship with God both now and for all eternity. This means that they will never lose the grace of faith in Christ and will bear fruits of righteousness in their lives. One way it has been stated is that “the saved will persevere (continue) in faith and holiness to some degree.” Their perseverance in faith and holiness is a result of the faithful work of God preserving/keeping them in salvation (John 10:27-30; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 5:1-5; I Peter 1:5)

Peter, in his first epistle, opens with a word of encouragement to Christians considered as resident foreigners in this world. In a letter that dealt heavily with the sufferings that Christians in Peter's day faced and would face in time to come, he opened with the great reassurance and comforting truth that God had reserved an eternal inheritance for them (1:4). Peter was speaking to believers, to those whom God had saved. And he was talking about where salvation will end, the glorious inheritance to come. But, what about now?! The Philadelphia Confession speaks of “storms and floods” that beat against God's people. It speaks of struggles with unbelief (even by believers in Christ!) and the temptations of Satan. If you have walked on the Christian pathway for very long, those words surely resonate with you. Storms and floods (certainly metaphorical and for some, literal)? Yes, those are hard and can be overwhelming. Unwanted struggles to fully rest in Christ and to have unwavering confidence in His word and faithful character? Yes, that's a weight many of us carry around. Seductions from the wicked one that make us think for a time that sin really is a pleasure worth partaking in? Yes, that reality of our weakness and remaining war with fleshly desires can be deflating and disconcerting.

But, back to Peter. After speaking of the inheritance reserved in heaven for them, Peter goes on to say that we are “kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time” (I Pet. 1:5). Here is great reason for encouragement and joy to the soul: God keeps His people! Not only does God initiate the great work of salvation in the soul, but He faithfully sustains this salvation. Even through the storms and floods, bouts with sin struggles, the opposition of the world and harassment from the powers of darkness, God uses His power for something that brings Him great glory: the salvation of His people. Sometimes this doctrine is referred to as “The Preservation of the Saints.” God preserves His people by His power. But, when we think about God keeping or preserving His people, we should not think of it as one would preserve preaches or beans in a can until they are taken down to be eaten. The one who preserves peaches does the hard, initial work and then puts them in the jar and leaves them alone until they are to be enjoyed. This is precisely not how God preserves His people. 1 Peter 1:5 says that God keeps His people by His power “through faith.” That is, God keeps His people (at least in part) by working within His people. God keeps His people by sustaining the precious gift of faith that He has given them. God keeps His people by upholding them in faith that looks, cries out to, relies upon and takes refuge in Him. The Confession states well that God continues the work of grace within His people producing within them fruits of righteousness, including faith, repentance, hope, joy, love and  “all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality.”

John 10:27-30 records Jesus' words concerning His people, here called His sheep. In the context, Jesus noted that those who did not embrace Him in faith were not His sheep. But His sheep, by contrast, hear His voice and follow Him. They, by sovereign grace, believe upon Christ and follow Christ. In the Greek, the word “follow” is in the present tense, which indicates ongoing action. Here is the reality: those whom God saves are radically changed from their life before Christ. They used to be slaves to sin. They previously did not have the faith of God's elect. They didn't love Christ. But after salvation, everything is gloriously and beautifully different. They have the capacity to spiritually hear Jesus through His word and they trust in Him as their Savior. They follow Him as they learn of His word and apply it in their lives. Jesus goes on to say in this passage that He gives them eternal life and that they shall “never perish”. That expression is an emphatic double negative in the Greek grammar. It could be rendered “they shall never, not perish...” or “they shall certainly never perish.” What is Jesus teaching? The utter and infallible certainty and security of the salvation of His sheep! Even with all the storms and floods? Yes! Even with the war with the world, the flesh and devil? 100%! Does this mean that Satan and all the hosts of darkness with all their crafty seductions and deceptions can't snuff out the salvation of even the least in the kingdom of God? Yes and amen!

*The Preservation and Perseverance of the saints doesn't mean that every person who ever professes to believe in Jesus is kept by Jesus. We find in Scripture there are those who may profess faith in Christ for a time, but who do not actually possess genuine faith. Judas was one of the inner circle of Jesus, but He turned away from Christ. Jesus referred to Him as “the son of perdition” (John 17:12). The Apostle John spoke of those who for a time professed Christ, but then abandoned Christ, demonstrating that they were not genuine (1 John 2:18-19).

*The truth of this doctrine doesn't mean that true believers walk in perfection or near-perfection. True believers are still vulnerable to and capable of great falls into grievous sin. The Scriptures detail shameful and embarrassing blunders of God's people. While God's people can never lose their salvation, they can through persistent sin lose the joy and assurance of their salvation (Psalm 51:12). Followers of Christ don't all bear the same degree of fruit. They don't all reach the same level of maturity. They identify with Paul's confessions in Romans 7 of a great warfare between flesh and spirit.

Why is it important to understand this doctrine? The reasons are many, but let's name two. First, God is glorified by it! The fullness of His grace is seen in that His salvation is successful, certain and sure. God didn't start a plan of salvation, only to see it fall through in certain cases. No, His plan and execution of the great work of salvation is infallible (Romans 8:28-39). This glorifies the wisdom, goodness, love, grace, faithfulness and power of God.

Second, this truth is a great support and strength to the believer. Our God has saved us and has promised He will keep us in salvation. His commitment to His people is eternal, enduring and lasting. When we struggle with the storms of life and with our own weaknesses and failings, we can be tempted to paralyzing discouragement and even self-pity. But, to know that God is committed to continue His work in us gives strength and grace to continue on the way of Christ. Note God's covenant promise: “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jeremiah 32:40).

Yes, God is faithful. He will not turn away from His people to do them good. That good includes everything from answered prayers to loving discipline to sanctifying trials to the comforting presence of Christ in our souls. It surely includes the continual intercessions of Jesus and the abiding of the Holy Spirit within us. In reality, this doctrine could be rightly called “The Perseverance of God.” The saints only continue on because God is more faithful to them than they are to Him. He is the Shepherd of who pursues His sheep daily with goodness and mercy (Psalm 23:6).

Believer, you are a resident foreigner in this world just like those to whom Peter wrote. Be encouraged by his words just as the first readers of them were surely strengthened. Through all the storms and struggles and battles, God's power is engaged to keep you. Keep looking to Him in faith, even if it is sometimes a weak faith. Look also with great hope for that which He is keeping you unto: an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled and fades not away (1 Pet. 1:4).