Kept and Ready 1 Peter 1:5 by Troy Self Associate Pastor

Kept and ReadyKept and Ready

1 Peter 1:51 Peter 1:5

byby

Troy SelfTroy Self

Associate PastorAssociate Pastor

Review of 1 Peter:Review of 1 Peter:

The Epistle of First Peter was The Epistle of First Peter was written to written to encourageencourage and and strengthen the Jewish believers strengthen the Jewish believers scattered throughout the scattered throughout the northeastern part of Asia Minor. northeastern part of Asia Minor.

Their faith was being sorely Their faith was being sorely tested through tested through persecutionpersecution and and trials. trials.

Abounding in exhortations and Abounding in exhortations and references from Old Testament references from Old Testament history, the epistle was very history, the epistle was very practical and helpful to the practical and helpful to the believing Jews as they daily believing Jews as they daily faced faced severesevere times of testing. times of testing.

Sufferings and Sufferings and gloryglory keynote the keynote the contents.contents.



From vv. 3 and 4 we came to From vv. 3 and 4 we came to understand:understand:

1. God is great in mercy.1. God is great in mercy. 2. God causes us to be born again to a 2. God causes us to be born again to a

lively or living hope.lively or living hope. 3. God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.3. God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. 4. God promises an inheritance to those 4. God promises an inheritance to those

whom He fathers.whom He fathers. 5. (And) God is keeping that inheritance 5. (And) God is keeping that inheritance

so that it will never, ever perish or soil or so that it will never, ever perish or soil or fade.fade.

IntroductionIntroduction

Several concepts we shall see today:Several concepts we shall see today:

Our inheritance is Our inheritance is eternaleternal, and so is our , and so is our security.security.

We are guarded and We are guarded and protectedprotected by God’s by God’s power.power.

Through Through faithfaith we enable God’s power to we enable God’s power to be effective in our lives.be effective in our lives.

Our inheritance is ready to be revealed Our inheritance is ready to be revealed at the at the returnreturn of Christ of Christ

1 Peter 1:3-71 Peter 1:3-7

A.A. An expectant hope [vv. 3-4]An expectant hope [vv. 3-4]B.B. An experiential faith [vv. 5-7]An experiential faith [vv. 5-7]

1.1. As it relates to our As it relates to our presentpresent2.2. As it relates to our As it relates to our prospectprospect

Dr. John Phillips, Dr. John Phillips, Exploring the Epistles of Exploring the Epistles of PeterPeter

our presentour present

The Believer’s Study BibleThe Believer’s Study Bible

Those who have been Those who have been [begotten/born again] are [begotten/born again] are guaranteed the benefits of that guaranteed the benefits of that salvation, not because they are salvation, not because they are able to keep themselves saved, able to keep themselves saved, but because they are guarded by but because they are guarded by the power of God.the power of God.


Kept:Kept: Vine’s:Vine’s: A military term. Lit., A military term. Lit., garrisoned. Rev., guarded. our garrisoned. Rev., guarded. our present participle indicates present participle indicates something in progress, a something in progress, a continuous process of protection. continuous process of protection. Hence, lit., ‘who are being Hence, lit., ‘who are being guarded.’ guarded.’

““The inheritance is kept; the heirs The inheritance is kept; the heirs are guarded” (Bengel)are guarded” (Bengel)


We are kept/guarded/protected from: We are kept/guarded/protected from: 1.1. oourselvesurselves; discredited by our own ; discredited by our own

wrong-doings.wrong-doings.

2.2. oothersthers; disqualified by enemies without. ; disqualified by enemies without.

JMJ:JMJ: Not only is the inheritance divinely Not only is the inheritance divinely guarded, those who possess it are also guarded, those who possess it are also kept [protected] by the power of God kept [protected] by the power of God from doing anything to forfeit it or be from doing anything to forfeit it or be severed from it. severed from it.


God’s God’s powerpower is His sovereign is His sovereign omnipotence that omnipotence that continuously protects His continuously protects His elect.elect.

Romans 8:31-39; Jude 24Romans 8:31-39; Jude 24


We are kept by We are kept by the power of Godthe power of God……The word for The word for powerpower as we might expect as we might expect

is the great word is the great word dunamisdunamis. .

Strong’s: Strong’s: force; specifically miraculous force; specifically miraculous power: - ability, abundance, meaning, power: - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.violence, mighty (wonderful) work.


JP: God does not just stand back after [we are] born again. He uses his divine power to protect us all through life for the salvation ready to be revealed.


JP: JP: What Peter wants us to see What Peter wants us to see here is that God means for his here is that God means for his people to be profoundly secure people to be profoundly secure in him. in him.

He wants us to feel that God He wants us to feel that God himself is doing everything that himself is doing everything that must be done to guarantee our must be done to guarantee our final, eternal salvation. final, eternal salvation.


Spurgeon:Spurgeon: The inheritance is kept for The inheritance is kept for you, and you are kept for the you, and you are kept for the inheritance. The word is a military inheritance. The word is a military one, it signifies a city garrisoned one, it signifies a city garrisoned and defended. The enemy pour in and defended. The enemy pour in their shot, they keep up the fire their shot, they keep up the fire day and night, and set the city on a day and night, and set the city on a blaze, and even thus Satan blaze, and even thus Satan bombards us with temptations, and bombards us with temptations, and beleaguers us withbeleaguers us with


Spurgeon:Spurgeon: …all the hosts of hell. …all the hosts of hell. Herein is our confidence, our great Herein is our confidence, our great Captain has walled us around, he Captain has walled us around, he has appointed salvation for walls has appointed salvation for walls and bulwarks. We are safe, though and bulwarks. We are safe, though all the devils of hell surround us, all the devils of hell surround us, for we are garrisoned by for we are garrisoned by omnipotence. Each believer is omnipotence. Each believer is kept by that same power.kept by that same power.


……through faiththrough faith……persuasion, that is, persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; constancy in such salvation; constancy in such profession; - assurance, belief, profession; - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.believe, faith, fidelity.


SpurgeonSpurgeon: : Every believer is kept by the power of God, but the power of God does not produce in us sloth but faith.

From what is God protecting his elect?From what is God protecting his elect?Notice several things:Notice several things: There is a salvation ready to be revealed.There is a salvation ready to be revealed.We are saved now, but our salvation is We are saved now, but our salvation is

not complete.not complete.There is much more grace and glory to be There is much more grace and glory to be

experienced.experienced.There is danger on the way to salvation in There is danger on the way to salvation in

heaven.heaven.


Notice several things:Notice several things: [continued] [continued]

We need ongoing protection after We need ongoing protection after our our conversionconversion. .

There is a battle to be There is a battle to be fought.fought.

Our protection comes from God. Our protection comes from God. More specifically, from the power More specifically, from the power of God.of God.


The means God uses to protect The means God uses to protect us is us is faithfaith. .

What is the only thing that can What is the only thing that can keep us from salvation ready keep us from salvation ready to be revealed in the last to be revealed in the last time?time?


DeathDeath won't keep us from won't keep us from salvation.salvation.

Suffering won't keep us from heaven.

We need protection from Satan..

We need protection from We need protection from overwhelming temptations.overwhelming temptations.


What is the one thing that cuts us off from heaven? The answer is unbelief.

The only thing that can keep us from heaven is forsaking our faith in Christ, and turning to other hopes, other treasures.

He inspires and nourishes and strengthens and builds our faith.

In doing this he secures us against unbelief.


Our security is not in making heaven Our security is not in making heaven unconditional. unconditional.

Our security is in God's infallible Our security is in God's infallible commitment to commitment to fulfillfulfill the conditions of the conditions of heaven.heaven.

Jesus prayed that Peter's faith fail not.Jesus prayed that Peter's faith fail not.

He caused us to be born again by our He caused us to be born again by our faith; and he protects us on the way to faith; and he protects us on the way to heaven by preserving our faith.heaven by preserving our faith.



Salvation through faith is Salvation through faith is gloriously and invincibly gloriously and invincibly securesecure. .

We have a great We have a great GodGod and a great and a great salvation! salvation!

our prospectour prospect

This security of ‘being kept by the This security of ‘being kept by the power of God’ looks beyond this power of God’ looks beyond this life and human history for a life and human history for a salvation ready to be revealed in salvation ready to be revealed in the the last timelast time..

……unto salvationunto salvation…… to ‘rescue’ or to ‘rescue’ or ‘deliver’, and it denotes the full, ‘deliver’, and it denotes the full, final, eternal life God has not yet final, eternal life God has not yet finally finally completed. completed.

The NT implicitly reveals a three-fold The NT implicitly reveals a three-fold chronology for salvation. chronology for salvation.

The past aspect of salvation is called justification.

our present aspect of salvation is called sanctification.

This future aspect of salvation is called glorification.

Salvation is in three tenses.Salvation is in three tenses.


This This keepingkeeping is complete and is complete and continuous.continuous.

It will never end until we shall It will never end until we shall need need keepingkeeping no longer. no longer.

Spurgeon: Spurgeon: This means that we This means that we shall not only be shall not only be keptkept till our till our souls reach heaven, but we shall souls reach heaven, but we shall be kept till the be kept till the adventadvent..


The future aspect of salvation is The future aspect of salvation is particularly said to be particularly said to be readyready, that is, , that is, completecomplete and already awaiting our and already awaiting our arrivalarrival. John 14:1-3. John 14:1-3

Revealed:Revealed: points us forward to the great points us forward to the great day when Christ will be revealed in all of day when Christ will be revealed in all of His His gloryglory and power. Revelation 1:7 and power. Revelation 1:7

But future salvation is also connected to But future salvation is also connected to this this end end of human of human historyhistory——the last time.the last time.

Matthew 25:31-34Matthew 25:31-34

So what?So what?

Are you Are you rejoicingrejoicing that you are that you are kept, guarded and protected by kept, guarded and protected by an omnipotent God today?an omnipotent God today?

Are you Are you exercising faithexercising faith that God that God gives to rejoice and have hope gives to rejoice and have hope when things on earth are bleak when things on earth are bleak and bad?and bad?

Are you Are you lookinglooking for the return of for the return of Jesus Christ?Jesus Christ?

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Kept and Ready 1 Peter 1:5 by Troy Self Associate Pastor