Kept!
There’s only one thing that keeps each precious child of God and that’s God’s power working in us through the Holy Spirit helping us to exercise our faith to trust in God.
We are…
‘kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’
By God’s power alone we are…
Kept from temptation,
Kept from going on in our own strength,
Kept from our own wisdom,
Kept from the lusts of our sinful nature,
Kept from denying God,
Kept from discontent,
Kept from our own way…
‘He will keep the feet of his saints,’
EVERY time we’re kept it’s by God’s grace and power alone.
So what is the channel for this power?
Faith!
Faith that God’s ways are perfect…
‘As for God, his way is perfect;’
Faith that He will work all things together for our good…
‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’
Faith that God’s wisdom is far greater than ours…
‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’
Faith to believe that God is enough…
‘Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’
Friends, none of us can keep ourselves, it’s only as we walk depending upon our God, leaning hard upon Him, trusting in His grace, that we will be kept.
So how do we keep our faith strong so that God’s power can keep us?
First let’s look at this Greek word translated ‘kept’ – phroureō – it’s only used four times in the Bible.
Once is our verse, another speaks of the Damascenes being kept with a garrison,
The third speaks of before faith…
‘But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.’
But what about once we believe?
We find our answer in the fourth time this word ‘phroureō’ is used and can sum it up in a few words, we keep our faith strong by rejoicing, praying and giving thanks…
‘Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
AND the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall KEEP your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’
Both the power of God that keeps us unto salvation and this peace that possess all understanding that keeps our hearts and minds, come from exercising our faith.
We are commanded to always rejoice
We CAN rejoice always, even in the hardest places by exercising our faith that God will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.
We are commanded to pray without ceasing.
We CAN pray without ceasing by exceeding our faith that not only is God’s ear is always open to our cries but He delights to commune with us.
We are commanded to give thanks in everything.
We CAN give thanks for all things and in all things however hard they may be because God has promised to work all things together for our good.
We CAN give thanks when we’ve fallen and failed because although there may be consequences, God is ready to forgive when we are truly repentant and if we belong to Jesus, He has said…
‘All that the Father giveth me SHALL come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in NO WISE cast out..
Friends each precious child of God is KEPT unto a salvation yet to be revealed.
There will be many many dangers and so many enemies along the way, there may times when we wander and fall but we can never totally fall, God’s grace is sufficient if we will just keep leaning on Him in faith.
How we need the Holy Spirit to keep moving within us and how we need to hush the noise of the world so that we might hear His voice.
Keep leaning Friend, keep trusting, keep exercising that faith that it might remain strong because God’s power WILL keep each and every one of His own through that faith that He has given us, unto that salvation ready to be revealed. It’s all the work of love. God’s great love to us birthing ours to Him!
1 Peter 1:5, 1 Sam 2:9, 2 Sam 22:31, Rom 8:28, Is 55:9, Heb 13:5, Mark 9:24, Gal 3:23, Phil 4:4-6, John 6:37.
Encouraging Women to Seek and Abide... 