Saints Kept By God's Power.
Zion's Advocate, Vol. 43, No. 6, June 1904.
We are told in I. Peter 1:3, 4, that an inheritance is reserved in heaven for all who are kept by the power of God. In the address of Peter's letter the heirs of that heavenly inheritance are called the elect. It must be God's purpose that every heir will finally possess the inheritance, that all the elect will reach heaven where the inheritance is reserved. Their inability to keep themselves is implied in the statement that they are kept by the power of God. The great difficulty of their being kept is implied in the declaration that God's power is required to keep them. Their being kept by God's power insures the keeping of every one of them to the end for which they are kept, the end being the everlasting enjoyment of that incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeless inheritance.These heirs are God's elect, the eternal source and infinite cause of their election being the foreknowledge of God. By foreknowledge is meant such a prior knowledge as embraces the everlasting love of God and his sovereign grace and good pleasure toward those who were chosen. This foreknowledge embraced the covenant that was ordained in all things and sure, by reason of which they are called heirs of promise. Their election is unto the obedience of Christ and the sprinkling of his blood, signifying the washing away of their guilt and the imputation of his righteousness to them.
They are manifested by being begotten again according to God's rich mercy, and not according to any merit or work of theirs, for which blessing our praise is given to God the Father. They are begotten unto a lively hope or a living hope, one that springs from eternal life. The resurrection of Christ is spoken of in connection with this begetting, as being an efficient cause and proper figure of it. As sure as Christ was raised from the dead, entirely independent of means or instrumentalities, by the same power are all begotten for whom he died.
The value of an inheritance depends upon its nature, situation and security. This inheritance, in its nature, is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading. Its situation is in heaven, not on earth as some fanatical writers have asserted. For its security no greater care could be taken of it than to reserve it in heaven, God's own personal abode, which no enemy can ever enter, where nothing can ever despoil its spotless purity or disturb its celestial harmony. How proper it is that all the heirs of such an inheritance should be kept for it! God's wisdom and power is as much displayed in keeping all these heirs as in giving them their natural and spiritual being. They are kept below, all of them are. They are kept all the way amidst thousands of snares, difficulties and dangers, till they safely arrive to the full possession of their home in heaven. They are not kept from indwelling sin that pervades their bodies, nor from occasionally slipping and falling by reason of it, but they are kept from being entirely cast down and destroyed by it. They are not kept from the assaults of Satan, but they are kept from being fully and finally overcome by him. They are not kept from sorrow, pain, and disease, but they are kept in the midst of these and while distressed by them. In sorrow's gloomy vale, in the severe grasp of excruciating pain, and on the sore bed of affliction, they are still kept as God's own precious, suffering children.
They are securely kept because God keeps them by his own omnipotent power. As he can never be conquered, so they never can be; as no storm can ever prevail against him, so are they secure from every tempest; as floods can never drown him or fires destroy, so they will never perish though they pass through many deep waters and through many fiery trials. No weapon that is ever formed and raised against them shall prosper, because it would be formed and raised against their Father in whose arm is the strength of omnipotence. They are kept by the power of God! What more can be said? Not only do glory and dominion belong to him for ever and ever, but everlasting power is his throughout the illimitable universe.
His chosen ones are the sheep of which he is the Owner and Shepherd. The lambs are all carried in his bosom, and none of the flock shall ever perish for he has said they shall not. They are one family of children of which he is the Father. Mothers may forget their offspring, but God will never forget his. Their cries he will always hear, their wants he will quickly relieve, their battles he will victoriously fight. Not one of them can ever flee from his presence. If they were to ascend into heaven, they would find him: if they were to make their bed in hell, he would be there. The wings of the morning might carry them to the uttermost parts of the sea, still would his hand lead them and his right hand would hold them up. His thoughts of them are precious and the sum of them is great. If an effort were made to count them, they would be found more in number than the sand. His loving kindness will he never take from them, nor will he suffer his faithfulness to fail, though he visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with many stripes.
Under God's mighty hand all his children should humble themselves, casting all their care upon him who careth for them. He is pleased to have them trust in him with all their hearts. When they murmur at what befalls them they murmur at him. It is a sweet privilege they have to confide in him - to trust all their affairs in his hand. Then under the shadow of his wings, what a secure and delightful resting place that is! Oh, how sweet to lie passive in his hand and know no will but his! He cannot make mistakes or do wrong, for he is too wise and good. To love him dearly, to submit to him patiently, to confide in him implicitly, to serve him faithfully, should be the delight of all who have reasons to believe that he has saved them by his grace and is keeping them by his power. A faithful friend deserves fidelity from all who would share in the blessings of his friendship. Let all who profess to love him, then, strive to draw near to him with a full assurance of faith, and strive to live near to him in obedience. Then will they feel the protection of his power and rest in the support of his grace. The more we know of the excellency of his loving kindness, the harder we should strive to live in close touch with him. He will not forsake us if we are his, then let us not forsake him. If the oil and the meal fail not, let us glorify him who supplies us every day.
J. R. D.
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