Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I correct your prayer for attention to 1 Peter 1 and verse 5. 1 Peter 1 and verse 5. Who are kept by the power of
God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last
time. 1 Peter 1 and verse 5. 5. What is upon my spirit is the
keeping of God's people through faith. It's very clear in this
passage what actually is at stake for God's people or indeed for
all of mankind. We each have a soul, an eternal
being that shall never cease to exist. And we have the reminder
in this portion for God's people of an inheritance that is incorruptible,
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for
you. And I've no doubt there's some
of you here that sometimes feel the lines of that hymn, but can
I bear the piercing thought, what if my name should be left
out when thou for them shalt call? Now this chapter speaks
of the trial of faith, and that is a very real thing. When faith
is tried, when it needs to be truly a God-given faith, the
faith of which Peter knew, the Lord said to him, I prayed for
thee that thy faith fail not. Satan had desired to have him. And we know how far Peter was
allowed to fall, denying his Lord three times. He was brought
through, converted, restored. And the Lord said to him, when
thou art converted, When thou art restored, strengthen thy
brethren. And it is through these epistles
especially that he seeks to strengthen them and you see faith featuring
very much in this part of the word. Now what is upon my spirit
is how, how God does keep his people and may the word this
evening be a help to those that as yet do not know that they
are the Lord's people but by able to see how the Lord is keeping
them and bringing them on be able to discern that they are
God's children and those that are the Lord's people yet are
so fearful that some temptation Something will come along of
which they'll fall away. Those of you here have known
those who have made profession, who have come here, prayed here,
who have cast away their faith, are no longer found amongst the
people of God. And it's the most solemn thing
when that happens. And it makes us then to search
very narrowly concerning our own soul. Will we be like them? And when we get into the fires
of temptation or know the desperate wickedness and sinfulness of
our own heart and what we are capable of if we are left, then
we want to know really, how is it? How is it God keeps his children? And when we have fallen, how
does he restore them? How does he restore us to a close
walk with the Lord when it may be that we've been far off from
him? And we need a right scriptural,
a clear understanding of how. does keep his children. So when
we have a word like this, kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, then that is a word that gives us a direct
answer as to how we are kept. We know in John 10, the Lord
says of his people that they are held in his father's hand,
and in his hand, and no man is able to pluck them out of mine
hand." But here is a word that I hope we'll find a very practical
word, a word that will be of a help to us. So I want to look
firstly at who is kept. Our text begins, who are kept? And so I want to consider who
are kept and what is kept. And then secondly, the power
that keeps them, who are kept by the power of God. And then
thirdly, and this is really the main point, the means through
which they are kept by the power of God, and it is through faith. Kept by the power of God through
faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Firstly then, who are Kant? We are told in verse 2 that he
is writing to the elect, those that were chosen by the Father,
given to the Son, to redeem. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. These are they
that are camped. They are the same ones who our
Lord said, that I lay down my life for the sheep. He says of
the scribes and the Pharisees, those that would not hear his
word, ye are not of my sheep, therefore ye hear not my word. So these who are the sheep, they
are those whose ear has been opened to hear the Word of God. And this is very important for
later on, especially when we think of being kept through faith,
because faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So we have the people that are
described here, those that have already been given a hope, begotten
us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, those that have been called. And when we think
of Romans 5, Paul in that chapter He says, if while we were sinners
Christ died for us, how much more being reconciled shall we
be saved through his life? And the teaching really is the
Lord passes by his people when they're in their sin. I'm sure
to them that ask not for me. When they were at enmity with
them, hatred, walking in forbidden ways, and he stops them. He begins
a work in their hearts. And really, the apostle said,
if he'd begun when you were like that, how much more will he continue? How much more will he carry on
that work? He which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. So he's addressing it primarily
to those that are already manifest by calling as being elect. We know our election by calling. We give diligence to make your
calling and election sure. And it is to those that their
faith that has been given them will be tried, will be tested,
and that need such a word as this. But it's also to those
that will need to be, know that they are God's children, know
that they have those marks of calling because those things
by which the people of God are kept come very close to how they
are quickened in the first place and how the Lord makes himself
known to his people. It's a great blessing that God's
children, they don't have to go back to their new birth to
get their assurance of being a child of God all the time.
but they should have it daily in their walk and all what they
pass through, daily evidences and tokens that Christ dwells
in them and that he is working in them and keeping them. But
what is camp? Well, maybe think of the word
here. It is unto salvation, ready to
be revealed in the last time. Our Lord said that we are not
to fear them that kill the body. After that, there's nothing more
that they can do. But fear him who hath power after
he hath killed to cast both body and soul into hell. And the soul
is that which is precious. is that which the fires of the
Inquisition and the Roman Catholics could not extinguish from the
martyrs, that which they couldn't touch, is that of which the Hebrew
children could clearly speak to Nebuchadnezzar that their
God was able to deliver them out of his hand, but if not,
Then be it known unto thee, O King, we will not serve thy idols,
we will not bow down to them. They respect to the worth of
their soul more than of their body. And so that keeping is
a keeping of a soul. Yes, it does apply to the keeping
of our bodies. It would be a solemn thing if
we had a God of salvation, a God that we couldn't go to to watch
over us, keep us, preserve us, our bodies, our lives. Because,
you know, dear Job, he says, all the days of my appointed
time will I wait till my change come. And our times are in the
Lord's hands. We have that privilege of committing
our whole being into his hand. But our souls, we might be in
health, in strength, and yet our souls we depart from the
faith and go to something that is not the faith once delivered
unto the saints that warned about in Jude and then we shall be
cast away to lose the faith to go back and walk no more. Demas
hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. The Judas,
the Sauls, those that appeared to be right, Simon Magus, Ananias
and Sapphira. We think of those that tried
to imitate the people of God and to do what they did, but
not with the heart. And it is then a keeping of that
soul in thee. narrow way in the faith of Jesus
Christ and in a way that we shall at last gain the entrance into
heaven. The Lord not saying, depart from
me, I never knew you, but that soul having a daily evidence
that the Lord knows us and we know him. My sheep, he said,
they know me and I know them. is a two-way thing. So who are
kept and what is kept? The people of God are kept, and
their souls are kept, and they are kept right to the end, right
to salvation. They don't make shipwreck, they
don't fall away. Like Peter, they made for a time
appear to deny or did deny the Lord, brought down very low,
but brought through that trial, and he still loved his Lord,
he was still in the faith, still trusting to Christ, still in
the way. I want to look then secondly at
the power that keeps them, kept by the power of God. Sometimes there can be a tendency
to follow the world and ascribe
everything to just a natural means or a natural applying of
things. You can read many miracles in
the word of God and think, well, how did that happen naturally? The Red Sea. Jericho, the miracles
that the Lord wrought. Men will try to explain them
away as to some natural thing is used. But maybe always remember
the power of God. We come right back to the creation. He spake and it was done. And it is in the gospel He uses
the same means. He speaks, and it is done. Faith cometh by hearing, we said
before, and hearing by the word of God. And the power of God
is that unseen almighty power. And may we never lose sight of
that, never lose sight. of what God is able to do, that
unseen almighty hand. Our Lord could stand in the boat
and rebuke the wind and the waves and they stopped. He could with
that power do those things which man could never do, not just
in nature, but get a mad Gadarene and have him sitting at his feet,
clothed and in his right mind. Have one that was dead and dead
four days in the two, Lazarus. And by his word, Lazarus come
forth, he comes forth. This is the power of God that
is still the same today. And we are to remember that.
Here it says, who are kept by the power of God. And whatever
we may say later and through the means, never lose sight of
the power of God. And I believe if there's anything
that will strengthen us in prayer, it is a realization of the power
of God. That men ought always to pray
and not to faint. that is asking for the power
of God, asking for divine aid and divine strength and divine
help. Restraining prayer, we cease
to fight. We are to be those that have
a mind unto the true and living God, the God who is on the throne
God who is in control and controls the hearts of all men and controls
our hearts, is greater than our heart, greater than our minds,
greater than our fears. He is able to do exceeding far
above all that we can ask or think. Just because that power
is not seen or that it is working through second means, we are
not to think that that power is not there. The power is known
by its effects. You cannot see the electricity
in this room but you can see the light and you take away the
power and there's no light, you take away the power and there's
no amplification. I was taking a service at Pilgrim
Home recently and the battery in the microphone went out mid-sentence
as I was speaking and suddenly there was just deadness. The
amplification just went. We had to change the battery.
But it was a profound difference. Without that power, everything
seemed the same. But you take away the power and
the effect just wasn't there. And how vital that is. When we
think of our Lord saying to the disciples, when he commissioned
them to preach, tarry at Jerusalem until ye be endued with power
from above. It's absolutely vital. No use
preaching, no use bringing the word of God. without that power. And Paul was able to say the
Thessalonians, that the word came unto you, not in word only,
but in demonstration of spirit and of power. May we be renewed
in our belief and faith in the powerful living God, not a bale
God that has no power to do anything. that cannot bring out fire from
heaven, that cannot change hearts, that cannot strengthen the people
of God. The power that keeps them is
God's power. And we may say this as well.
It is a power that has, I'm going to say authority, but really It must be put forth because
those that we've described here, Christ has redeemed them, he's
shed his precious blood, he's taken their debt, he's endured
the wrath of God for them. He prays in John 17, I will that
they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they
may behold my glory And this text speaks of pointing to that,
to be with him where he is and in glory. And that power then
must be put forth to answer the Lord's petition, to answer his
intercession for his people. It can justly be put forth. We might think we are unworthy
of him. Our own sins, our own foolishness,
our own denials like Peter, But the worthiness is in Christ. And the reason why he puts forth
that power is because of what he has done. Because of the love
of the Father, the love of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and
what he has done at Calvary, that that power not only might,
but it must be put forth. Otherwise the counsels and purposes
of God would come to naught. He must have his people with
him. His people must endure unto the
end. And it's not uncertain. It will
come to pass. But the Lord has said that he
will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them.
And we are to walk through it. And we are to use the means that
God has used and set forth to keep our souls. So on to look
then in the third place at the means through which the power
of God is displayed. Who are kept by the power of
God through faith. It is through faith. Now may we be reminded of where
that faith comes from? and what faith is. In Hebrews
11, we are told in the very beginning, faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And that without faith,
it is impossible to please him. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him. In Hebrews 12 we are then told
that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. We are also told that all men
have not faith. Faith is given at the new birth. Faith is instantly given when
the Lord gives his people eternal life. It happens at once. It
is not given First, and then that faith must be exercised
to bring about the new birth. That is what is taught in many
circles, even today. But it is that which is given
by God. He is the author of it. And at
death, we shall not need faith anymore. That shall be turned
to side. So you finish that. I will receive
you unto myself. And we shall see him as he is. So faith, its author and finisher
is the Lord. And so as we said with Peter,
the Lord saying to Peter, I prayed for thee. that though faith fail
not. If the Lord really highlights
that faith, that's your new birth, that's your eternal life, that's
your gift from me, by grace he has saved, through faith, and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. If that is kept,
if your faith is kept, then everything else is all right. And it is
through that faith that you will be kept. And so when we think
of the means, we think of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Those of you concerned to be
kept, may you commit your souls unto the Lord Jesus Christ, who
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
which you are able, but will with the temptation make a way
of escape that you be able to bear it, to go to the author
of it. When our Lord said that to Peter,
he says that Satan hath desired to have you, to sift you as wheat. That is where the AV is good
because you can discern the plural and the singular. The you is
in the plural. I always think of it, I may have
said it before, but with the alphabet, the Y comes later in
the alphabet. So anything ye, you, your, all
plural. But the T's, the thee, that is singular. So Peter is
coming into that trial. He is coming into Satan's sieve. So I have prayed for thee. And we can be sure that each
time his people come into those times, the Lord prays for each
one individually. There's something very beautiful
about that. Not just the general intercession
of the Lord for his people, but specific. For each one, he knoweth
the path, he knoweth the way that I take. He knows my particular
trial, my temptation, my need of prayer. Sometimes we might
say to others, we value your prayers. We want you to pray
for us. But do we value the intercession
of our Lord? He appears in the presence of
God for us. then there is the faith in God,
kept by the power of God through faith. We are given a faith by
the power of God in God himself, in believing that he is. He that
cometh to God must believe that he is. That is the great work
of faith. Sometimes we can be tempted that
there is not even a God. A dear sister in faith, years
ago in Australia, she was really tempted in that way. And she
looked at creation, and the Lord was pleased to break the snare.
And many times, it's been a help to me. Many times when I have
been tempted, It's all just cunningly devised fables. It's not real. And you think, how can you as
a minister be tempted like that? But I have. But then to look
at creation, I bless the Lord that he's given it, that I can
see our bodies. And when we have the investigations
and medical things, and you see the creation around us, And I
bless God to see such a wonder, such a miracle in the smallest
atoms and the greatest things. Men cannot see it, they cannot
see it. I've had those medical professions
looking at scans and explaining them and enthusing you how wonderful
these things are. As soon as you point out and
say, yes, that is the creating God, aren't we fearfully, wonderfully
made, and a blank goes over, no, no, no, no. They won't hear
it. And yet, what a blessing it is
when you're able by, through that, and by the power of God,
to believe that he is. The power of God through faith. And it is only by faith. And
with creation too, we have in Hebrews 11, that by faith we
understand that the worlds were created, that which was not. And it is a matter of faith. And the Lord uses faith to keep
us, to keep us still believing in God. to keep us when we are
tempted that there is not a God. And kept by the power of God
through faith in that way. Then there's the
faith in the word of God. Now many will say, well how do
you know that the Bible is the word of God? and you might explain
to them why, that it is a history book, it traces the history of
the world from the beginning of the world to the end and through
the nation of the Jews and it has chapters and chapters of
names. It's not cunningly devised. It is real people that are spoken
of here, a nation that still exists today. There are prophecies
a thousand years before they came to pass fulfilled exactly
and the witnesses of the New Testament, the Gospels, those
that wrote those things had other people alive at the same time,
they could easily disprove all that was written as not being
true. You see the complete working
of it all together, the harmony, the beauty, the greatness of
the Word of God, and that over 500 times in it, it testifies,
thus saith the Lord. It claims to be the Word of God. And there are those reasons why
we believe it is, not just saying, well, my parents said it was.
There are those real reasons why we do. But really, it comes
down again to the power of God giving us faith, and his power
maintaining that faith, so that when we read the Word of God,
We receive it as the word of God. Paul says again to the Thessalonians
that when you receive the word, you received it as it is in truth,
not the word of man, but the word of God. And so, kept by
the power of God through faith, when the Lord gives us power
to believe his word, to receive his word, He that receiveth you
receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. And very much it was emphasized
as the disciples went forth, they preached the word. Was the
word received? In many places it wasn't. Today,
is the word all the time received? No, it is not. But where it is,
what a blessing it is that the Lord gives faith to receive.
that word. You and I, if our souls are to
be kept, we need the power of God still to work in us, to believe
that he is, to believe his word, that this is his word, and to
then realize that he speaks through the word to us. Another aspect of saving through
faith is through faith in Christ's own sacrifice. That which the
word of God testifies and Paul says, I determine not to know
anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Just
incidentally, how many of you have thought, what did the apostles
preach while Christ was on earth? What did Christ preach? not Christ and him crucified. They were ignorant of that. They
didn't know what was going to happen. What they did know, though,
and what the angels said from heaven when our Lord was born,
on earth peace, goodwill toward men. The expectation God had
appeared. The kingdom of heaven was at
hand. God was going to do something.
He was bringing about the promise. He was bringing about. He was
the promised seed. He was the Christ. He was to
bring salvation. How that salvation was going
to be brought, how it was going to be worked out of the cross
and Calvary, they knew not at that point. But they knew that
God was in hand. He was going to do it. And that
was the message. That was the message from heaven. And so we might as well have
many things that we don't understand, might struggle with, but maybe
even know the message that the apostles had first. God is in
control. Christ has come. He has made
a way of escape from the wrath to come. He is the God of salvation. But we know more than that. We
know actually how he brought it about, what his sufferings
were, why he had to be a man, and what he accomplished at Calvary,
and the empty tomb, a risen savior. The power of God put forth when
that testimony was set forth. when in very simple terms our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was lifted up on the pole of
the gospel. Faith then in Christ's sacrifice. But then we mentioned about prayer,
the importance of prayer. And it is to have faith that
God will hear and will answer our prayers, kept by the power
of God through faith, through faith in believing that God will
answer our prayers. It's a sad thing, solemn thing. If one of the Lord's people should
suddenly think, what's the use of prayer? I prayed and prayed
and prayed concerning this thing. The Lord hasn't answered me.
I'm not gonna pray anymore. And that can be a real trial,
a real temptation. But then when the Lord is pleased
to come and strengthen faith in this very point, so that that
soul is revived in prayer, and prayer springs up again, and
the cries come from the heart, and the belief rises up again,
the means is prayer. The means is faith. in a prayer
hearing and prayer answering God, and the power of God comes
to give that poor soul strength in that very point to cry unto
the Lord. Then there's faith in the word
of God. And what I mean in this, sometimes we might think, well,
if we are going to be kept, We want to be kept by a power that
there's nothing required of us. It's all done for us and we do
not do anything ourselves. If you go back to Hebrews 12,
then we have in verse four, ye have not yet resisted unto blood,
striving against sin. Striving against sin? Is this
part of the keeping of the people of God? But it's by faith in
the Word of God. The Word of God issues warnings. It issues directions. You know,
if there was a precipice and we saw it there and someone was
running towards that and we called out to them and we said, stop,
there's a precipice there. But they didn't believe us. and
they just kept running, and they'd be killed. But if they esteemed
us as to be a person who would tell the truth, we weren't just
joking, and they heard what we said and they took notice of
it, then they'd be kept from being destroyed. And so, in the
word of God, we have many directions, many warnings, Many things that
teach us the way we should go, the way we should not. And we
see that in practice, how it comes with Joseph, when he was
tempted, and how can I do this thing? And sin against God, and
he runs, and he flees out of the way of temptation. Thy word
is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. Those seen by them
is those servant warned. And so when we read who kept
through faith unto salvation, and that faith cometh by hearing,
hearing by the word of God, and then we hear of those that the
word did not profit them, being not mixed with faith in them
that heard it, we think here's a people who have a guide, an
instruction, but are not listening to it. Who may be crying to the
Lord, Lord keep me from these sins, keep me from these ways,
and yet they're turning a deaf ear to actually what the Lord
is saying. Now sometimes what we need to
do is almost Take note of those specific words of scripture that
address our besetting sins or the way that the devil is attacking
us at a certain time. And sometimes, and it's a blessed
thing, where the spirit lifts up a standard against the adversary,
he brings to our remembrance the word in time. Like the time
years ago when Working for myself over in here, but working for
the country over in in Australia short on hours one month and
filling out my time sheet it came in as quick as lightning
well You just put your normal hours and then you get your normal
pay and you'll make it up next month And that thought just went
in just so quick and just as quick the Word of God came in
a poor man is better than a liar and And that temptation was stopped
in his tracks. And why? Because faith in the
word of God. That is the way the Lord kept
me at that time. And it's a blessed thing to realize
that. That the Lord has given us to
believe the word is his word. He's given us a hearing ear so
we hear the shepherd's voice. Is it perhaps letters to the
portion to read? How many times have you thought
of the timing of the reading in the morning, or perhaps a
text on the calendar, or the verse that the minister has brought
along, and the word that's been preached, and the Lord has used
it, may be something that is for the next day or so, and when
that happens, immediately it's brought to your mind, that was
what was preached, that word. is what I need to heed right
now. And the Lord using this way of
keeping his people. Also it is faith in direction
as well, when the Lord would direct his people, stopping up
their way in perhaps ways that they would go. I remember years
ago, again over in Australia, And I had my daughter, my sister
rather, came over from Tasmania. And she was staying with me.
And then she was going to go to some of her friends at the
chapel. We lived three quarters of a mile, three quarters of
an hour journey away from the chapel. So at first I said, well,
what we'll do is she'll just pack up her things. And when
she goes to chapel, just change over the bags into your car and
she can go and stay with you. And that was the arrangement.
And I forget the portion that I read, but in the scripture,
I just happened to read this portion where it forbade of taking
out your bags and things from your house on the Lord's day
and removing it. And on the particular thing that
was before me, I thought, I can't do this. I'm going to stop this,
and I'll make a special journey on the Monday to take my sister
up. And I said to the person that
this is what I found in the Word, and this is what it's going to
do. Ah, she said, I thought it was wrong. I thought you were
walking in the wrong way. And I prayed to the Lord that
he'd stop me. I was walking into a trap. The
person was going to condemn me for it. And he'd seen, he'd seen,
he knew what was happening. And it is a great mercy when
the Lord can see where people have laid a trap for us and pluck
our feet out of the net or perhaps we've got into something we don't
realize what it is we're into. And so also is a faith in the
providence of God. If the Lord is keeping us, Sometimes
you need to remember this on the road, you're driving along,
you've got a slow driver in front and you're getting very frustrated,
you want to get past this driver. And you think, do you think,
well, maybe there's some reason why I've got to be held back. And sometimes it's been because
I've just got so, I've got late, I'm likely to drive very, I remember
driving to preach at Tenterton one night like that, and I was
so head up and frustrated, and I would have driven very, very
fast. And Lord put an ambulance in
front of me that day. And that really brought me up.
I thought, no, you slow down. And when you're able to see the
providences of God, Sometimes those cross providences are actually
the Lord keeping us, and keeping us back from places, breaking
us, going places, maybe even going into places of error. Oh, I'm gonna hear this man,
or see this man, or learn this doctrine. And the Lord stops
it. Or maybe it's something we've
been looking at the internet, and it's flickerly, the computer
goes wrong and it goes down. hear ye the rod and who is appointed
there. If we are tender and we are thinking
the Lord is the God that keeps us and that nothing happens by
chance, then we'll notice those things. And when we notice them,
then that gives us all a token of the Lord's keeping hand and
watching over us for good. Many lose those sweet tokens
of the Lord's care, protection, just dismissing providence is
just happening and yet it being the way the Lord keeps his people
through faith it believing that this didn't just happen it was
truly in the Lord's hand and so when we have the word kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation We need to really
understand how it is through faith. How the Lord, by his power,
gives us faith in all of these respects and by these means actually
keeps us. That we don't have just some
vague notion of the power of God, but we have clearly the
Lord is using his power through his word, through faith, through
the ministry, through providence, through belief in him, through
belief in the creation, all of these ways. And it's effectual
because he's given his people life, he's given them a hearing
ear, and his power is working in them. And this is the faith
that is tried in verse seven, the trial of your faith. and
the end of your faith, verse nine, receiving the end of your
faith, even the salvation of your souls. Dear friends, may
you notice, may I notice the working of faith and the Lord
keeping our souls through all of these aspects of which faith
is the means that the Lord is using to keep us. May it be to
the Lord's honor and glory and the comfort of our souls, especially
when we see it and we have a fresh token that we are the Lord's
people and he's using these scriptural ways of keeping our souls. Amen.