Let us turn again to that portion
of Holy Scripture we were reading here in the opening chapter of
the first epistle general of Peter and directing you for a
while this evening to the words that we have here in verse 5
1 Peter 1 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time. And the truth that he said before
us surely in these words is that of the doctrine of perseverance. one of the great doctrines of
grace, the doctrine of perseverance or we might say kept by the power
of God kept by the power of God and as we look at the verse I
want to divide what I'm going to say into two parts and in
the first place to say something with regards to preservation
and then in the second place to say something concerning the
perseverance First of all, then, preservation. Surely, this is
what lies at the basis of this doctrine of the perseverance
of the saints. And we see the truth of preservation
in a twofold sense here. Firstly, how God preserves his
people in this world. This is plainly declared in the
words who are kept by the power of God. The word kept, an interesting
word, a strong word certainly. Literally it means to keep under
guards, to garrison. That's the sort of keeping that
God provides for his people in this present evil world. We know that the world lies In
the wicked one, all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. But the world passeth away, and
the lust thereof. Now God's people though, through
all their time in this fallen world, are garrisons by that
grace of God. When they come into the possession
of salvation. It's an eternal life. It's a
life that can never be destroyed. Even death is unable to destroy
that life of God that is coming to the souls of His people. I
give unto them, says Christ, eternal life and they shall never
perish. My Father that gave them Me is
greater than all. No man can pluck them out of
My Father's hands. how the father is garrisoned
and that's the comfort then of the people of God and how they
need that sort of keeping when we consider who it is that the
apostle is addressing he speaks here in the opening verse to
the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia and Bithynia. In other words, it's not an epistle
that is addressed to a particular church in a specific spot. Often,
of course, that is the case with regards to the epistles of Paul. He'll address the church at Rome
or the church of the Corinthians, the churches of Galatia and so
on. But this is one of those general epistles. it's addressing
to Christian believers in these various provinces of the Roman
Empire. But we can surely also understand
that opening verse in a spiritual sense. Aren't all of God's people
strangers and pilgrims in this world? Aren't all of God's children
in a certain sense those who are are scattered how they feel
that so often in themselves their thoughts seem to be so scattered
they seem to be so unstable and how they need one then to be
keeping them and garrisoning their minds. We know that that
was very much the experience of the people of God of old even
when we turn to the book of Psalms we see how the Psalmist sometimes
feels himself to be in that sort of plight, that sort of condition,
the language that we find in the 61st Psalm. What does the psalmist say here?
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart
is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I for
thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the
enemy I will abide in thy tabernacle forever I will trust in the cover
of thy wings. Oh here is one you see he feels
himself to be at the ends of the earth He is so far off from
God, he feels the distance but he cries unto God in his prayer
that the Lord would appear for him and it's a lot of God's people,
isn't it? So often in this world to find themselves in the midst
of such trials and troubles has caused them to be those who are
scattered. We know that the Lord does indeed
set the solitary in families. We thank God for the doctrine
of the local church Our churches are gathered communities as our
understanding of the doctrine. The Greek word the truth throughout
the New Testament has that idea of those who are called out,
called out of the world and gathered together. We thank God for every
opportunity of meeting with the people of God and the service
of corporate worship. But we also know that real religion
is such a personal thing. and there are many times when
God's people feel that they are like the sparrow all alone upon
the housetop and they feel that their experiences are so different
to the experiences of any other of the people of God and there
are those trials and those difficulties and we see it exemplified in
the in the life of the Apostle Paul that one who says that he
is a pattern to them that should hereafter believe and he writes
in his various epistles writing to the Corinthians with outward
fighting he says within were fears many fears inwardly many
fightings outwardly that good fight of faith wrestling against
principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkness of
this world against spiritual wickedness in high places Well,
this is the life of faith. And how could we continue in
that life of faith without that gracious preservation that God
has promised? They're kept. They're garrisoned,
they're fortified. And it's by the power of God. And the word again, the word
power here, it's that word from which we derive our English word,
a dynamo, a source of power. which is the power of God we
stand in need of that almighty power that belongs unto him who
is sovereign over all things but the believer the believer
continually conflicting with this world so often conflicting
with himself as Paul says again writing there in that seventh
chapter of Romans I know that in me it says that is in my flesh
there dwelleth no good thing now have we felt it? No good
thing within him. All those fears within his heart.
Now he has to cry to God. Only God can keep him. Only God
can preserve him in that good fight of faith. And what we see
in Paul, we see in the Psalmist time and again. What does the
Psalmist say there in Psalm 17? Keep me as the apple of the eye.
Hide me under the shadow of thy wing. And why are these things
left there in Scripture? Is it not for our learning? Are
we not to take these words and learn to plead them and to pray
over them? This is why God has given to
us His Holy Word. Or think of the language that
Isaiah gives us there in his book, that prophecy that is really
full of so much gospel, so much to comfort the people of God.
those words at the end of Isaiah 26, Come, my people, enter thou into
thy chambers, and shut thy doors about them. Hide thyself, as
it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpassed. For behold, the Lord cometh out
of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.
The earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more
cover her slain. Oh God, you see, He doesn't wink
at the wicked ways of men, He deals with men. Solemnly, sovereignly,
but He invites His people to come and to enter into their
chambers and to shut the doors and to hide themselves. Oh the
righteous, He runneth into that strong tower, the name of the
Lord. It's a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and
is safe, we're told. It is God then who preserves
his people in this current world. They are kept. And they are kept
by the power of God. But God has not only a purpose
to preserve his people, having saved them, he will keep them
and he'll keep them to the end. It's he that endures to the end
that's to be saved, shall be kept. that God has also prepared
a place for his people there's a world that God has prepared
for them and we see it in the text that kept by the power of
God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time all those who are the sheep of
Christ What does the Lord say concerning those sheep? At the
end, when the final separation is made between the sheep and
the goats, and the sheep are on the right hand and the goats
on the left, then shall the King say to them on the right hand,
Come ye beloved of God, enter into the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world. Is that that God has prepared
for his people? and in that 11th chapter of Hebrews
where we read much of the faith of those of the Old Testament
and how they were strangers and pilgrims here upon the earth
they had no abiding city it says but God has prepared for them
a city or God will keep his people because he has prepared that
for them it's written Ready to be revealed. That's what the text says. Ready
to be revealed. Why so? Because it is that that
was eternally purposed of God. It is that that has been procured
in time by the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And he reminds
his disciples at the end of his as he comes to the end of his
earthly ministry remember those chapters in John those valedictory
discourses from chapter 14 following in my father's house how many
mansions he says if it were not so I would have told you I go
to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for
you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I
am there ye may be also oh there is that place then that the Fatherless
purpose, that place that has been obtained, procured by that
great work that the Son of God has accomplished here upon the
earth. All these are His sheep, you see, and He will keep them. I give unto them eternal life.
They shall never perish. No man shall pluck them out of
My hand. My Father that gave them is greater
than all. No man can pluck them out of
My Father's hand. There is that double security.
They are in the hand of Christ. None can pluck them from that
hand. They are in the hand of the Father and none can pluck
them out of the hand of the Father. All this is their inheritance.
Verse 4. An inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for
you, he says. It's what God himself then has
provided. It's the last time, isn't it? It's unto salvation, ready to
be revealed, in the last time. It's a great consummation of
all the purposes of God. And we think of that golden chain
that we're so familiar with in the 8th of Romans. That chain
that reaches, as it were, from eternity to eternity. I know sometimes we speak in
terms of eternity past and eternity to come. Well, Really, the language
is contradictory because eternity has nothing to do with time.
Eternity is altogether outside of time. There's no past, no
present, no future in eternity. It's just eternity. But that
blessed child whom he did foreknow, or the Lord foreknows his people. He has from all eternity set
His love upon His people. And whom He did foreknow, them
He also predestinated. And them whom He predestinated,
He also caught. And them He caught, He also justified. And them He justified, He also
glorified. Oh, it reaches you, sir, from
eternity to eternity. and they're being kept for that
ultimate blessed end, their glorification. Kept by the power of God through
faith onto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. What a blessed prospect it is.
That that the Lord God has prepared for His people. I have not seen,
nor hear heard, neither have entered into the hearts of men
the things that God has prepared for them that love him? Oh but
we know this now are we the sons of God but
it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when
he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he
is. Isn't that what the believer
longs and yearns after to be all together like unto the Lord
Jesus Christ? to be taken up with Christ for
an ever ending eternity that blessed abodes where the Lamb
is all the glory in Emmanuel's land. Now says Paul is our salvation
nearer than when we first believe or there is salvation when we
first believe but that salvation never becomes nearer and nearer
it's the great consummation of salvation that's clearly being
spoken of in this portion of scripture. It's that incorruptible
and undefiled inheritance that's reserved in heaven, that will
never fade away. It's salvation, the salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time. There is then,
behind the doctrine of perseverance, God and that provision that God
has made for his people in this present world and what God has
purposed for his people in that world that is to come. There's
a sovereignty of God and God's purpose cannot be overthrown. It must stand, it must be accomplished.
But let us turn from that truth that lies at the basis of the
doctrine of perseverance to the doctrine itself. And in a sense
not so much the doctrine but the experience. The experience
of the doctrine of perseverance which is what is being spoken
of here. You see as God has purposed the
preservation of his people it follows that they must persevere.
they are going to endure and he that shall endure unto the
end the same shall be saved. What does the Apostle say? There
as we come to the end of that 11th chapter in the epistle to
the Romans he reminds us in verse 29 the gifts and calling of God
are without repentance for God is not a man that he should lie
nor the son of man that he should repent as he said it shall he
not do it as he spoken it shall he not make it good he goes on
to say at the end of the chapter 4 of him and through him and
to him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever all
that God has purposed in preserving his people leads to this, that
they must persevere, and they will persevere. How are they
kept? Well they're kept, it says, by
the power of God through faith. And so, considering that statement,
the power of God through faith, but looking at it as it were
in the reverse order, to think first of the faith, and then
the object of the faith which is the power of God you see that
kept through faith through faith but we say what is this faith
that's being spoken of? what is faith? well it's not
just an intellectual ascent to the truth there were those back in the
18th century Scottish Baptist who taught a doctrine of faith
that was really nothing more than an intellectual ascent.
It was just a matter of the mind. And the great advocate of that
was a man called Robert Sanderman. So we sometimes use the expression
Sandemanian faith. Sandemanian faith is just saying
that faith is nothing more than reading the truth of God's word
and assenting to it, seeing it on the page of scripture as it
were, the letter of the truth of that word and accepting it
as being the truth. But that's not the faith that
saves the sinner, is it? True faith surely is more than
that, it's the life of God that has come into the soul of a man.
It's not just intellectual ascent, there's also that element of
trust. There's that idea of resting
in Christ, leaning upon Christ, trusting in Christ. True faith's
the life of God, deep in the heart. It lies, it lives, it
labors. Under load, though damped, He
never dies. That's how the hymn writer expresses
it. And I would say that the hymn
writer is expressing it in good terms. It doesn't... Peter go on here to speak of
what faith entails in verse 7, the trial of your faith. Where
there's faith, you see, it's going to be trying. the trial
of your faith being much more precious than the gold that perisheth
though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and
honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ all ready to
be revealed in the last time the appearing of Jesus Christ
and we'll see the reality of that faith but how in the present
it is tried as he says in verse 6, for a season. Now for a season,
if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold temptations.
How this faith is continually, as it were, put into the into
the crucible. It's tested. It's proved to be
a genuine article. It's the work of God in the soul
of the man. And what does it mean? Well, it means that we We have
to learn all of the doctrines of the Word of God in our soul's
experience. We're considering that doctrine
of grace that we call the perseverance of the saints. And I'm sure some
of you will immediately think in terms of that little mnemonic
tulip, which summarizes of course all the great doctrines. And
you know what tulip stands for. total depravity, unconditional
erection, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance
of the saints. And it's a very useful way of
memorizing what these great truths, the doctrines of grace are all
about. And in these doctrines we see
man and the condition that man is in as a sinner but we also
see God and we see God in all the fullness of his glorious
trinity of persons and it's not just a matter of knowing these
doctrines with our minds it's experiencing these doctrines
and we have to begin with that experience of the awful truth
of the sinner's total depravity or do we not have to know ourselves?
And what do we learn concerning ourselves when God begins with
us? We have to see what we are as fallen creatures. It's a strange
and a mysterious experience that God brings us into. It's so paradoxical. Because when that spiritual life
comes into our souls all we feel is the deadness of our sins.
We feel our complete and utter impotence. We're not able to
do anything to save ourselves. We want to believe, we cannot
believe. And there writes John Newton, could I not believe?
Then all would easy be, I would, but can not, Lord relieve, my
help must come from Thee. And so we have to turn from ourselves
and we have to begin to consider God and the glory of God and
the goodness of God. And there we see unconditional
election. And when we think of that unconditional
election we think of God the Father. It is the Father who made choice
of a people whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate. And
what is God's foreknowledge? It's not just a matter as the
Arminian would say that God foreknows in the sense that he foresees
who's going to believe and on the basis of his foresight he
chooses those. Well that makes salvation to
be the work of men. Men save themselves by their
faith and God foresees that faith and he elects them. But that's
not what the foreknowledge is. Who we did for? No, no, it's
that knowledge that is bound up with the love of God. I have
loved thee with an everlasting love, he says. Therefore in loving
kindness have I drawn thee. or if we understand that doctrine
of election and how it's unconditional it's nothing in the in the sinner
that causes God to love the sinner the cause is all together in
God himself he loves because he will love and he sets his
love upon the people and how we should desire that we might
know what it is for that love of God to be shed abroad in our
hearts and if that love is shed abroad all will love God and
if we love God we'll love all the people of God and we'll love
all the words of God and all the ways of God and all the commandments
of God it's experience it's the experiencing
of the love of God the Father and then we come to the work
of God the Son and we see it in terms of that great sin-atoning
sacrifice, limited atonement and to know that we have an interest
in that work. What did Christ do when he gave
himself as a great sacrifice for sins? Did he just make salvation
a possibility for all men if they would but receive that salvation? No, he accomplished a salvation.
He accomplished salvation, he actually saved. as many as the
father had given to him in unconditional election when he shed that precious
blood he paid the ransom price and so there are no longer those
who are owing any debts to the Lord of God the law says the
soul that sinneth it shall die but Christ has died and died
as a substitute for as many as the Father has given to him,
nor to know the Son. And to know that we have an interest
in that precious blood that was shed. It's life eternal to know Thee,
the only true God. And Jesus Christ to whom they
were sent. And why has the Father sent the
Son? He sent the Son to accomplish a great work. The Son has come
as the servant of the Father. Though he thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, yet he made himself of no reputation,
took upon him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men,
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. All these
things are of course written here in Scripture, but do we
meditate in these things and think upon these things? that
great work that has been accomplished then by the Son of God finishing
the transgression making an end of sin making reconciliation
for iniquity bringing in everlasting righteousness are they just doctrines
that float in our brains? oh friends might they be meat
and drink to our soul this is what we have to live on We have
to live on the Son of God who loved us and guided himself for
us. So we have the work of the Father,
unconditional election. We have the work of the Son,
limited atonement. We have the work of the Spirit,
irresistible grace. All to know that blessed third
person in the Trinity, the Holy Ghost. to be those who are born
again, born from above, that which is flesh is flesh,
that which is spirit is spirit, by nature we are just flesh,
or we are those who are but natural men and women, conceived in sin,
shaped in iniquity, estranged from God, far off from God alienated
enemies in our minds by wicked works the Lord Jesus says ye
must be born again oh ye must be born again but where does
that birth come from? it's the work of God not of the
will of man nor of the will of the flesh it's the will of God
it's the work of God it's the spirit of God It's the irresistible
grace of God making that salvation that was wrought of Christ such
a reality in the soul of the sinner. You see it's all the
persons in the Godhead and so we come ultimately to the perseverance
of the saints. Who is going to overthrow the
work of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost? It's an impossibility. They're kept. They are kept by
the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time. Oh, what a salvation is this!
It's a Trinitarian salvation. We are Trinitarians. We are Trinitarians. We see it in Scripture. It's
not just the work of the Son. We're not just Jesus people. with Trinitarians. To comprehend the great three
winds is more than highest angels can. What the Lord has done to rescue
ruined man. What does Hart say in the second
verse of that hymn? He speaks of how all the persons
are involved. all true Christians this may
boast the truth from nature never learned that Father, Son and
Holy Ghost to save our souls are all concerned all the persons
in the Godhead oh that's the blessed truth that we have you
see and so they endure he that shall endure to the end the same
shall be saved Paul says there in Hebrews Hebrews 3 we are made
partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence
steadfast unto the end that's perseverance holding the beginning
steadfast enduring unto the end persevering that's not vain self-confidence
that's not presumption What is this faith you say? That kept
it says by the power of God through faith. There is a connection between
the faith and the power of God. This faith, you see, it's not
just what a man is able to manufacture for himself. It's not a matter,
as I just said, of him reading the word of God and with his
mind assenting to the truth of God's word and that saving faith,
nothing of that. It's faith that involves all
God's power. It's by the power of God through
faith onto salvation by grace are you saved through faith and
that not of yourselves it is the gift of God and what power
it is it's the exceeding greatness of his power to us would who
believe the exceeding greatness of his power it's not just power
It's not just great power, it's exceeding great power. It's the power that was wrought
in the Lord Jesus Christ when God raised Him from the dead.
And it's that that comes into the soul of all those who come
to saving faith. It's the life of God coming into
the soul of a man. Christ Himself says, Thy dead
men shall live. together with my dead body shall
they arise. It's that union between the risen
Christ and that poor sinner who was dead in trespasses and sins,
but by that union he's brought to life, spiritual life. Well, what does he say here in
verse 3? Our God hath begotten us again
unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
What a doctrine is that, the doctrine of the resurrection.
You see, it is so bound up in our faith. If there is no resurrection,
we can have no faith, no saving faith. Isn't that what Paul says
in that great 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians? There is no resurrection,
we are fools. There is nothing. Here is our
hope, a lively hope. It's by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ and it's that life of God you see begotten again unto
a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. How do we come to believe? Remember
those words at the beginning of Isaiah 53 the question that
the that the Prophet asks who have believed our reports and
to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? and they are parallel
questions it's the same question really in different forms who
has believed our report? to whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed? in order to believe the report the Lord God has to
reveal his arm in other words the Lord God has to make bare
his arm and the Lord God has to stretch forth his hands. The
Lord God has to do a remarkable work in the soul of a sinner.
You see, we preached recently on that theme of faith is the
greatest miracle. It is the greatest miracle. That
a man, a woman born dead in trespasses and sins should ever come to
saving faith. It's a miracle of grace. It's
a miracle of grace. And as it begins, so it continues. As we must have faith in order
to be saved, saving faith, justifying faith, so we walk by faith and
not by signs. The just, that is the justified
sinner, shall live by faith. That's a statement that we have
back in Habakkuk prophecy of Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse
4 and then when we come to the New Testament remember how on
three separate occasions Paul quotes those words of the Prophet
Romans 1.17 Galatians 3.11 Hebrews 10.38 Once in the Old Testament
three times in the New Testament The just shall live by faith. And you know there's no vain,
empty, meaningless words anywhere in the Word of God. God does not say things in vain. Oh, we will have to give an account
for all our idle words. and the God to whom we have to
give accounts never speaks idle words himself, he's a just God
he's a just God no idle words, no vain words
and so when God declares the truth four times ought we not
to take account? the just shall live by faith and what is the life of faith?
it's that life of complete and utter dependence it's that life
in which we see the invisible God and
we're trusting in that invisible God and that's how we enjoy yourself
we're kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time and we're kept through all
the vicissitudes of this mortal life we're kept through all the
the trying of our faith as he goes on to say here in the following
verses we've already made reference to verses 6 and 7 how we see
there's something of God's care of his people all the trial is
good it's a precious trial as it's a precious faith the trial
of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes
though we be tried with fire but our God's as he keeps his
people, watches over them in the midst of all the trial. And
we see it there in verse 6. How long is the trial? It's now,
just now, for the moment, for a season, for a little while.
It's only if it's necessary. It's only if needs be. And yet, in the midst of all
that trial, there's heaviness. Why the temptations, the multitude? And we fear that we'll never
endure. And so we learn the life of faith,
because we have to keep on looking to the Lord, and trusting in
the Lord, and casting all our cares upon the Lord. And isn't
that what the doctrine of perseverance is really about? It's the perseverance
of the saints. It's the mark of the saints.
Neither shall endure unto the end. The same shall be saved,
says the Lord Jesus. We're kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed. in the last time oh the lord
bless his word to us amen