“Who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

kept by the power of God

Summary of the doctrine of eternal security (vv. 4-5):

Who is responsible for our salvation? It is the work of three persons:

1. The Father: The Father can keep us. He is sovereign and supreme. No power can rise against him: Romans 8:31-34, 38-39 (God lists every spiritual and natural enemy here; no enemy has enough power to attack our salvation).

2. Jesus Christ: John 10:27-28 (nothing [neuter] can pluck us out of his hand); Romans 4:25; 8:1; Ephesians 2:6; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1,2.

3. The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit seals our salvation: 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30. God seals us unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). No one can break that seal. The seal is a person – the Holy Spirit.

Note the declarations of Scripture about the guarantee of our salvation:

John 6:47, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” God gives eternal life, not spasmodic life or intermittent life.

Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God keeps our salvation until he comes back again.

2 Timothy 4:18, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” No question, no doubt, no equivocation but absolute assurance that God will preserve us for eternity.

Hebrews 5:9, “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” God gives eternal salvation, not temporal.

Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” The finished work of Christ saves us from the penalty of sin, but the unfinished work of Christ at the right hand of God is saving us from the power of sin.

Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He will complete what he starts.

Jude 1, “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.” God preserves us because of our association with Christ.

Jude 24-25, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

To God our Savior,

Who alone is wise,

Be glory and majesty,

Dominion and power,

Both now and forever.

Amen.”

One day we will be faultless and sinless; now, we are blameless (free from censure by God because of Christ’s death for our sin).

PRINCIPLE:

We can have the assurance of our salvation.

APPLICATION:

Have you come to the place of the full assurance of your salvation? You should be able to say, “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day,” (2 Timothy 1:12). That is assurance.

Do you have doubts about your eternal salvation that bedevil you? Do you wonder whether you are a Christian? You have slipped off the rails, and you do not know whether you are on foot or horse-back spiritually. You can gain assurance of your salvation by claiming God’s promises, such as the verse we are studying.

Many people have never accepted Christ in the first place. This is another issue. Examine yourself as to whether you ever indeed came to know Christ.