He Giveth

” I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. “John 17:9-10

“Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, whom Thou hast given to me, that they may be one as we;   when I was with them in the world, I was keeping them in Thy name; those whom Thou hast given to me I did guard, and none of them was destroyed, except the son of the destruction, that the Writing may be fulfilled.  ‘And now unto Thee I come, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves;  I have given to them Thy Word, and the world did hate them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world;  I do not ask that Thou mayest take them out of the world, but that Thou mayest keep them out of the evil. ” John 17:11-15

Friends, Peter teaches us in his first epistle that we are kept by the power of God. 1 Peter 1:5. Peter of all people was acutely aware of this keeping. In fact, he had no business being kept. In fact, he had denied Christ at the crucial time of His death, three times. Of all people, Peter, we would presume, could not be saved. Judas, on the other hand, did not bear the name of the Father, but another name, “the son of perdition.” He was not kept.

Jesus, in this pre cross prayer, in John17, commit the keeping of his disciples unto the Father. Peter teaches us that when we suffer in the flesh , we ought to commit the keeping of our souls unto him, the Father.” 1Peter 4:19 In addition we are to, “arm ourselves likewise with the same mind.” 1Peter 4:1 What mind? Well, Jesus taught us in John 17 above, “…they are not of the world, as I am not of the world;”  Beloved, the mind of Christ is to first realize who we belong to, and then who we are in our new person.

Two kinds of keeping are the inheritance of the Christian. First, ultimate keeping in terms of our eternal salvation is meant. See John 10:28-29. Secondly, we are kept in this world from the evil according to Jesus prayer in John 17. The keepings are actually the same “keeping” because the keeping of our lives from ultimate falling, in Jude 24, by the power of God and unto eternal life, produces in us the prerequisite for trials. These trials, Peter says, are fiery trails, sometimes long and sometimes short. 1 Peter 4:12, 1:5-7

John 6:37  “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. “

Every possibility of condemnation must be disposed of from our thinking, so says Louis Sperry Chafer. Romans chapter 8 and verse one teaches this very thing. Next there must be the disposal of every human obligation. Romans 4:4-6 teach this. Finally, human merit must be also eliminated as a cause producing salvation. Titus 3/5 explains this. And also Romans 3:23.

Simple childlike faith, is the only prerequisite for eternal salvation. John 3:16 , 3:26, John 1:12, Romans 1:16 Romans 10: 4, Ephesians 2:9-10 explain it and many other places.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 teaches” I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:”

So, Colossians 2:6  “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” Folks, in the same way, through simple childlike faith, we take on fiery trials. Will we be kept? Absolutely! Jesus prayed for Peter, that his faith would fail not. Luke 22:32 In fact Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us in Hebrews 7:25. Because of Jesus prayers, Romans 14:4 guarantees that “he shall be holden up, and stand he will.” Psalm 54:4  “Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.”

Then so many verses follow: Romans 5:10 “…much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. ” Beloved , because He lives, we live. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God, …”Romans 8: 35-37 John 13:1 ” …He loved them till the end.” ” “I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.” John 3:36, see also Psalm 37:4-5, Deuteronomy 33:27.

As we ” …look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” consider the Hymn:

He Giveth more Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase,
To added affliction, He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men,
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

love ya