By His Power

I Peter 1:3-9

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (I Peter 1:3)

Romans 3:10-12 describes the natural state of man. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” It is human nature to rebel against any thing which seems to restrict us. A baby struggles to escape the very blankets which protect him from the cold, and adults rebel against any constraints, regardless how essential for their wellbeing. They thus live in rebellion against God.

Thankfully, God wants peace to the point of making things right between us even though he is the injured party. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:8-9) He has been willing to foot the bill for repairing our relationship himself, because we were unable to pay it. It was not based on our efforts, but his willingness to forgive.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:5-7)

By believing in Jesus Christ, and accepting his sacrifice for our sins we become children of God, according to John 1:12-13. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Romans 8:17 states, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

The inheritance we will receive as result of God’s working in our life is an eternal possession. It will collapse or lose it’s value, unlike earthly possessions. I Peter 1:4-5 describes the inheritance. “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” was God‘s working that saved us, and it is his working that keeps us saved. As Galatians 3:3 points out, it is silly to assume that the natural efforts that were unable to keep us from sin in the first place could ever finish God’s work in us or keep us from sinning after salvation. “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Paul was assured that no created being could separate a Christian from God’s love, as he describes in Romans 8:38-39. “ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” His assurance is based on Jesus’ statement found in John 10:28-29. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.”

Because God is the almighty creator, there is nothing capable of taking us away from him or making him not love us. We may have struggles, but the trials we face demonstrate the reality of our faith, and we have no reason to worry, if we have placed our faith in him. As a result, we can rejoice, knowing that like the discomfort of taking a trip, it is only for a limited time. It cannot prevent attaining what God intends.

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (I Peter 1:6-9)