I listened recently as a dear friend mourned her spiritual condition and wondered if she were truly saved. Can you relate?

I reminded her that she must be, since unsaved people never wonder about their spiritual salvation. There were other things she needed to be reminded of, too.

1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by GOD’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Kept.

We are kept in the hands of Jesus Christ, where we are safe and from where NO ONE can interfere. We are kept ON Christ, as a sure foundation, and IN Christ, as a stronghold, a strong tower against every evil work.

We are kept in the love of GOD BY GOD, in faith BY GOD, and on/in His heart, where we will never be separated.

We are kept BY GOD in the covenant of grace, out of which we will never be put.

We are kept in a state of justification BY GOD and never condemned by Him.

We are kept for salvation BY GOD. It is not our own efforts that keep us in a state of grace for that would mean we earned our salvation. NOT SO. Only GOD can keep us in a state of grace and once there, NO ONE can remove us.

GOD always takes care of His own. His plans for our salvation are set in stone – the foundation stone of Jesus Christ, our cornerstone. GOD is unchanging and He hasn’t changed His mind about us. Once we are accepted into His beloved, there we are secure.

This is the blessed assurance we sing about. This is the blessed hope and peace in which we dwell. Our destination no longer depends upon us – it depends upon GOD, and He is more than able to keep us.

One of the most amazing things about GOD’s keeping grace is the way it changes us into His beloved. We become like my sweet friend, constantly looking for ways to serve Him, to honor Him, to worship Him, to reflect Him. No one can pluck us from His hands and we, in our state of grace, will never remove ourselves.

So today, beloved of the Lord, take a minute – even thirty seconds – to lift your eyes to Him and say thank you for His keeping power and amazing love. What a mighty GOD!

Thank you Papa.