Kept by the POWER of God

1Pe 1:3 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,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Kept by the power of God.

Through faith.

Unto salvation.

Ready to be revealed.

In the last time.

We are ONLY kept by the power of God.

We have to believe this- and THIS is our faith.

Our Salvation by faith.

That salvation fully realized in the last time.

A promise can be believed, and a promise can be kept, and a promise can be realized and fulfilled. The promise we must believe is that we DO have salvation as our reward, salvation a gift given to us, a promise made to us by our Savior. We must believe in that promise, we must believe in the eventual fulfillment of that promise.

That there are TWO deaths seems so strange to people but the Bible tells us there is a FIRST and a SECOND death.

Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

There is first resurrection- to be resurrected mustn't you first be dead?
The first resurrection.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

This speaks so plainly doesn't it? People are in their graves. People are NOT in heaven and being resurrected from the dead from heaven. IF people are in heaven already there is NO need of any other resurrection, right? It would make NO sense to have a first resurrection, a resurrection of life, if there is already life.

We are promised a resurrection from the dead - those who die in Christ will be called to the resurrection of life. They will be raised from the graves, resurrected to LIFE.

Those who are alive when our Savior returns and raises those that are His to life, do NOT taste even of the first death.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

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1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

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There is an inheritance waiting for us in heaven, but we MUST be kept by the power of God - through faith, to receive salvation. If we die before our Savior returns we will be raised from the dead when He returns- this is a promise. If we are alive when our Savior returns we will be raised from the earth still living to receive salvation.

We have to believe we are kept by GOD'S power, not ours, but HIS POWER. We MUST BELIEVE this is the faith we must have, all by the grace of God.

All in His love!

Amen.