God Gives, and Protects, Our Salvation (1 Peter 1:3-5)
- Patrick Dirrim
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. —1 Peter 1:3-5
As a father of seven children, I knew when they were young that Christmas morning would invariably be exciting, chaotic, and busy. As our children opened up their gifts—we went child and one gift at a time—it was often hard to keep track of smaller items like gift cards or cash amidst all the wrappers, ribbons, boxes, and paper. In order to safeguard those smaller gifts, I would take them and keep them for my children. I was able to ensure that they didn’t lose or even forget about those valuable items.
The Fighter Verse passage this week reminds me a little of Christmas morning. Instead of talking about an Amazon gift card or a $20 bill, Peter is speaking about the inheritance each Christian has been given of a living hope.
Just as I kept my kids’ gifts safe, so too, God keeps each Christian and their profession of faith secure in Him. It's interesting to note in this passage that God is not only the giver of the gift, He is also the protector of the gift. My kids, in their ignorance and immaturity, did not have the capacity to keep track of their gifts—especially in the chaos and excitement of Christmas morning.
God knows that His children are like that, too. He caused us to be born again and He is using His unlimited sovereign power to guard us, to protect us, and to keep us secure. One of the most significant truths of Christianity is the immanence of God. By that I mean that God is close and not distant, He is involved and not uncaring, and He is personal and not aloof.
His involvement can be seen in His guarding of those who are His so that they will inherit all that He has promised through His Son Jesus. God is the grantor and sustainer of the Christian’s faith, and yet, it remains the Christian’s duty to stoke and strengthen their faith. Jude 20-21 says, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God…” (see also Hebrews 10:23-25; 2 Peter 1:5-10). One great way to build yourself up in your faith is to dwell on your amazing God who is Himself guarding you. Spend some time this week considering the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance He is keeping for you.
Unlike my children on Christmas morning, we who are born again can–with the Spirit’s help–begin to understand, and treasure, the infinite worth of what God is preparing for us. May we become followers of Jesus who treasure the worth and value of what Jesus has done for us as we contemplate our great inheritance.
For Reflection
Look up the definitions for imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. These are the words Peter uses to describe your inheritance in Christ. How do they make you feel toward our triune God? Share that with someone today.
What circumstances in your life are currently tempting you to doubt God’s nearness, involvement, or care? How does remembering God’s immanence strengthen your confidence in Him?
What are you doing as part of your daily and weekly schedule to build yourself up in your most holy faith in our great God?
Patrick Dirrim helped to start Grace Fellowship church, with his wife Barbara 22, years ago. They have worshipped there ever since, outside of the two years when they served as missionaries in Guatemala. They've been married for 30 years and have seven children and two grandchildren. The Dirrims have been using Truth78 curriculum from the start and have introduced it to many other churches, as well as trained others how to use it.