In this message we shall begin to consider 1:5-9.
In verse 5 Peter says, “Who are being guarded by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time.” If we would enjoy our heavenly inheritance today and participate in it, we need to be guarded. This means that we need to be kept in the right position. Sometimes we are distracted and moved away from the position necessary to enjoy the heavenly inheritance. In the past we all have experienced, at least to some extent, that when we are carried away from the Lord by something, we lose the enjoyment of the inheritance of eternal life. Therefore, we need to be guarded, protected.
Thank the Lord that we are being guarded by the power of God through faith. The power of God is the means by which we are being guarded. Faith is the secondary means through which the power of God becomes effective in guarding us. Thus, the power of God is on God’s side, and the faith is on our side. This indicates that we need to cooperate with the power of God. If we cooperate in this way, we shall be kept in the right position to enjoy our heavenly inheritance.
According to verse 5, we are being guarded, garrisoned (a military term), by the power of God through faith unto salvation. The result of this guarding is salvation. In this verse three prepositions are used concerning our coming salvation: by, through, and unto. By refers to cause, through to the means, and unto to the result.
The salvation spoken of in verse 5 is full salvation, ultimate salvation. Specifically, it refers not to salvation from eternal perdition, but refers to the salvation of our souls from the dispensational punishment of the Lord’s governmental dealing. This dispensational punishment of God’s governmental dealing is neglected by most Christians today. They seem to have no light concerning it nor understanding of it. Although such a revelation is found in the Bible, most Christians do not have it in their concept.
Even though we are saved, we need to ask ourselves if we are now ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. If the Lord Jesus were to come back today, would you be ready to appear before His judgment seat? Could you stand before Him there in peace? No doubt, your conscience would tell you that in many things you have not yet been saved. If this is your situation, then the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ may have a negative result as far as you are concerned. However, I hope that the result for us all will be positive. But should the result be negative, we shall experience some kind of punishment. That will not be eternal perdition; rather, it will be the dispensational punishment of God’s governmental dealing.