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Keep and Kept

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 18, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 46.

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Keep and Kept

By John Norton Loughborough

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH
“BECAUSE thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Rev. 3:10, 11.
Two keepings are here introduced. The one is on the part of God, the other is on the part of the believer in Christ—the follower of his word. This special time of keeping is near the time of Christ’s second coming.
The possibility of losing a crown is expressed by another in these words: “The crowns they might have worn, had they been faithful, are put upon the heads of those saved by the faithful servants whose means was constantly in use for God.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. I, page 198.
We read of the Lord as our keeper: “He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Ps. 121:3–8.
The word of the Lord for his people through Jacob was, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.” Gen. 28:15. Of Israel he said, “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way.” Ex. 23:20. The psalmist, when speaking of the Lord’s dealing with his people, says: “O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” Ps. 31:19, 20.
The psalmist, when speaking of the agency employed in this keeping process, says: “He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Ps. 91:11. And of the Lord’s keeping power the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isa. 26:3. And, when comparing the Lord’s people to a vineyard, the same prophet said, “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” Isa. 27:3.
Jude wrote on this subject in these words: “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 24. This text clearly implies that in order to have this keeping there must be on our part a recognition of the glory, majesty, dominion, and
power of the Lord. The apostle Peter speaks of such as being “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:5.
The Lord says of those whom he has promised to keep that they have kept something, and what is it?—“Thou hast kept the word of my patience” (Rev. 3:10) and, “Thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” Verse 8. From this scripture it appears that, in the “hour of temptation,” just before the Lord’s coming, the tendency of the people will be to discredit the word of the Lord, and to set aside his name. At that same time the message by the Lord’s faithful people will be, “Behold your God.” This departure from the word is just what we begin to see in these last days, in what churchmen style “the higher criticism.” No marvel that the Saviour said, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8.
To the Lord’s people in this time the admonition comes with force, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” Jude 21. “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” 1 John 5:3. The Saviour said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:10. In perfect accord with this same thought comes the admonition, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Prov. 4:23. “Keep himself [yourself] unspotted from the world.” James 1:27. “Keep thyself pure.” 1 Tim. 5:22. “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.” Ps. 34:13.
How is all this keeping on our part to be done? Has not the Lord said, “The way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps”? (Jer. 10:23)—Yes! But he has just as surely said, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Prov. 3:6. While of ourselves we are weak, and separated from Christ can “do nothing,” it is for us to choose his service. The admonition to us is, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” Joshua 24:15. As expressed by the apostle Paul, “to will is present with me.” Rom. 7:18.
How this work is accomplished is so well expressed in the words of another that I will quote them here: “The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve him. You can give him your will: he will then work in you to will and to do according to his good pleasure. “The Spirit reveals to the mind the things of God; and to him who co-operates with God is the realization that a divine presence is hovering near. “The Spirit of God is not commissioned to do our part of the work, either in willing or in doing. It is the work of the human agent to co-operate with divine agencies. As soon as we inclineour will to harmonize with God’s will, the grace of God is supplied to co-operate with our resolve.”—Apples of Gold Library, No. 17, pages 7, 4, 5.
From this we can see how it is that “he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” 1 John 5:18. As we choose the Lord’s will and way, trusting his power to work in us to will and to do, we share in the keeping he has promised now from day to day. Following the pathway of his truth and word, we shall be kept in that “hour of temptation” of which he warns us. Those who sense this great goodness of the Lord may indeed “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4: 6, 7.