Protected by Power; Proven by Faith - April 12th, 2026

I'll read for us first Peter chapter one verses three to five, and that's gonna be our passage for today. And it reads, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Let's pray together.

And that we've started to take for granted. Help us to feel these truths, and would you evoke a great joy in knowing these truths? But also help us to learn new things that come from your word, and that we would be encouraged, but more than that, that we would mature into people who not only know you, but know so much about you that we can dispense this knowledge to the world around us and help us to live out what we preach or what what is spoken and what is heard, and I pray that you would empower and strengthen us to go through this week as your ambassadors, and I pray for your blessing over our time, your protection over our minds and our hearts, and that you would feed us. I'm pray all this in Jesus' name.

Amen. Go ahead and take your seat.

But I'm gonna assume you're somewhat familiar with the period of American history that we call the Great Depression. You guys are familiar with this, right? It pretty much destroyed the lives of over 60 million people, which was about half of the American population at the time. So at the beginning of the Great Depression, October 1929, people in America panicked, and they raced to the banks to withdraw all their money. And so they rushed to pull out all of their uh entire life savings. And the great majority of the people uh arrived too late to the banks, and they found out that the banks ran out of money. So the banks were literally completely out of money. And so over the following months, this panic resulted in the permanent closure of most banking institutions, and more than 9,000 of the U.S.

banks never opened again. And the money in nine million savings accounts was wiped out permanently. How many? Nine million. Okay, so the money simply just disappeared, and many responsible people who had diligently saved their money lost it all. So the hardworking people found themselves at a complete loss and then found themselves mired in abject poverty. So one day they had hard-earned money, and then the next day they had nothing. So people hated the banks, and understandably so. And people felt like they could never trust banks ever again. And most people just hoarded whatever cash that they had, and they hid the cash away somewhere in their homes. And so this couldn't bode well long-term for America.

So on June 16th, 1933, almost four years into the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the banking act of 1933 to restore public confidence in the U.S. financial systems and the banks. And so with the banking act of 1933, the federal deposit insurance corporation was created, the FDIC. I'm assuming you all know what the FDIC is, right? The FDIC would be overseen and run by an independent government agency. So the government got involved. And the FDIC guaranteed that a depositor would not lose his deposits in the event of any crisis or a bank failure. The government would reimburse him all his money. And the FDIC insurance was a promise, it was a guarantee. So starting in January 1934, the FDIC insured up to $2,500 per depositor per bank.

And then it quickly increased to $5,000 per depositor per bank. Today, our deposits are insured by the FDIC for up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. And you guys, nod your heads if you're familiar with this, right? So we can say that the banking act of 1933 was an absolute success. It was immediately successful. It was widely successful. It has been historically successful because not one single depositor has since lost any money that he has deposited. Not one. Many banks failed in 2008. Many banks failed again in 2023. But not one single depositor has suffered loss due to a bank closure or a bank failure. So the government made sure that all the depositors of those failed banks still had all of their money.

So FDIC insured money is a sure thing. It has been proven credible and trustworthy, and it's been perfectly dependable for the past 93 years. So nobody today thinks twice about depositing money into banks because our deposits are protected. I'd rather have my money in a bank than in my pocket, right? The money being protected is so sure a thing that once our money is in the bank, we actually feel safe. And because of the FDIC insured money, I have never once worried that the banks will fail me. So our money is protected, and we now literally have an idiom for this. You may or may not have realized this.

And no depositor of even any FDIC insured money is taking a single penny with him into the next life. So FDIC insured money is one of the surest things for a bank account holder, but it is still corruptible, defiled, and fading. Ultimately, even this sure thing is temporary. But on the other hand, the eternal security of the Christian's inheritance is uncorruptible, undefiled, and unfading. It's protected by the power of God himself. And so this morning we're going to be looking at what the certainty of this protection and the security looks like. Alright? So in the previous sermon for the first Peter series, we learned about how the Christian has been born again to a living hope. And in 1 Peter 1, 3 to 4, the Apostle Peter praised God for the wonderful gift of salvation.

And by way of review, salvation was not something that one worked hard for. Amen.

So now, for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, a great incomprehensible inheritance awaits. But today we're gonna see how both the air and that inheritance are protected. So we're gonna be concentrating on verse 5, but just again for the reminder of the context, I see you guys just staring at the verses. Let me start from verse 3, and I'm gonna read it again for us. It reads, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you. Okay, now pay attention, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The Christian inheritance is a sure thing.

Okay, so the Christian is protected. The Christian's deposits, his stored up treasures are all protected. Mots can't touch it, rust can't destroy it. Thieves, including the thief himself, Satan, can't break in to steal it. It is insured and guaranteed by the blood of the Lamb. So the Christian's inheritance is protected for how long? Eternally, permanently. It cannot be undone. So our outline is going to be simple, as we're going to be looking at the Christian's protection. And we're going to look at what the apostle Peter says, that the Christian is protected by what the Christian is protected through, and then what the Christian is protected for, and protected towards.

Okay?

So what is a Christian protected for or towards? So verse 5, who are protected by the power of God for through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. So the Christian is protected by, protected through, and protected for.

And his inheritance. So repeat after me. Once saved, always saved. Amen. Okay. Saints did not earn this. So he can't lose it. He's inherited his inheritance by grace, and it will be permanently sustained by grace. Because God protects the elect.

So the apostle Peter here, which if you look at in the orange, he uses a present participle. He says, who are protected to describe this? This can be understood as who are continually and endlessly being guarded by. So the saint is, has been, and will be eternally protected by the power of God, and that's good news. Protected by the power of God, even from yourself. Okay. So what is the power of God? Generally and broadly speaking, the power of God is the expression of the sovereign nature of God. Repeat after me, the expression of the sovereign nature of God. Amen. And you can remember this easier just by the summary statement: God is able. God is able.

So it literally means that there's nothing my God cannot do that he desires to do. My God is so big, so strong, so mighty, that whatever he desires to do, he will do. God is able. So the psalmist declares in Psalm 115, 3. Alex, can you help me with the slide? Our God is in the heavens.

So he truly does whatever he pleases, including blessed guys like Job, with riches and pain. Job, after personally encountering the God who had ordained and appointed his sufferings, Job repented of his arrogance, and what did he confess? Job 42, 2. I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. So there is nothing that God cannot do.

No purpose of his can ever be thwarted. That's what's meant by the power of God. So this is an all-powerful power. God purposes it, and then it comes about. Good news for us, omnipotent God, purposed for the salvation of men. Amen. The good news for sinful men is that he can be reconciled and restored to the thrice holy God who had created him. So God the Father made God the Son, who knew no sin, become sin for that sinful man, so that that sinful man through the Son could be the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5 21. And in his power, God put, God put his own son to death, and then in his power proved victorious over sin and death itself by raising Christ from the dead. And that's what we just celebrated.

Right? The apostle Paul, Alex, can you calls this the power of his resurrection? And through this, God had made what had become mortal, become immortal. So God can raise the dead.

Okay. So with the resurrection, he guaranteed that now the sinner could become a saint permanently. New creation, new thing altogether. And so with the same power, God is able and will raise you and me with Christ and give us true and abundant life to our decaying bodies. That's the gospel. And God also purposes it for purposes, eternal security. So every saint is eternally secure. We can and we will be redeemed. There's nothing our God cannot do. So if he wants you to be saved, you will be saved. He desires to keep you, you will be kept. And so we don't work at all for this inheritance. Amen. We just simply receive it. It's completely by grace. It is not merited, it is not of works. The cross was enough.

Christ is enough. And the gospel that transforms a sinner into a saint is the manifestation of the power of God. And he has made us heirs. So we didn't earn it, we inherited it. That's the gospel of Christ. That is your boast. That actually is your only boast. You cannot be ashamed of this. I have been made new, not because of anything I've done, but simply because my God is not only good, he's not only love, he can make me like his son. Okay? So Romans 1, 16 to 18. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God. Did you guys catch that? For salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it, what's it? The gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the righteous will live by faith.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in right unrighteousness. So the gospel is the power of God that has saved the saint. The gospel is the confidence for the saint who proceeds in faith with the living hope. And the refuge the saint takes in the gospel shields and protects that saint from the coming wrath of God. So he's powerful to save you from himself. Amen. So the Greek word is dunamis, from which we get the word dynamite. It's not only an explosive, all-consuming power, but it's an all-protective power. Blessed is the man who has taken refuge in the all-protective power of Yahweh, Nahum 1 7. So here is the best rhetorical question that has ever been posed for the Christian in the entire entirety of the scriptures.

Hopefully it comforts you. If it doesn't comfort you, then our faith needs to continue to grow a little bit, right? Or you don't actually think that God is that powerful. But here's what it says.

So our eternity is absolutely and permanently secure. We've won it all. Lotto, big time, jackpot. So we win. And you guys are familiar with the end of Romans 8. The saints don't just win, they overwhelmingly win. Right? They overwhelmingly conquer. Let me read this for you. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creative thing will be able to separate us from the power of God, from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So to sum it all up.

Do you have the script with you? Can you can you uh just swallow along and then click? So to sum it all up, we can define the power of God with this phrase: God is able to save, to forgive, and to transform. None of that will be reversed or undone because God is able to protect. So the Christian who has been truly born again to a living hope is protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So first, first thing, too quick. Just follow along the script, it's word for word. So first, the Christian is protected by the power of God. And second, the Christian is protected through faith. Now, the word faith is theologically of the utmost importance.

Okay, so going forward, the apostle Peter is going to mention faith quite a bit. So faith actually is pretty much a theme of chapter one. In 1 Peter 1 7, next slide. Which we'll look at next week, Peter writes that faith is precious proof. It's priceless and invaluable proof. In verse 9, he writes of faith having an outcome. So faith is not just proof, it's also a means. In verse 21, the apostle Peter writes that faith, which is synonymous to belief, is placed in something concrete. So the believer's faith is in God. So there is a proof of faith, there is an outcome to faith, and there is a source and a destination for faith, and faith will be tested. And that's what 1 Peter is primarily about.

Faith will be tested. So 1 Peter chapters 2 to 5 will go into detail of how faith will be tested. Faith will, we will see through this whole letter will help the believer lovingly endure harsh masters, unbelieving spouses, godless and pagan governments, and even the transgressions of other Christians. Faith will not protect the believer from God ordained suffering. Let that sit again a little bit. Faith will not deliver from a suffering of God who is able that the God who is able has ordained. But faith will carry and preserve the saint through it. Faith may actually result in hardship, but will also result in being God being glorified. So faith is the key.

And faith in God is what sustains and protects the Christian. So now we're gonna have to define what faith is. Alright. Here's a very important question. I want you to think with me in your heads. What is the difference between faith and superstition? This is an important question because there are many superstitious people around us, even in many churches, who cannot distinguish between the two. Right? What's the difference between faith and delusional superstition that often leads to the ruin of men? Faith and superstitious wishful thinking are two very different things. Right? So here's a question. Do you have faith? Or are you simply a superstitious church attendee? This is a very important question to correctly answer because if you don't have faith, you don't have the powerful protection of God.

Does that make sense? So it's of utmost importance to understand what biblical faith truly is. So we are saved by grace alone through what? Through faith alone in Christ alone. And we can access the protection of God by faith alone. So everybody enjoys the common grace and provision of God, but only the saint is protected, Nahum 1-7. So it's pretty important that we that we define it correctly. Also, accurate theology and faith are not the same things. You guys understand this? Good theology and faith are not the same things. A Christian faith that is head knowledge only, no matter how sound, is what I would label as a dead faith. So a dead faith that remains accurate theologically, but has no power, it does nothing to convict, to restore, to save, or to protect.

It's just information. AI can have sound theology. Right? Solid information doesn't save and protect. Superstition does not save or protect. Good information, wishful thinking, do not please God. Because what does the Bible say? Without faith, it's what? Impossible to please God. And a person remains in sin. Okay? So I'm going to give you a biblical definition of faith. The author of Hebrews provides us with a good one. He first defines and then unpacks the definition of faith in Hebrews 11. So here's the definition. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Nod your heads if you've seen this verse before. Okay. Verse 2 tells us that the saints have always been approved by faith.

You guys catch that? Always. So we are all approved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. And you may have heard that phrase. So faith is measurable and definable. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for in God. That's what we'll see in verse 6. Okay. It's the conviction of things not seen, but believed to be true about God. Faith has always moved the saint to action for God. And so the rest of Hebrews 11, which some people call the hall of faith, it's a record of saint after saint who are confident in their hope in God. It's a record of their convictions of the power of God. And it's a list of all these people who are moved to action because of that assurance and conviction.

So true faith always believes, always obeys, and then always moves. Does that make sense?

It is always manifested and proven. So faith by definition is active. There's always a pursuit. There's always a seeking. And faith always has borne tangible fruit. So what did the Hebrews 11 hall of faith heroes do through faith? They conquered kingdoms. They performed righteousness, they obtained promises, they shut the mouths of lions. Wow, they quenched the power of fire. They escaped the edge of the sword. They were made strong from weakness. They became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Pretty cool, huh? So faith is active, it is visible, it's pretty cool. And again, without it, it's impossible to please God. For he who draws near to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

So here we see that God rewards the faithful. Faith has always been rewarded. There's always been some kind of an inheritance tied to faith. But we we see in scripture more times than not that the rewarding is not for this life. There's always been approval, there has not always been an earthly reward. So the reward of faith is not in this life or for this life. So I want to read for you what happened to these same people, protected people of faith in this unworthy world. Okay, this is the same chapter.

They were son into, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in desolate places and mountains and caves and holes in the ground, and all these having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised. Because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us, they would not be made perfect. And so there's something you're gonna notice here. In this life, many promises were never actualized. So the reward for faith is heaven. It's called a better country, Hebrews 11, 16. It's called a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God, verse 10.

So clearly the protection of the power of God may not be for this life. Are you guys tracking? God does not rescue every saint from the furnace. God does not shut the mouth of every lion. He doesn't open the eyes of every blind man to make him see. He doesn't cause every lame man to leap. You guys tracking. The call for many who have been approved for this heavenly reward through faith is hardship for this life. And there are many people at this point, they've already turned off. I don't want to hear it anymore then. I don't need this kind of a faith. But I'm trusting you guys want to keep listening. So what is protected for the Christian by this faith? It's his heavenly inheritance. It is not an earthly life of success, comfort, health, or wealth.

So any pastor or teacher who tells you to live your best life now by simply having more faith, or how you can tap into some secret power of God for earthly gain, for good grades, for a good spouse, for good jobs, false prophet. Is that clear? Is that clear? John MacArthur once was quoted saying, the only way you are living your best life now is if you're going to hell. That's not only a logical quote, that's actually what the Bible teaches. Faith seeks reward in the promised land of heaven, not just in Canaan. Superstition seeks reward, safety, and gain here on earth. Superstition always goes hand in hand with idolatry.

Faith is surrendered to God. Superstition wants to use God, will dance for God, will give money to God, will bow to God for physical Canaan. That's a difference. So now, of course, God often blesses his people in this life and for this life because he is kind and he loves them. But God, in his power, that same power that saves a Christian, that protects the Christian, more often than not, ordains suffering. Peter calls them fiery trials. God purposes sufferings. God delights and wills sufferings. I'm going to get a little closer to home.

Because what? There's nothing that God cannot do, right? All people and institutions in and around your life have been ordained on purpose for a purpose. Amen. There's no mistakes that have been made in your life, not one. In God's goodness, he may have surrounded you with extremely difficult people or circumstances in his goodness for the good of your faith, for the salvation of those people, and for his glory. So here's a preview of next week's sermon.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, even though it's very important, it's very telling, okay. If necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. Why? So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Western Christians in our day are living in a period of historical anomaly. I hope you understand this. What we have is not normal. The Christian in today's Western world, more likely than not, is not persecuted, nor does he suffer hardship. Just like we don't ask for daily bread, because I have plenty of bread in my cupboards and in my two plus fridges.

So for most of Christian history and in most other countries, even today, persecution and suffering are normal for the Christian life. You guys have read about this at least, right? It was to be expected in the Christian life, then it's normal for the Christian to suffer even now in the present. But what do we see faith producing in the midst of the Christian? 1 Peter 1, 6 to 7. In the various trials that come upon the Christian, he isn't only rejoicing, he is what? Greatly rejoicing. That's weird. If someone has major hardship and he's laughing and praising God, you're gonna be kind of like, that's a weird thing. Because this person's faith is being proven real. God allows and even ordains suffering and trial for the Christians so that your faith can be strengthened and proven true.

That's clearly taught in the Bible, right? That's why you're supposed to count it all joy. Because if all-powerful God, who perfectly protects the Christian, allows for the Christian to suffer, then you know it's either for his good or for the good of those around the Christian. So for those who have put their faith in Christ, everything that has been orchestrated for our lives, it's either going to be for good for our faith, or for the salvation and growth of other people who are witnessing our faith being lived out. Are you guys tracking? There is no mistake being made in your life. Romans 5, verses 3 to 5. We boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about, it trains us, it brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character.

Man, you are a Christian. Wow, I do believe this stuff. I do believe God is good and powerful. I'm so encouraged by me. Because my character is becoming more and more like Christ, who willingly suffered for the sake of others. And proven character, hope. Hope does not put us to shame because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us. So this is one of the passages that helps us to understand the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Every elect person will be made a saint. Amen. If God wills it, it happens. And every saint will remain a saint until the very end. One saved, always saved. But in that saint, there will be proven character.

Because God who began a good salvic work in that person will be faithful to carry it to perfection. Philippians 1:6. God will always finish what he started. But in the process, he will protect and prove the saints' faith. And one day that saint will be perfect, lacking in nothing, James 1.4, even if he has suffered the loss of every single earthly thing. And we're going to be looking into that next week. Okay, so brace yourselves. So the elect are protected by the power of God. The elect are saved into that guaranteed protection through faith. And the elect are prepared for a Christ-centered and God glorifying salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. So while we wait for this, what does that mean?

Obedience and faithful labor for the glory of God. That's all over 1 Peter. Obedience and faithful labor for the glory of God. Unhealthy churches probably mostly indirectly teach their people that there is no obedience required once you're saved, because Jesus has fulfilled it all on the cross. That's not the Bible. Obedience with fear needs to persist. It says all over 1 Peter. So the Christian is protected for and towards the glorification of God the Father. Now, the Christian's future and inheritance and salvation are secure. Amen. It's secure. And whether you can try to add to it or not, I don't think we will notice the difference. It's secure. It's something no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived of what God has prepared for us.

It is a glorious invaluable security, right? But what's the Christian protected for here on earth? It's to use any and every opportunity to give glory to the Father. Whether we eat or whether we drink, we do it to what? The glory of God. Whether we date or marry, or whether we change jobs or retire in America or move to an Islamic country, we do so to the glory of God. So the Christian's faith is protected for this earthly life as well, in that his purpose is now excellence for the glory of God, especially in the midst of hardship, persecution, and suffering. So I'm gonna read 1 Peter 2, 12 to 13. This is what's in store in a couple months. By keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, so that even in the thing which they slander you as evildoers, backward, dumb bigots, they may, because of your good works, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Be subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, and he goes on. So while the Christian waits for that day of visitation, he lives by faith. He does good by faith, even if he is blasphemed or persecuted. While waiting for that day, he subjects himself to every human institution with excellent conduct for the glory of God. We're not called to make America a Christian nation. You guys understand this? We're supposed to be excellent stewards of the light. A lot of people confuse the two today. The Christian is protected for a faith-filled excellence in the midst of great suffering. And we continue just to do so until the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time with the return of Christ is actualized.

And we're gonna look at that more next week. And you're gonna have to ready your hearts because what we're gonna be looking at next week is possibly going to bring you a lot of discomfort. Because we're gonna be looking at why do we suffer? And how does God delight in how we suffer? Ooh, that's already like, oh. Is he really good then? But the Christian is protected for and towards the salvation that is awaiting the return of Christ. I want to read you the passage one more time. 1 Peter 1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

So this is way more than money in the bank. Where our treasures are stored up in heaven, moth and rust cannot destroy, thieves cannot break in and steal. No crisis can ruin it. Our inheritance is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading. That's a great, great guarantee of security. Amen.

But quite the opposite is true a lot of times. In application, there's only one thing we really need to make certain. Am I protected? Is my name is my name in the Lamb's book of life? Am I an account holder? Because there are a lot of people sitting in churches who have been scammed. Am I an account holder? Is all that you really need to think about. And that's the primary thing we need to actually concern ourselves with. And it's not complicated to answer this question. If you're gonna ask me, if you were to ask me, who do you bank with? I can tell you immediately without much thought. I bank with chase. To this question, I do not have to think long and hard. How do I know I bank with chase?

Well, I've had many encounters with Chase. All over the world. Actually, no, all over California, okay? Many encounters. I can furnish to you proof that I bank with chase, even if you don't believe me. Am I an account holder? It's not a complicated question. I can also give you a reason why I bank with Chase and not Bank of America or Wells Fargo. And my bank account at Chase has been FDI insured. Right? If I were to ask you, who do you bank with? Immediate answer. Now, in order to be protected by the FDIC, I need to have a bank account into which I am making deposits. Are you guys following this? I have to have an account at the bank to have an FDIC insurance. I bank with chase. I can't walk into Wells Fargo and demand money.

Because I don't have an account there. If you entrust to me $10,000 for safekeeping, and I lose it, FDIC insurance will not recompense you for the money you lost. I'm sorry, but there's no protection, no matter how much you earnestly trusted me to keep that money safe. Are you guys tracking here? The inheritance that we learned about last time and the protection that we learned about today in 1 Peter 1 5 applies only to the Christian who has real saving faith. It does not apply to the churchgoer that is religiously superstitious. That hits home. Are you an account holder? Well, if you are, praise God.

Your inheritance is perfectly secure. My hope is that it doesn't take you long to discern an answer. May that discerning of the answer cause you just to rejoice and greatly rejoice no matter what circumstances come to you this week or next. Amen? Let's pray together. Father, I pray that you would help us to have real faith. For we know that real faith, though it may not give us deliverance from all the physical trials of this life, it ensures that our eternity is permanently fixed and set before the presence of the Lamb of God. So help us to pursue just a building up of our faith. And Lord, we thank you for the many things that you've used in our lives that have been quite painful to strengthen our faith.

And for all of that grace, we praise you and we love you, and we ask, Lord God, that through us, others will come to know this eternal security that they have in Christ. And in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.