1 Peter 1:5
who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
From the previous verse, Peter discusses the reason that one reason God redeems the sinner is to both transform him (indirect reason) and also redeems them to an inheritance (direct reason). This inheritance is reserved or set aside in Heaven where God and the savior dwell and where the believer will live in union with God forever. Now, Peter further describes the recipients of the inheritance and the specific blessings the saint receives currently.
These believers are protected by the power of God. This word is used a couple times in the New Testament to refers to the guarding of a prisoner or guarding / keeping watch of the city in order to arrest Paul. In Galatians it was the function of the Law to imprison everyone until faith was revealed in Christ. The positive use of this word in Philippians speaks of the peace of God protect your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Here, Beleivers are protected by the power of God. The strength and ability of God is unrivaled and infinite. As Isaiah records the speech of God: “My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.” (Isaiah 48:13) Isaiah demonstrates that there is nothing outside of God’s command; all that he seeks to accomplish is possible with his strenght. God’s arm is mighty to save and he has done so through Christ.
Salvation is also not void of any change within the recipient; God saves sinners to an end. Salvation has its roots in God’s will redeeming who he will and those who he will save he also redeems and those redeemed will have faith in the Son. Much has been written and said about the role of faith and how faith relates to the process of salvation – is faith the cause of salvation? First, Peter attributes the protection of the believer to the power of God and that protection is salvific in its outlook. That is to say that when God intends to save someone, he actually accomplishes it and does not fail to do so. It is appropriate to say that it is not that ones faith itself that does the saving but faith in the Savior who saves. The relationship between God’s power and faith is closely linked and is evidenced by the fact that there is a lot of discussion about this connection on every side. Since Peter sets up the connection that the protection is BY God’s power we should see faith as the conduit where by God applies that work to the individual believer.
The end result of salvation will not be apparent until it is eventually revealed as Peter states in the last time. Unseen, the full result of salvation does not become apparent until life on this earth is complete. Believers face many trials and difficulties; face persecutions and the effects of the fall on the mind, body, and ethics of ones own heart; face ridicule and doubts about how specific things will turn out. However, the believer has a firm foundation for believing that regardless of what happens on this side of the eternal state, God will make all things right and salvation complete for those who are in Chris.