Keep

Kristen has been really enjoying blogging so I thought I would get in on it. 

                                                  

Here goes: 

I was in Luke this morning during my quiet time, and when I read this I decided to do a little word study on keep:

'Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.' (Luke 17:33) 

Keep in the Greek according to Strong's Concordance means variously; I acquire, earn, purchase, make my own, preserve alive, properly or fully acquire, reserve for myself with deep personal interest or caring.

'…the church of God, which he bought or purchased (kept) with his own blood.' (Acts 20:28b)

This verse in Acts contains the same word as the verse in Luke. 

Behind the command of Luke is the deep, comforting reality of Acts: I (and all the church, really) am now kept by the Lord, and so I do not need to keep, preserve, or reserve my own life.

God has answered Cain's question, 'Am I my brother’s keeper?' with his own body, making Himself the keeper of all men.  I have been wholly acquired by Christ, and reserved for himself and his purposes. I am kept with deep, tender care by Christ's own blood and at a great cost to Himself.  Christ came to tie up the strong man and take his possessions, to redeem this man's prisoners for Himself, to purchase men for Himself from every tribe, tongue, and nation, to keep me. (Gen. 4:9, Matt. 10:29, Rev. 5:9)

I have died, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3)

So, when Paul says that in every city, 'the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.  However I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me,'  he knows that he is kept by the Lord. (Acts 20:23-24)

And, when Hudson Taylor wrote to his children during a hard season of running China Inland Mission 'the dear Lord Jesus who never leaves…says, 'Don’t be afraid; I will keep your heart satisfied'…I wish you, my precious children, knew what it is to give your hearts to Jesus to keep everyday.  I used to try to keep my own heart right, but it would always be going wrong.  So at last I had to give up trying myself, and to accept the Lord’s offer to keep it for me,' he knew he was kept by the Lord.

And, when Jesus, thinking of the cross and his very near passion, said,

'Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?

‘Father, save me from this hour?’

No it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

Father, glorify your name!' He knew He was kept by the Lord. (John 12:27-28)

Jesus, and Paul, and Hudson knew that we are kept by the all-powerful hand of God. 

And so they willingly laid their lives down, poured them out, and became an offering for the One who had bought them so He could keep them.

'I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.' (John 12:24-26)

Jesus’ words refer to Himself, but also now to me.  They call me, challenge me, and convict me.  If I will be His servant I must follow Him. 

Where? 

To the cross where he died.  To death and suffering, because that is where Christ was. 

Behind this hard teaching is the reality that I am kept by God already.  And I am not left as an orphan; I have One who comes from the Father living in me always.

But still, it is hard to know that following my Lord means that I must no longer keep my life for myself, and must walk the narrow path of faithful, obedient, poured out suffering. 

I don't know exactly what this means.  What kind of suffering am I called to?  What will I have to give up?  How much will I lose?  Will it hurt?

I suspect that I am asking all the wrong questions; after all, Jesus says to me, anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matt. 10:39)

But I have not suffered much in my life, and so suffering and loss seems scary.  But Jesus says to me, Do not let your heart be troubled. (John 14:1) 

And so I pray that I will have the courage and strength to trust in God’s keeping of me, and walk faithfully.  I know that this path has been walked by Christ, and Paul, and Hudson, and thousands more as well.  And I know that I am not alone in walking it.

But still.

I only pray that I am soon able to say not, 'Father, save me from this suffering,' but 'Father, glorify your name!'

And I trust that the Lord will keep my heart, and that it is to God's glory that I bear much fruit in faithfulness, and show myself to be His disciple. (John 15:8)

-Nick

Luke 17:33

Acts 20:22-38

Genesis 4:9

Matthew 12:29

 

Revelation 5:9 

Colossians 3:3

Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret

John 12:23-28

 

John 14:14-21

Matthew 10:38-39

John 14:1

John 15:8