#216 – Some Things the Believer Can Keep

SOME THINGS THE BELIEVER CAN KEEP

John 8:51-52 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death."

WE ARE TO KEEP HIS SAYINGS

Jesus said, “If a man keep my sayings . . .” The word “keep” translates “tereo” and means, “to attend carefully to.” The promise to the one who does this is, “he shall never see death.” The verb here is in the aorist tense and refers to a point of time. He is saying that if a man keep my sayings he will never at a point of time see death. You will never taste death. The word taste translates “geuomai” and means, “to taste, to try the flavor of.”

2 Timothy 1:14, “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.”

The Holy Spirit dwells within every believer and what he could not keep in his own strength he can keep by the Holy Ghost according to Paul.

WE ARE TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST

John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

The commands of the Lord are given to His disciples. They are never given to the unsaved as a condition to obtaining salvation. However, after we are saved we are to keep His commands. The word “keep” here is an aorist tense verb so it is referring to a point of time. It is in the imperative mood which is a command expressing urgency.

All one has to do to keep the urgency in this command is to look around and see the many who profess to be Christians who live no different than the world around them.

WE ARE TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT

Ephesians 4:1 3, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

There is nothing that will bring more power to a local assembly than to have people who go out of their way to maintain unity. We see this clearly illustrated in the Book of Acts:

Acts 1:14 says, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

Acts 2:1 says, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

Acts 2:46 says, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,”

Acts 4:24 says, “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:”

Acts 5:12 says, “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.”

There are some things that the believer is to keep as a demonstration of his faith in the living Lord and Saviour.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White