“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:5
One of my favorite toys as a child was the remnant of an abandoned car that sat in the grass below our cow barn. It became the location of many “trips” to other cities and states for three of my brothers, a sister, and me. The absence of a roof and doors made easy access for the small passengers and driver.
That old car was held in place by the ruts where its tireless wheels had stopped its forward progress some ten years earlier, but it did not slow us down one little bit! The driver took his place below the steering wheel and worked it frantically to keep it headed in one direction, yelling out, “oogle, oogle, oogle!” to warn the unsuspecting and imaginary traffic ahead to make way. Since the gasoline supply had long since evaporated, there was nothing to generate power in the engine. That old car was going nowhere, except in our imaginations. It was powerless.
I am thrilled when I consider that the Gospel is a power-filled means of transporting us from earth to Heaven. It was purchased with the precious Blood of God’s only Son, and like the song says, “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power.” We are saved from our sins through that power. We are sanctified through the Blood and its power. The Gospel is not an exercise of the imagination that just makes one feel good for a time; it has real, life-changing power that can save us and keep us until we arrive in Heaven. We will not find power like this anywhere else but in the Lord.
When I see a deserted old car, I am reminded of my life before I gave it to the Lord. Thanks to God, I have been changed from a “vehicle” going nowhere to one filled with God’s power and headed for Heaven. Let’s remember to thank Him today for that saving power that is real in our lives every day, and that it can keep us until we make our final destination!