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Here our apostle seems to pre-occupate and prevent an objection. Some might say, "Though the saints' inheritance be safe in heaven, yet they are in danger here on earth:" Be it so, as if our apostle had said, yet they are and shall be kept by God's power, and their own faith, to eternal salvation.
Note here, 1. We are kept; it implies we are in danger, in great danger of missing salvation, by reason of the number, power, and policy, of our spiritual enemies, corruption and sin within, the devil and the world without; but we are kept as in a garrison; so the word signifies: saints are preserved like beseiged cities; the general whom they fight under, and hold out for, preserves them, by sending in fresh recruits, supplies from the Holy Spirit, and by cutting off such succours as our lusts and spiritual enemies would send forth against us, so that they starve, and shall not vanquish us, but we them. We are kept; eternal thanks for such a keeper!
Note, 2. What it is believers are kept and preserved to, namely, salvation: he does not say they are or shall be kept from trouble and affliction; that their fingers shall not ache in this world: he has made no such promise, and we must expect no such promise, and we must expect no such preservation, but the contrary: In the world ye shall have tribulation, says Christ, the captain of our salvation, Joh_16:1 But safety and rest, happiness and ease, shall be our portion in the coming world.
Note, 3. The means by which we are thus kept unto salvation.
1. On God's part, almighty power. If left one moment to ourselves, we become a prey to every temptation. How did the devil baffle and befool Adam in innocency, when he had his wits about him, by being left in the hand of his own counsels! Lord, in a worst hand thou canst not leave us than our own!
2. On our part we are kept through faith. Our own endeavour must accompany God's power, in order to our preservation. We are kept by the power of God through faith; by both jointly, by neither singly. God's power will not keep us without our care, neither can our care secure us without the help of his power. We and our faith must be kept by the power of God; what God does for us, he does by us; he requires the use of our faculties, and the concurrence of our own endeavours, in order to our salvation.
Note, 4. The time when the saints' complete salvation shall be revealed to them, and they have the full and final fruition of that;-- Ready to be revealed in the last time.
Mark, the saints' salvation in heaven is a mystery, an hidden mystery, not yet revealed; revealed only to saints on earth by faith, to saints in heaven by sight; but the full revelation is not to be expected and enjoyed by glorified saints before the day of judgment, called here the last time: Ready to be revealed in the last time.
Our apostle told us, 1Pe_1:4, it was reserved in heaven for us, kept safe for us, but kept close in heaven: it is an inestimably rich treasure; they that are heirs of it on earth, yea, they that are possessed of it in heaven, do not as yet fully understand and know the transcendency of it, but it shall be revealed to them at the last day.