Witness Protection Program
1 Peter 1:1-5
Introduction:
Witness protection is the process in which witness are protected against intimidation before there testimony or criminal retaliation.
The U.S. Federal Government both relocates and gives new identities to witnesses who risk there lives giving a testimony.
To help avoid discovery, witnesses are expected to sever all ties with former acquaintances.
According to the FBI, no program participant following the security guidelines has ever been harmed while under the protection of the agency.
Nearly all witnesses who were harmed, had either failed fully to comply, or had left the program.
1 Peter 1:5 notes
Kept is a Greek word meaning to guard – keep – or defend
~The idea is that there was a faithful guardianship exercised over them to save them from
danger.
~The meaning is, that they were weak in themselves, and were surrounded by
temptations; and the only reason they were preserved was, that God exerted his power
to keep them.
~Who are defended as in a fortress or castle.
~There is a remarkable correspondence between the two verbs used in this sentence: the
verb threw, signifies to keep, watch, guard or it signifies to keep as under a military
guard
~The true disciples of Christ are under the continual watchful care of God, and the
inheritance is guarded for them.
~In some countries military posts are constantly kept on the confines, in order to prevent
irruptions from a neighboring people.
~God Himself is our sole guarding power.
~It is His power which saves us from our enemies.
~It is His long-suffering which saves us from ourselves.
The FBI relocates and gives out new identities to those in the program
2 Corinthians 5:17 says…
Therefore, if any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creator, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.
~Having Christ dwelling in his heart by faith is a new creature;
~His old state is changed: he was a child of Satan; he is now a child of God;
~He was a slave of sin, and his works were death;
~He is now made free from sin, and has his fruit unto holiness.
~He was before full of pride and wrath; he is now meek and humble.
~He formerly had his portion in this life; he now hath GOD for his portion.
~He looks not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are eternal.
~Therefore, old things are passed away.
Isaiah 43:18-19 says…
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
We must sever all ties with our old lives
Hebrews 12:1says…
12Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Philippians 3:13-14 says…
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:8-10 says…
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Upon your testimony, you have become to have immunity from criminal prosecution
The word justified means to be declared not guilty.
How are we justified?
Romans 5:9 says….
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. It is By his blood!
Romans 3:28 says…
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
It is by Faith in Him!
1Timithoy 3:16 says….
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on
in the world, received up into glory. It is by His Spirit!
1 Corinthians 6:11 says….
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
It is by His name!
The U.S. Federal Government supplies you with housing
John 14:1-6
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we
know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me
Are you in the program, and are you being protected by the power of God?
