the blessing of keeping grace

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them." (Numbers 6:22-26 ESV)

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Here is the way that John Gill comments on the phrase "keep you":

from, the evil of the world, from the evil one Satan, from the evil of sin, and the power, prevalence, and dominion of it, and from falling totally and finally by it, and keep in a state of grace unto everlasting salvation.

I love the way he speaks to grace being a state. The blessing of grace is what keeps us - it is God's grace that causes us to stand when we are tempted to bow to temptation. It is complicated though because, as in the Lord's prayer, we must ask for grace to stand against temptation.

Father, we come to Your throne of grace today with thankful hearts. Please shower mercy and grace on us that we might stand in the face of temptation ... that we would triumph as our faith is tested ... that endurance would be sown deep in our souls.

Amen

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