Definition and Concept
Preservation, in a biblical context, refers to the divine act of maintaining, protecting, and sustaining creation and the faithful. It encompasses God's ongoing care and provision for His creation, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled throughout history. Preservation is closely linked to God's sovereignty, faithfulness, and covenant promises.

Biblical Foundation
The concept of preservation is rooted in the character of God as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. In Genesis 1:31, God saw all that He had made, and it was very good, indicating His initial act of creation and His ongoing commitment to its well-being. Psalm 36:6 declares, "Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, Your judgments like the deepest sea. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals." This verse highlights God's righteous and just nature in preserving His creation.

Divine Preservation of Creation
God's preservation extends to the natural world. In Colossians 1:17, it is stated, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." This verse underscores Christ's role in sustaining the universe. Similarly, Hebrews 1:3 affirms, "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word." These passages emphasize the continuous involvement of God in maintaining the order and existence of the cosmos.

Preservation of the Faithful
God's preservation is also evident in His care for His people. Psalm 121:7-8 assures believers, "The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore." This promise of protection and guidance reflects God's commitment to the spiritual and physical well-being of His followers.

In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of the security of believers in John 10:28-29: "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand." This assurance of eternal security is a profound aspect of divine preservation, emphasizing the believer's safety in the hands of God.

Preservation through Trials
The Bible acknowledges that believers will face trials and tribulations, yet God's preserving power remains steadfast. In 2 Timothy 4:18, Paul expresses confidence in God's deliverance: "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." This verse highlights the ultimate preservation of the believer's soul, even amidst earthly challenges.

Preservation and God's Covenant
God's preservation is intricately linked to His covenant promises. In the Old Testament, God made covenants with figures like Noah, Abraham, and David, promising to preserve their descendants and fulfill His purposes through them. For instance, in Genesis 9:11, God promises Noah, "I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." This covenantal promise underscores God's commitment to preserving life on earth.

Eschatological Preservation
The theme of preservation extends to eschatological hope, where God promises to preserve His people for eternal life. In 1 Peter 1:4-5, believers are encouraged by the promise of an inheritance "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." This future-oriented preservation assures believers of their ultimate redemption and eternal security.

Conclusion
The biblical doctrine of preservation reveals a God who is intimately involved in the care and sustenance of His creation and His people. Through His sovereign power, covenant faithfulness, and redemptive plan, God ensures that His purposes are accomplished, providing believers with assurance and hope in His unfailing preservation.(n.) The act of keeping safe; the state of being preserved, or kept from injury, destruction, or decay; security; safety; as, preservation of life, fruit, game, etc.; a picture in good preservation.4047. peripoiesis -- preservation, acquisition
... preservation, acquisition. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: peripoiesis
Phonetic Spelling: (per-ee-poy'-ay-sis) Short Definition: obtaining ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4047.htm - 7k

4991. soteria -- deliverance, salvation
... Phonetic Spelling: (so-tay-ree'-ah) Short Definition: deliverance, salvation Definition:
welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, salvation, safety. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4991.htm - 7k

4972. sphragizo -- to seal
... From sphragis; to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation
(literally or figuratively); by implication, to keep secret, to attest ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4972.htm - 8k

5084. teresis -- a watching, hence imprisonment, a keeping
... of precepts). Cognate: 5084 -- final safe-keeping (well-kept preservation),
emphasizing the of being kept . See 5083 (). [5084 () accordingly ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5084.htm - 7k

4241. michyah -- preservation of life, sustenance
... 4240, 4241. michyah. 4242 . preservation of life, sustenance. Transliteration:
michyah Phonetic Spelling: (mikh-yaw') Short Definition: reviving. ...
/hebrew/4241.htm - 6k

4931. mishmereth -- a guard, watch, charge, function
... Fem. Of mishmar; watch, ie The act (custody), or (concr.) The sentry, the
post; obj. Preservation, or (concr.) Safe; fig. Observance ...
/hebrew/4931.htm - 6k

Of the Preservation of the Individual in the Primitive State (Four ...
... OF THE PRESERVATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE PRIMITIVE STATE (FOUR ARTICLES).
We next consider what belongs to the bodily state of ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of the preservation of the.htm

Of this Preservation of the Elect to Salvation and of their ...
... Fifth Head of Doctrine Article 9 Of this preservation of the elect to
salvation and of their perseverance in the faith? Of this ...
/.../various/the canons of dordt/article 9 of this preservation.htm

Self-Mutilation for Self-Preservation
... XVIII to XXVIII SELF-MUTILATION FOR SELF-PRESERVATION. 'If thy hand or thy foot
causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee.'-MATT. xviii.8, RV ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture b/self-mutilation for self-preservation.htm

Letter x. The Preservation of Health.
... LETTERS, &c. LETTER X. The Preservation of Health. "I wish, above all things, that
thou mayest prosper, and be in health.""3 John, 2. MY DEAR SISTER,. ...
/.../letter x the preservation of.htm

Preservation of the Church of the Novatians from Fire.
... Book VII. Chapter XXXIX."Preservation of the Church of the Novatians
from Fire. A little while after this, Paul bishop of the ...
/.../chapter xxxix preservation of the church.htm

Of the Preservation of the Species (Two Articles)
... OF THE PRESERVATION OF THE SPECIES (TWO ARTICLES). We next consider what
belongs to the preservation of the species; and, first, of ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/of the preservation of the 2.htm

Psalm 121:2. CM Preservation by Day and Night.
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 121:2. CM Preservation by day and night.
1 To heaven I lift my waiting eyes, There all my hopes ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 121 2 0 c m preservation.htm

The Creation, Preservation, Dissolution, and Restoration of this ...
... Hymns. Book 2. Composed on Divine Subjects. Hymn 2:13. The creation,
preservation, dissolution, and restoration of this world. 1 ...
/.../watts/hymns and spiritual songs/hymn 2 13 the creation preservation.htm

Prayer for Preservation from Sinful Words.
... ORIGINAL HYMNS HYMN CCCXXX. Prayer for Preservation from sinful Words. 8.8.8.8
James Montgomery. Prayer for Preservation from sinful Words. ...
/.../montgomery/sacred poems and hymns/hymn cccxxx prayer for preservation.htm

Uncorrupt Preservation of the Gospel Narratives.
... PART I. EVIDENCES OF REVEALED RELIGION. CHAPTER III. UNCORRUPT PRESERVATION
OF THE GOSPEL NARRATIVES. 1. It is necessary, first ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter iii uncorrupt preservation of.htm

Preservation (1 Occurrence)
... (n.) The act of keeping safe; the state of being preserved, or kept from injury,
destruction, or decay; security; safety; as, preservation of life, fruit, game ...
/p/preservation.htm - 6k

Garner (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A granary; a building or place where grain is stored for preservation. 2.
(vt) To gather for preservation; to store, as in a granary; to treasure. Int. ...
/g/garner.htm - 9k

File (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) An orderly collection of papers, arranged in sequence or classified for
preservation and reference; as, files of letters or of newspapers; this mail ...
/f/file.htm - 9k

Police (10 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A judicial and executive system, for the government of a city, town, or
district, for the preservation of rights, order, cleanliness, health, etc., and ...
/p/police.htm - 10k

Commend (22 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To commit, entrust, or give in charge
for care or preservation. 2. (vt) To recommend as worthy ...
/c/commend.htm - 15k

Salt (45 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) The chloride of sodium, a substance used
for seasoning food, for the preservation of meat, etc. ...
/s/salt.htm - 34k

Jonah (30 Occurrences)
... Our Lord thus speaks both of the physical miracle of the preservation of Jonah in
the body of the fish and of the moral miracle of the repentance of the ...
/j/jonah.htm - 35k

Seal (47 Occurrences)
... affixed their seal to the written covenant between God and His people (Nehemiah
9:38; Nehemiah 10:1). (3) An additional use was the preservation of books in ...
/s/seal.htm - 38k

Papyrus (4 Occurrences)
... Biblus, but except in the rarest instances papyri have escaped destruction only
in Upper Egypt, where climatic conditions especially favored their preservation...
/p/papyrus.htm - 34k

Libraries
... The gathering together of books in libraries had its origin in the ideas of (1)
preservation, (2) gathering together like books in order to join together their ...
/l/libraries.htm - 38k

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Preservation: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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