PROMISES
BEHIND THE PROMISES IS THE GOD WHO PROMISES! THE PROMISES POINT TO THE GOD WHO PROMISES AND HE IS FAITHFUL!
Let us look at some of His Powerful unchanging Promises of Provision.
1. He Promises To Save –
“Save?” What does that mean? “Salvation,” means to deliver from danger or suffering.”Saved from what? The word “saved means to deliver or protect.The word carries the idea of victory, health preservation. In the Scripture it is used to speak of both temporal and eternal deliverance from danger!
There are Three Dangers each person faces and must be eternally delivered and rescued from and protected, namely
A.- The Penalty & Consequences of Sin;
“For the wages of sin is death, “-{Rom 6:23}; “The person who sins will die “-{Ezekiel 18:20}. Sin pays wages. Like a job pays wages…so sin pays… death. eternal separation from God.”…when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,“– {2 Thess 1:7-9}; Away from His presence in eternal destruction!
THE GOOD NEWS?
” For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. “-{Col 1:13-14}
“…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”-{Rom 6:23} ” These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. “-{1 John 5:13}
B. – The Power of satan;
“By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. “-{1 John 3:10}. Note two families, “God and of the devil.” All are created by God but not all children of God. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”-{John 8:44}. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. “- {Eph 2;1-2}.” escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.“- {2 Tim 2:26}
THE GOOD NEWS?
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. “-{John 1:12-13}. “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. “- {1 John 5:12}
C. – The Wrath of God;
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.“-{Romans 1:18-21}…”… Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”-{Eph 2:3}. Wrath is used to speak of righteous anger, not human flying off the handle or supressing evil hostility, but an anger, dissatisfaction that is just and right by God against sin!
THE GOOD NEWS?
“But God…Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”– {Rom 5:9}
THE SCRIPTURES THE SOURCE; “…and that from childhood you have known the Sacred Writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”- {2 Tim 3;15}
” She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” -{Matt 1:21}
“for,”Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – {Rom 10:10}.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.“- {John 1:12-13}
“For this reason He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. “- {Heb 9;15}
” This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. “-{1 John 2:25}
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; ” -{Jude 1;2}
” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” – {Rom 10:17;}
“ All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.“-{John 6:37}.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. “-{John 3;17}
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.“-{Ephesians 2:8-9}.
2. He Promises To Supply.
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” – {Phil 4:19}. He supplies all our needs and we will always have what we need, for “the LORD is my Shepherd I shall not want.”It is impossible to lack what God wants you to have when He is your Shepherd! -{Psalm 23:1}. If I don’t have it, I don’t need it to glorify Him, but if I need it to Glorify Him I will have it because the LORD is my Shepherd and He has promised and fulfills all HIS Promises to meet all of my needs! “The first four NT uses referring to the promise of the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49+, Acts 1:4+, Acts 2:33, 39+ }
We have “need” for “power” to live the Christian life and He supplies the Person of The Holy Spirit to meet that “need.” He empowers us and He teaches and guides us in all truth, and glorifies the LORD Jesus- {Read John 16:13, 14; Matt 5;14-16}. He promises the power to change us and we can as He promises to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus. And He meets this “need” also and He supplies!- {Read John 17:17; Rom 12:2; Phil 2:12-13; 2 Peter 1;3-4}.
Our “needs” are often opportunities for us to turn to Him and talk to Him in prayer. And then we get to see Him intimately involved and we get to know Him better as we see Him meet the “need,” just as He said! What often is our response when He meets a need? We are excited, relieved maybe but we thank Him and in doing so we glorify Him.-{Luke 17;15-17}; and we are Doing His revealed will-{1 Thess 5:18}.
We see in our “need” God is working all things including this thing to work together for good… as the “need” has made us conscious of our “need’ of Him and we 1. – turn to Him in prayer, 2. -we glorify Him when we thank Him and also in thanking Him for the “need” that has caused us to come to Him and as we thank Him we are 3. – doing His will… AND WHEN HE ANSWERS AS HE SEE FIT THEN WE …4.- TELL OTHERS ABOUT…HIM! So note those four things that God causes to work for good that comes forth from a “need” we have! In my own recent “need” my initial response was to stress, but I was conscious to stop and instead thank Him.
I was reminded of the words of my daughter who was about 11 years old at the time, I sat the children down to share of a “need,” we had, not to dishearten but to show them to turn to Him in prayer when we and they in life encounter needs. I can’t remember much from that episode but I do remember her sitting on the couch and praying,”LORD, Thank You for this trial”! Talk about “out of the mouth of babes!” And so last week, seventeen years later, the LORD brings that back to mind! I prayed and asked Him to please bring back instances in times past of when He met needs and my mind went back to His provision twenty nine years ago, and as each “need” that He met came to mind I thanked Him and in doing so know on the authority of His Word I was glorifying Him and doing His will.., it was working our for good…. just as He promised!-{ Read Rom 8:28.} If I thanked Him twenty times then for each time I did, I glorified Him twenty times and I did His Will twenty times! And yes, HE did meet the need I had, just as He had promised! To Him be the honor and glory and praise! He is faithful to His Promise!
We may not know how He will meet the “need,” but we know He WILL meet the need- for this He has promised!
3. He Promises To Sustain.
” And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” – {2 Cor 12:9}. “And He said,”grammatically He has said, is saying will say. He is unchanging in His promise of present tense provision of power! “Is”– present tense, “sufficient,” which means “enough.” His grace is present tense enough for what you are going through to empower you. His power is made perfect in weakness.
“Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”-{Psalm 54;4}.
“For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. “-{Neh 9;21}.
Are you burdened? “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken “-{Psalm 55;22};
Are you worried about getting old and what will happen you? “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”-{Isaiah 46:4};
The first miracle of each day? Is God awakens you, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. “-{Psalm 3:5} . He supports, He nourishes, He keeps alive, He provides, He promises and keeps all His promises. He sustains us!
“Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. How proud I am to bear your name, O Lord”- {Jer 15:16-17 NLT}.
The Word of God is His provision for our spiritual sustenance, joy and delight, they are what sustain us. Now, can you understand why there is such a fight to keep you from His Word? His WORD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE…{Read Heb 4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, BUT by every word that comes our of the mouth of God.“-{Matt 4:4}. “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. “-{Psalm 119;105}. He uses HIS Word to Sustain you, me -us!
4. He Promises Security.
Security, we want to not only to feel safe but be safe, Safe in our homes so what do we do? We have doors with locks, bolts on them, we may have security devices, alarms to protect our homes. We put our money in a bank or a safe for security, to protect it. God wants His people to know He has SECURED them and their future! They are in SAFE Hands!That”s a Promise!
“…and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”-{John 10:28-30}.
“…who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.“-{1 Peter 1:5}. Our salvation is secure. Our eternal safety is guaranteed by Him who promises to keep our soul safe and secure. We cannot lose what He has!He has saved us and secured our souls for safekeeping! We are ‘kept by the power of God!” The evil one cannot have me, death cannot have me because God has me!
” In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, “- {Eph 1:13}. Our salvation is protected, guaranteed by the “seal” which speaks of authority, ownership, belonging to Him because He has placed His “seal” the Holy Spirit upon our soul! Owned by Him, Secured by Him and Secure in HIM! He promises!
“…for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”- {2 Tim 1:12}. Paul’s confidence was not in himself or anyone else to sustain and secure his soul but in the LORD! His keeping, not mine is the security we rest in and revel in.
He is my and your SECURITY, “in Christ!” …” being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”-{Phil 1:6}. Eternal security guaranteed by Him who died and arose and is seated as Sovereign King, who has made promises, and has the power and integrity to keep all He has promised! He will get us Home safely to the Father’s House, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” -{John 14:3}.”And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”-{Luke 23:43};” we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord .”- {2 Cor 5:8}; “… Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, “-{John 17:24}. He has promised security, eternal security and as His child, His follower you can rest in His promise. Safe and Secure- eternally so!
Can a believer lose their salvation? Let me ask you a question? “Can you lose God? Can He go missing and no longer be found, vanished, ka-put, no more, He is just gone?” No! I can no more lose my salvation than I can lose God! As long as God is…and He is eternal,…my soul as is yours safe and secure with Him “in Christ,” why? Because He promised!
5. He Promises To Satisfy.
There is an old song that says,“I cant get no satisfaction, though I try and I try, I can’t get no satisfaction!” And that is true. Though the Scripture says there is pleasure in sin for a season, the season does end and like a dog returning to his vomit, we go back again and again seeking satisfaction but cannot get it, that sustains and satisfies us,…”Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. “-{Isaiah 55:2}.
“But God….” has provided that which satisfies!
Jesus speaks to the woman at the well and promises He can satisfy the need of her heart. “…but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. “-{John 4:14}
“ For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.”-{Jer 31:25};
“For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.“-{Psalm 107:9};
” The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. “-{Isa 58:11};
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.“-{Matt 5:6}.
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” -{2 Cor 12:9}. The word “sufficient” means “enough,” with the implication “SATISFIES!” He Himself, His grace, empowerment, SATISFIES! Satisfaction is tied up not in the accumulation in things, OR the absence of difficulties or pain, but in a Person, the LORD JESUS CHRIST! And this, the LORD said to Paul after refusing to take away the “Thorn,” the word spoke not of some little “sliver” under the skin of your finger, as an irritation, but was used of a wooden stake to impale, torture, someone. This was serious pain. And the LORD said instead of removing it would impart His Promise of empowering grace and that His power would be manifested, unleashed through Paul’s weakness. Paul’s response? Was to glory, knowing when he was weak he was strong! God has a promise to enable you to spiritually flourish in the hard place. Sometimes He delivers us FROM the trial, other times He gives us Grace to Sustain us IN the trial. Either ways, it takes His Wisdom, power to deliver from or sustain us IN and that we will experience sufficient grace with the implication He will satisfy us!!! What amazing Grace of God. What a promise for those in pain. He Himself the sufficient One Promises sufficient grace to endure and that satisfies us!
6. HE PROMISES FOR SERVICE.
” At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, SO THAT THROUGH ME the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear;” – {2 Tim 4:16-17}. Note he was forsaken, forgiving, filling, focused. He was forsaken, “all deserted me,” no one stood with him, identified with him, but left him in his hour of need. His response? He was Forgiving. He Was like His Lord upon the Cross, “Father forgive them they know not what they do.” And Stephen when being stoned, for his stand for Christ, also, did not want it held against them. And Paul in this lineage of love extends forgiveness. It was not a feeling but a choice of Love that influenced Him. The cross of Christ, His banner. He was not bitter, vengeful, but in the pressure cooker and pain, he extends love as his response in the form of forgiveness. He was not, nor did he see himself as a “super hero,” but dependent, upon the LORD to give him the inward strength he needed to speak and proclaim the Gospel. The LORD supplied! He was a dependent man and he received strength in his hour to proclaim the Gospel. His focus was not on his hurt, himself, but on the enemies, his cruel captors hearing the message of liberation. True, they thought they held his life in their hands, but his life had long been lost when entrusted into the Hands of the Nail Scarred One. But for His grace they would die in their sins and Paul was commissioned, strengthened to speak the words of liberation to those in spiritual bondage. Amazing love of the Lord Jesus.
In your tough times, trust Him to be eternal conscious. Choose love and forgiveness and focus on those before you, whom He died for and loves! Like having your bigger brother show up and stand beside you when bullies gather around you, so the Sovereign, Resurrected One stands with you. Be aware you are not alone, or outside His care. He holds their breath in His hands. It is the mercy and grace of God that He extends such patience not willing any perish but all come to repentance. There is no guarantee He will keep you from physical harm or from verbal abuse but there is the assurance He has taken care of your eternal welfare. He stands with you. He strengthens you to fulfill His purpose, “SO THAT THROUGH ME…” you will proclaim His liberating Gospel. You are a choice servant here today, for His cause, and the benefit of others, even your enemies. But look who stands with you.
Look at why He strengthens you. You are sufficient for this moment! You can extend forgiveness because you have been forgiven! You can speak up because He strengthens you. A call to trust, a call to tell. He stands with you, supplying you strength to server and share His Liberating Gospel!
” ALL Scripture…is profitable for teaching.. so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.“-{2 Tim 3:17}.”Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. “-{Heb 13:20}.
Peter wrote , “…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. “-{2 Peter 1;3-4}
“Everything” you need to live a Godly life you already possess. Your standing with God is perfect, your understanding of who He is and who you are “In Christ,” and what HE has given you, has to grow, and often be reminded that you have POWER and PRECIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT PROMISES to Love and live!
I once read of an elderly couple who were found dead in their apartment and the autopsy showed they died of malnutrition. When detectives checked their apartment they found two brown paper bags stuffed with $40,000 in cash. They has the RESOURCES to Supply and live on but they failed to use the RESOURCES at their disposal and they died NEEDLESSLY!
How we too in the spiritual realm are malnourished as we fail to use the SPIRITUAL RESOURCES God has gifted us, power to Love, LIVE and Promises to EMPOWER us.
7. SCRIPTURE
2 Tim 3:15; Matt 4:4;
SO whatever your “Need” God has a Promise for it and with the Promise is His Power to back-up and fulfill all He Promises!
When you choose To Use His promise you Honor Him as it shows you trust Him. To Refuse to use His promise is to Dishonor Him as it says you do not Trust Him that He cannot be trusted, He is not reliable, trustworthy!
OUR FAITH IS NOT MERELY IN THE PROMISE BUT IN THE GOD WHO IS BEHIND THE PROMISES!
God pays out on all His promises you cash in on, at the “Bank of Heaven.”
Behind every Promise is God Himself, the Guarantor!
Take a Promise and memorize, meditate upon it, pray it, praise and Thank Him that He keeps His Word and incorporate it into your life!
You have Power, You Have His Promises... all because of The Person -The LORD Jesus!
Celebrate Him
SAVE- from sin, satan, God’s wrath- Rom 1;18; Two Families children of God, children of the evil one
SUSTAIN –
SECURE- 1 Peter 1:5
SUPPLY – Phil 4;19; Temptations 1 Cor 10;13; Eph 6: ; 2 Peter 1;3-4
SATISFY – 2 Cor 12:9; Matt 5 ;
SERVE- Heb 13; 2 Tim 3:16-17; strengthen ; 2 Thess?
SCRIPTURE –