HIS POWER AND PROMISES

” being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. “- {Rom 4:21}.

“The essence of saving faith is taking God at His Word, no matter how difficult it may seem. God’s promise to Abraham was beyond all reason and human experience, but Abraham believed it. This should be our example with regard to the promises that are yet to be fulfilled.”-{Morris}

“POWER,” – “Able”-{Dunatos}. He has the ability to do it! “IS ANYTHING too difficult for the LORD?”-{Gen 18:14.}; “One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with You, Lord, is unfailing love.” -{Psalm 62;11-12}.

“Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?  You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.  You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with Your strong arm you scattered your enemies.  The heavens are Yours, and Yours also the earth; You founded the world and all that is in it.”-{Ps 89:8-11}.

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” -{Jer 32:17}.

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”-{Rev 4:11}.

His Power is Seen in…

HIS CREATIVE POWER; “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”-{Gen 1:1}; “ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”-{Col 1:16}

HIS SUSTAINING POWER – “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholding all things by the word of His power.” -{Heb 1:3}; “…He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. “- {Col 1:17}

HIS REDEEMING POWER – “But now, this is what the Lord says— He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.“- {Isaiah 43:1}; “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace   ” -{Eph 1:17}; ” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” -{Gal 3:13}; ” And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with your blood You purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.“-{Rev 5:9}

HIS PROTECTIVE POWER – to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” -{1 Peter 1:4-5}. We have an inheritance that can never be taken from us, we can’t lose it, for God Himself has Promised to reserve and to protect our souls.

“Kept {Protected} by the POWER of God “-{1 Peter 1:5}. It is a military term to protect, keep guard. We are not kept from troubles but our soul’s are kept secure, eternally secure! And the One who keeps, protects, guards them is God Himself! Kept by the “POWER of God.” PROTECTIVE POWER! Think on that!

“… And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”- {Rom 8:31-39 NLT}. Neither the Power of Hell, nor power in the sky or on earth can sever us from the Love of God! Such is The  LOVING PROTECTIVE POWER Of God that Keeps us! 

HIS SAVING POWER;

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” -{1 Cor 1:18}. There is a message, the Gospel, “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.”-{1 Cor 15:1-4}. There is a SAVING Message from God that points to the LORD Jesus. There are two responses, one of rejection and one of submission. One leads to eternal destruction one to eternal life with Christ. The cross is foolish to one to the other it is the POWER of God TO SAVE from the penalty of sin, the power of satan, the wrath of God…to a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ.{Read Romans 5:1-2}.

His Power is seen in His Creative, Sustaining, Redeeming, Protective, Cross saving Power and with such Power He is able to give PROMISES and Keep All of them. Jeremiah said in the midst of pain and troubles,  “Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” -{Jer 32:17}!

HE has Power to Deliver on His PROMISES…

“PROMISED,”-{Rom 4:21}. In Greek it is in the perfect tense, which describes an action completed in the past, once for all, never needing to be repeated. How wonderful in this instance, when God makes a promise, He has no need to repeat, for what He said is still true. His Promises are good today, tomorrow and forever. He is immutable, unchanging, He cannot lie!{Read Titus 1:2}. The New Testament is full of His promises. His promises are presently available and unchanging.

There is no “past due date, Oh sorry that promise expired two days ago, I’m so sorry” or “I am so sorry I don’t have the Power to be able to keep that one, that one is beyond My ability!”

Present promises available, for your present situation. He has promises for you that will not change as He is unchanging. His promises are guaranteed, we don’t negotiate or merit them in and of ourselves but we are recipients of His gracious promises to us, expressions of His love to us!

Peter calls them “precious and magnificent promises.”{2 Peter 1:4}

“Promise (1860) (epaggelia/epangelia from epí = intensifies verbal meaning + aggéllo = to tell, declare) literally means to “tell at or upon” and originally referred to an announcement or declaration (especially of a favorable message) (see Acts 23:21). In other words  the first sense of epaggelia is that of a . declaration to do something which came to be associated with the implication of obligation to carry out what is stated and thus the meaning of a promise, pledge or offer.  In Scripture, epaggelia  refers primarily to God’s pronouncements that provide assurance of what He intends to do“-{Rom 4;21} – preceptaustin commentaries.}

So A Promise of God, is His declaration that provides us assurance He will do this!!! Wow!! His assurance of what He is going to do!

His Promises, ALL of them are dependable. “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. “-{2 Cor 1;20}. Plural, “PROMISE’S,” every promise He has made. Think on this! God is Faithful, reliable, trustworthy!

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” -{Heb 10:22-24}. God is faithful!

WE ALL make promises. As parents we promise our kids something, sometimes we keep them sometimes we are unable to or too lazy and self centered to keep. Poiticians make promises. People make all kinds of promises, But God is neither lazy, indifferent, impotent or no unforeseen circumstance can hinder as He knows all things and HE keeps His Word all the time!! HE has the power, integrity and loving heart to do what He promises and all that He promises, and He keeps All His 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

“…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}

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 2:3339+ }

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!

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.

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