Renewing the Covenant

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 105:1-22

Psalm 105:1–22 ESV

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.” When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!” When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: Acts 7:1-8 (Gideon)

Acts 7:1–8 ESV

And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Sermon:

Good Morning Church!

I was Glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

For just a little bit of backstory in my life. And I, I will share this story because I think it's a perfect picture of what's going to happen in the text today.

00:19

When I was just a tiny little baby youth pastor and one of the very, very first starting the first time. That they were anyone. Was, like, okay, David, we want you to do some Ministry. Good luck. I started as a youth pastor and our youth group. Consisted of? Two middle school girls that that was the whole youth group.

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Our youth meetings would be me and Desiree, and these two little girls sitting and talking about the Bible. That's that's how we started. It turns out when you start Ministry that way you develop.

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Particular sort of care and love to those kids who were the start of your ministry. Well, about four weeks ago. Now, I was sitting in my office. And I got a call that I was not expecting from a number I had not seen in years. And it was one of those two girls.

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She called and said, hey, David, I said. Wasn't expecting to hear from you and long story short, she said. My husband and I got married. We eloped. A few months ago, and we want to have a service. With our friends and family. And we want you to be the one who does.

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The ceremony. I was honored and touched. I probably cried just a little bit. And so that's what we did. So yesterday, I drove up to Lematar, New Mexico, which is a small town outside of the small town of Socorro. It's about 10 minutes north of Socorro. And. Did a wedding, but it was different.

02:05

Because it wasn't the the first wedding, and it's not like they were getting married again. Instead, it was a renewal of the vows, a strengthening of their vows a honoring before God and their friends and family of the vows that they had made. And I bring that story up, because that's ultimately what's happening here in Genesis chapter 17.

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As you read through, if you were just reading through Genesis, you might think, well, Genesis 15. God makes a covenant if we remember back a few weeks ago, right? This is when, when the animals are ripped in half, and God is walking between their carcasses, saying, I promise, I will do this for you.

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Abram, God has given Abram great promises. And then, in 16, this is what we talked about last week, Abram sinned, so we have the Sarai and Hagar difficulties we have. A son from Abram, but this is not the son of promise. And so, when you come to 17, there's a temptation to think, well, this is a New Covenant God sort of giving a new one, because the first one got all messed up with the Sarai and Hagar stuff, and it didn't.

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Instead, God is strengthening. He's going to renew, Revitalize, and and refocus. Abram on the Covenant. It's already been made. In fact, God will do a lot of things here. One of the things I'm most excited for, God will change Abram's name, so going forward. He will be known as Abraham, and I won't have to worry about making sure I say the right name, because the one we sort of go to in our brains usually is Abraham.

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But our text for today in this Covenant renewal ceremony is Genesis chapter 17, verses 1 through 8. Let's begin by reading God's word together. When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him. I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless that I may make my Covenant between me and you and may multiply you greatly.

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The nebram fell on his face to God and said, behold, my Covenant was with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of Nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. For, I have made you, the father of a multitude of Nations.

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I will make you exceedingly fruitful. I will make you into Nations and Kings shall come from you. And I will establish my Covenant between me and you and your Offspring and your Offspring after you throughout their Generations for an everlasting Covenant. To be God to you and to your Offspring.

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After you and I will give to you and to your Offspring after you, the land of your sojournies, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I. Will be. These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open with the word of prayer.

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Oh Lord, our Lord, How Majestic is your name and all the Earth? You are high and lifted up worthy of all glory, honor and praise. And yet, you are the God who. Condescends to? You are a God who covenants God Almighty yet also. The God Who is close and near who has called us and loved us.

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And ultimately sent your son for us. Thank you for the precious gift of Jesus Christ, Our Lord. May we walk in the newness of life? May we grasp and hold on to the promises that you have given to us that we find our yes, and amen. And our Lord and Savior.

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It's in his name that we pray. Amen. Amen. So here, the Covenant renewal ceremony once again, God Almighty. This is how he refers to himself. Verse chapter, chapter 17:1. I am God Almighty. This is how God identifies himself, appears before Abram. He says to Abram. This whole Covenant thing?

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That, despite your best efforts, you are trying to mess up. It might feel like we have the scene down in in Egypt, where Abram did not protect his wife. And he, he was willing to lie to pharaoh that jeopardized the Covenant. And then he listened to his wife when he shouldn't have, and he slept with his wife's handmaiden again.

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In some ways, jeopardizing the Covenant still there, God says. It's still there. Abram, who is 99 years old and does not yet have a child. God appears and says, I am God Almighty. This Covenant thing is still in full effect. The promise I made to you two chapters ago?

06:57

That's not how God would say it, but the promise I made to you two chapters ago? Is still. In effect, though, you are 99 years old. It's still here. As we think through this Covenant, there's four things that I want to highlight in this portion. The first is the call.

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Of the Covenant. What is Abram called to do here? And it's interesting as we walk through this. I want to be careful how we see this and how we understand this. The Covenant is in effect. God has already walked through the torn apart animals. God has already done this.

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God has already said, this is my promise to you. Abram does not earn or gain the Covenant based on what he is called to do. Instead, this is a call given to Those whom God has already made a covenant with, and that's an important distinction.

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The Covenant. Is not something you work at to make yourself worthy instead because you have been given these precious promises. It should dictate how we then live and walk. And in fact, walk is an appropriate word here. Because, what does God say? Verse 1, I am God Almighty. Walk before me and.

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Blameless. What is the call? Walk before God. In a hol. Life. What is the call that is given to Abram when God comes in and says, I am a God who will Covenant with you? I am the close, personal God. This is what I am asking of you walk before me.

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And be blameless. It's a high standard.

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Be good. Not try your best? Be blameless. Peter. First, Peter. Will give us exactly what this means. What does it mean to be blameless? First, Peter. Chapter 1, verse 16, it is written. You shall be holy, for I am Holy. What is the call? To be frank. Perfection! Walk before God and be blameless.

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And Abram has not been doing this. This is why I think it's important to understand how this all works out and to see the the failures and difficulties in the life of Abram. God has already made this Covenant. God will be faithful to keep this Covenant Abram is considered a hero of the faith, and yet still, the call is the same be holy.

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Walk before me and be blameless. How can Abram do this?

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Genesis, chapter 15. Verse 6. He believed the Lord, and he counted it to him. As righteousness. Trust in the promises of God.

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The idea of walking before God and being blameless is one we cannot ever do in our own strengths and might instead the call the Covenant call to Abram. I put before you is the Covenant called to us today. It is ultimately to walk before God and be blameless, but you can't do that in your own strength and mind. Instead, trust the Lord. That's ultimately the call. Believe him, and then walk in the newness of life. That newness of life will look more holy. You will live more righteous. We will let our light shine before men. They may see our Good Deeds and glorify God in heaven. These things are true.

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The standard is not lowered. In fact, when we hear the the Covenant call, it motivates our hearts and souls to reach towards the lofty Heights to which God has called us. Not in our own strength and might, but in the goodness. In grace of God.

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Behold, walk before me. Be blameless. What's the scope of the coven? Okay, there's the call, be holy and blameless. But but what are we talking about here? God, what? What's included in this? Well, I've said before. I'll say again before we get to the anagenesis when we're talking about the abrahamic Covenant. There are two critical things that are included in the the Covenant here. The first is descendants, and the second is land. It's, it's seed and land that this is the scope of this Covenant. But again, God keeps. Coming back to Abram and and highlighting and magnifying and making it better.

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I get in trouble with Desiree from time to time. Over promising? Over getting excited. And then it's, it's. It maybe doesn't live up. To what I say. And like, okay, guys, when I'm playing something's gonna be awesome. Okay. The next day Desert's gonna be great. It's going to be, maybe the best time we've ever had in our life, sure? And then the next day, like, that's right, you don't even know how mind-blowing this is going to be. It's going to be awesome. Okay. Like Desiree. Next day. Trust me, this is going to be. You should be so excited.

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She looks at me and says, I better not be disappointed. You won't. The next day, like Desiree, it's gonna be great. And then about. Then, when she knows like, okay. David. On one of these things, it's not going to be that great. And then we show up. And it's like, Desiree, I plan a great day for us. We're going to Chick-fil-A. And then we'll go for a hike. That's just. That's great, but that's not everything you hyped it up to be. I get in trouble sometimes. For this, it is a a problem I have in my own mind. I think things are going to be more great, and uh, they don't live up to that expectation. That's fine.

13:50

God is doing this with Abram and in fact. It turns out that God couldn't over hype, his promise, they're they're much more wonderful. But, but there's been a flow. It's been getting bigger and bigger and greater and greater. Okay, even you're gonna have descendants. Okay, maybe your sentence will be a nation. Okay. Abram, you'll have so many descendants that they will outnumber the Sands. In the C shore. Okay. Abram, I'm telling you go. Count the Stars if you even could your descendants will be more. Mold will multiply greater than even the stars in the heavens.

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Okay, well here again. Verse 6, I will make you exceedingly fruitful. I will make you in the nation and Kings shall come. From you. This is God even further. Emphasizing and getting Abram. It's not just a nation from you will be Kings rulers. From you will be those who will sit on the throne. It's the scope of the coven. And God's promised them land. At first, when God first called is just the land, I show you there'll be some land. And then on Abram's Journey first journey, as he's coming through before he sojourns in Egypt. Remember, God appeared like this land will be yours, okay?

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And then he ever comes back, and we have the whole scene with lot where lot picks the area over in the Jordan Valley that looks fruitful, and God tells Abram look north, south east, west look every direction. All this land is yours. And again, God expands the scope of the Covenant. Verse 8, I will give to you and to your Offspring after you, the land of your sojournings. Everywhere that you've been wandering and walking over your life. I'm going to give it to you. Not just what you can see from the north, south, east, and west. No Abram.

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The land. Of Canaan. The scope of the Covenant is one where God is taking, and he's saying it's better. I know what I've promised, it's better. It will be better. It will be bigger. It will be greater. And it just keeps getting more. Crystallized. Because God's promises are always better.

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That's the scope of the Covenant. What's the length? Here, we pull out David's handy dandy tool number three for how to read scripture. Look for repeated words.

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Verse 7, I will establish my Covenant between me and you and your Offspring after you throughout their Generations for. Everlasting. Covenant. Verse 8 I will give to you and your Offspring after you, the land of your sojournings. All the land of Canaan and foreign? Everlasting. Possession.

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What's the length of the Covenant? Forever!

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It, doesn't it? How long? Does Abram have to look forward to? Of being a. Father of. Nation and King shall come from him. Forever! How long will Abram's descendants possess the land?

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Forever! It's what Everlasting means? There is no end. To the promises of God.

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It's an eternal Covenant.

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God's promises.

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Give us a call. They are a call to us.

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God's promises. Are always better. And God's promises. Never.

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Beneference. Because the Eternal God, the one who created the heavens and the Earth with the very power of his voice, the one who was before all things the one from whom all things come, the one for him and through him, and to him, are all things The God Who is seated in the throne room of Heaven, The God Who is Sovereign and eternal omnipotent, omniscient. That God is the one who has promised. And his promises never end. He is good. Will always be good. Definitionally, God is good. Because promises never end. The length of this Covenant's Eternal.

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They always are.

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Trust in God. His promises are better, and here his promises never. Fail. How can we know that?

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Because sometimes. For Frank and honest, it feels like, maybe. God's promises might fail. Life is difficult. Trials come in. Or maybe we think? I've never seen or heard or experienced someone. Whose promises always get better whose promises are Eternal? And never fail. Because we look around the world and our experience with Earthly promises, people break promises all the time. Sometimes, it's small promises. And we don't break him intentionally. It's things that are out of our hand. Right? Tell our kids. We'll do this, I promise. And something happens. We have to come back, and as parents, we should be able to come back and say, I'm sorry.

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I said, what I shouldn't have, I shouldn't have promised that it was outside of my control. So, maybe we've learned a lesson as parents. We don't promise things okay? Maybe we should say if God Wills, then this, that, or that will happen. We find our way around this. We look around at a world where. The divorce rates 50 percent. That means half of the promises to have and to hold from this day forth. Forevermore are broken. They do fail. Half of the promises that say, till death, do us part. Don't last till death, do us part.

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Maybe we look to politics and every promise that every politician has ever made and realized none of those ever come true. All right. Campaign promises are worth little to nothing. Don't care. Do not care who is making them. I don't trust them. Because I just don't expect these promises to last. Well, with God, he says. They'll last forever, they will, and he has given us a guarantee. Of the Covenant. Part of the guarantee of the Covenant is, if we actually look into the language that God is using. Here is. Abram. We read in verse 1 is 99 years old.

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He does not have an heir, yet he does not have one from whom nations will come. At least, the nation's God has promised here.

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Verse 3. The first guarantee we have of this Covenant. God changes Abram's name. No longer shall you be Abram, which means exalted father. Instead, you shall be Abraham. Meaning, the. Of a multitude. Exaltive father. If you, if you dive deep into this, if you love understanding the Hebrew and diving into these words, the fact that Abra means exalted father? Can either be descriptive of Abram or descriptive of the situation. Abram was born into. So it could mean exalted father that Abram is an exalted father, but but maybe even more likely Abram would mean I have an exalted thought. This call just talking about Terror, Abram's father. He was exalted, and Abram has and exalted father.

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We got changes his name to Abraham. This means father of a multitude, and there's no way of reading this the other way. It means that Abram himself. Is the? Of a multitude. God changing Abraham's name is saying, look. Trust me. I've promised. The guarantee is look. Look at your own name. When you're walking down the street and your buddy says, oh, hey, Abraham. I promised it's going to happen. When you're talking to anyone, your servants, your wife? When you're talking to anyone, and they say, oh, hey, Abraham, they are telling you my promise. You better not forget it, Abraham.

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You are the. Of a multitude. In fact, if we continue, your name shall be Abraham. For, I have made you. The father of a multitude of Nations.

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If you're into the tents of words, it's important here. I have made you. A 9 year old man with no air. I've already made you this father of a multitude. It's already happened.

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And you might be thinking, I don't know about that. I don't see a son, it's happened. Why is it happen because God has said? His promises never fail. His promise is already better, and he said I've done it. It's okay.

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And ultimately. The guarantee is. God himself. Throughout this whole Covenant. One extra layer. Of the scope. And the. And the length has been there.

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Verse 7, I will establish my Covenant between me and you and your Offspring after you throughout their Generations for an everlasting Covenant. To be God to you. And to your Offspring after you. I'm your God. Verse 9 I will give to you in your Offspring after you, the land of your soldiers. All the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession? And. Will be. Their God. The guarantee of the Covenant. It's God himself. One of the guarantees is I will be with him. I will be their God. He is both the guarantee. And the guarantor. He is both the God who is promising and the one on whom we trust the promises.

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God himself is in the midst. Of all of this. Abram has his name changed? So that everyone around him can speak this truth to Abram's heart. You will be the father to of a multitude. But more than that, God has promised to be his God. You won't need to look to to Abram. In particular, you don't need to look to the Bales and the ashers and all these other false gods all around you. I'm your God. I'll be with you. I will be with you and your descendants. You need, look no further. Than me. The High King of Heaven, I am. He has said God Almighty, and I am your God.

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These promised closeness. Contextually speaking. When Moses is writing this to the people as they are on the preface, the precipice of entering into the promised land.

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He's telling the descendants of Abraham. Don't look to these other gods. Look to me, I am your God. And to us, he is saying the same thing. Don't look to anything else. Don't look to your own strength. Don't look to your own might he. Is your God trust in him?

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Thread of Hebrews. Knew this particularly well. If we remember, I said, we're going to reference Hebrews a lot here. As we go through the life of Abraham, because the writer of Hebrews care deeply about Abraham and his life, and he's preaching through and and Jesus is better than angels. And he's better than Moses and the promise that God has given through Jesus is even better. Because it's sort of the the culmination of all the other covenants because? The promised Abram was an everlasting Covenant. So, how do we know what is our guarantee? Of the call, the scope, the length of this Covenant.

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It's Jesus, ultimately, for us. Here's your new testament emphasis in this Old Testament text. For Abram was his promise, I'll be their God. I'll be with them. I'll be a close, personal covenanting God. Yahweh, God With Us.

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Jesus. Hebrews 7, 22. This makes Jesus the guarantor. Of a better? Covenant.

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Why verse 25 tells us he is able to save to the uttermost, those who draw near to God through him. He's better. What's our guarantee? Jesus Christ.

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Looked at the cross. He who spared not his son, will he not with him graciously give us all things? For God. So loved the world. He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life whom the son sets free is free. Indeed, for I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither Angels nor demons, neither the present, nor the future, nor any Powers, neither Heights nor death, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Though we are like sheep being led to the slaughter.

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We know he is able to save. Why Jesus is our guarantor? Look to him. The author and Perfecter of our faith. All of the same call scope length. All of those things apply to us who are hidden in Christ. Trust in him. He has been good to us. Let's pray.