Promises of God
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Introduction
Introduction
A quote from Charles Spurgeon
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. VIII Obtaining Promises (No. 435)
THE promises of God are to the believer an inexhaustible mine of wealth. Happy is it for him if he knows how to search out their secret veins and enrich himself with their hid treasures. They are to him an armoury containing all manner of offensive and defensive weapons. Blessed is he who has learned to enter into the sacred arsenal, to put on the breastplate and the helmet, and to lay his hand to the spear and to the sword. They are to the believer a surgery in which he will find all manner of restoratives and blessed elixirs; he shall find therein an ointment for every wound, a cordial for every faintness, a remedy for every disease.
Definition: What is a promise:
A definition from Webster’s dictionary defines it this way: “One’s pledge [in our case God’s written Word] to another [which would be us as the son’s of God] to do or not to do something specified, narrowly, a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.”
There is a legal aspect of a promise. In essence it is like entering into a contract with performance obligations on both sides of the contract. There is the promisor, the one who makes the promise, and the promisee, the one who receives the promise.
I want to build a general framework for promises. I don’t want to over complicate it, and so I am going to keep it relatively simple.
There are promises which we cannot claim from the Bible. For example promises that are specific to Israel and the physical descendants of Israel, such as land grants. We, as Christians, are not promised land. So just because there is a promise in the Bible, it doesn’t mean you can lay claim to it.
The Surety of God’s promises are in Christ
The Surety of God’s promises are in Christ
As Christians, our sole claim to the promises of God are through our relationship of being in Christ.
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
2. How is Christ a surety of a better testament, because all power and authority have been given to Christ Jesus.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
3. Because all authority and power have been given to Christ, he alone is worthy to open the scroll:
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
God will always fulfill His promises.
Promises must have what is considered a surety, or a guarantee that they will be fulfilled. In other words, why would we believe that a promise will be good.
Either you believe that for example the courts can force someone to fulfill a promise or your believe that the promisor’s character or nature will be the guarantee, or surety that a contract will be fulfilled.
This is important, as Christians, Christ is our surety. As Christians, we have claim to the promises of God through our adoption as sons through Jesus Christ our savior.
The Jews to some degree have claim to promises, such as land, through physical birth. We however, only have claim to the promises of God through a spiritual birth. Our inheritance begins when we become Sons of God and inherit the promises of God.
The Deity and Humanity of Christ means that Christ can offer Divine promises, i.e. eternal life (as declared through the resurrection from the dead, if Christ rose from the dead, then so shall we as his sons, and because He is God.
Christ is also fully man and can fulfill the Abrahamic promises because He is also fully man, born of the flesh and made of the seed of David.
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Romans
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
5. So how do we as Sons of God lay claim to the promises, only through Jesus Christ, who was and is and is to come. As Christ said
48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
6. If you are not a Son of God, you have no claim to the good promises, but are guaranteed all the terrifying promises of Hell and torment. For you are under a curse and the wrath of God abides on you.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
7. You must be born again. as
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Promises can be discovered (Reading the Book)
Promises can be discovered (Reading the Book)
Promises can be discovered (Reading the Book)
Promises can be discovered (Reading the Book)
It has been computed that there are approximately 800 promises in the New Testament.
The story of Christopher Columbus comes to mind.
Historians say that Christopher Columbus discovered the American Continent. After weeks on the ocean all he ever saw was a few small islands lying off the coast of America. He never heard the thunder of Niagara, never saw the towering heights of the Rocky Mountains or the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, or the vast prairies of the Middle West. True, Columbus came home with tales of a land of fabulous wealth, but how little he knew of the real, exhaustless wealth of the new world. Is it not so in relation to the divine promises? All we can see is the coast-line of the land, but the land waiting to be possessed and the riches waiting to be discovered are hid from us. “We see horizons, but we know that a horizon is not a boundary, and when we reach the horizon there will be other horizons and beyond those still greater and wider horizons.” These promises shine more and more unto the perfect day.
Lockyer, Herbert. All the Promises of the Bible (p. 82). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
2. There is an inexhaustible land of Promise in the pages of the Bible. Have you explored them? Have you mined their riches or seen their glory?
Promises relative to Christ
Promises relative to the Christian Scriptures
Promises relative to the Christian Church
Promises relative to Christian doctrine
Promises relative to the Christian
Promises relative to Christian literature
2. I want to focus first on the promises of Holy Spirit in helping us to explore the Holy scriptures.
3. The Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of promise. He is at work in both and the Old and New Testament.
15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
4. Moses had the Holy Spirit in him. You see this clearly in Numbers
25 And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
5. Not everyone in the Old Testament received the Spirit. It came and went, just as in the case Saul where God took the Holy Spirit from him:
14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
1 sum 16:14
6 However, we have a more sure promise, as is evidenced in
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
7.
7. The promise that the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth:
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
8. Further, the Holy Spirit will lead you to the deep things of God:
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
A. Are you laying claim to this promise. The Holy Spirit promises you, the child of God, to lead you into all truth. Not just truth, but the deep things of God.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
B. Are you able to claim the promise that the Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance:
1. Memorizing scripture
2. Having scripture come to mind when witnessing or giving counsel
3. Remembering scripture when you are having issues you are trying to deal with
4. Bringing scripture to remembrance when God is trying to speak to you
Promises must be claimed
Promises must be claimed
However, there are stipulations to the promises of God.
The majority of promises are not for the lost. Some such as
22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
2. However, the vast majority of promises cannot be claimed by the lost.
3. They require standing, you must be saved, and many require sanctification, to be set apart.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
4. You have to maintain your walk with Christ:
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
3 I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: Lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
A. There are two critical things here: patience, which is a fruit of the spirit:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Let’s look at some examples:
11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
2 chron 1:11
A. Now, this is a promise to Solomon and so we can’t just go and make claim to the specific promise. However, we can look at the character of what was asked, i.e. claimed and God’s response.
6 For I am the Lord, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
If God does not change, then requests, or claims to promises which are of the character of Solomon’s claim can be expected to be answered in similar fashion. What was Solomon’s request:
I am going to simplify it down to helping other people. If you claim the promises of Christ, that as a son of God, you want to witness and spread the gospel, you can claim the following promises:
The Holy Spirit will lead you to truth
The Holy Spirit will do so through the reading of scripture and by bringing to remembrance what you read
You can claim
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Conclusion:
1. You must be born again to enter into the surety of Jesus Christ and the promises intended for you before of the foundation of the world.
A. If you are not a child of God, then it must begin by coming to the throne and asking Christ to save you
2. If you are a child of God, then it requires you to submit to sanctification, which necessitates reading your Bible.
B. Maybe tonight you need to come before the throne and admit you have not been reading the Bible as you ought.
3. If you are a child of God, there are thousands of promises you must know. The Holy Spirit was promised to show you them and help you understand. If you don’t know but a handful of promises, then repent (decide to change) and begin to learn the promises. Understanding the promises will help you better understand Christ.
C. Tonight, maybe you need to come before the throne and ask God to give you wisdom, which He promised in James to do.
4. You are probably missing out on the treasures of Christ, because you don’t want to do it. Lack of effort is on you, not Christ nor the Holy the Spirit.
5. When was the last time you felt the Holy Spirit move in your life?
Come to the throne and ask God to allow the Holy Spirit to be real and manifest in your life.