Empty Promises, The Empty Tomb

Don’t you hate empty promises? The first ever empty promise I remember happened when I was 14 yrs old. I won’t go into great detail here but, I had been having a really rough time and someone very close to me promised to help me, that help didn’t come. Life has had several empty promises since then. Promises of success, promises of change, promises of happiness. Empt promises are a tool Satan uses to keep or make us captive. Listen to these promises he makes and how empty they prove to be.

Genesis 3:1–7 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

We will contrast these promises with the promises of God. A play on words, Satans Empty promises verses God’s Empty Promises. The empty promise of the world vs. the empty cross and the empty tomb.

Empty Promises

Satan’s Empty Promises

Genesis 3:1–7 ESV

God Didn’t Tell You Whole Story-Did He Really Say?

God Didn’t Tell You the Truth-You Will Not Surely Die

God Didn’t Want You to Be Like Him-You Will Be Like God

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

God Won’t Sustain-Turn These Stones into Bread

God Won’t Protect-Throw Yourself Down

God Won’t Give-All These I (Satan) Will Give You

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God’s Empty Promises-Empty Cross

Sin’s Condemnation-The Free Gift Brought Justification

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Sin’s Darkness-Has Been Made Light By Grace

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Sin’s Deceitfulness-Replaced By The Truth of God

John 16:13 ESV

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

John 17:17 ESV

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

God’s Empty Promises-Empty Tomb

Death Defeated-In Christ All Shall Be Made Alive

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 ESV

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Life Available-Life Giving Spirit

1 Corinthians 15:45 ESV

Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:42–47 ESV

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

Fear No More-Victory Through Our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 15:50–57 ESV

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your Empty Promises

Living For Yourself

We spend so much time trying to stay out of the the tomb instead of realizing the freedom that could be had if we would just walk in and walk out.

Trusting For Yourself

Dying As Yourself

Who’s Empty Promises Are You Believing?

Who’s Empty Promises Do You Really Want To Risk Your Life On?

I will trust the empty promises of God, The Empty Cross and The Empty Tomb

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