God's Promises

We are all accustomed to promises. We are also accustomed to seeing them made and broken. Anyone who has lived for a number of years would certainly never lay claim to having kept every promise made. There are many reasons why this is true. Sometimes we forget, sometimes we are negligent, and sometimes it may be due to circumstances beyond our control.

A brokenhearted girl might say to a boy, “But you promised to marry me.” And the answer comes back: “Yes, but I changed my mind.” People do change their mind, and they do break their promises.

What about the promises of God? How certain are they? Paul said this concerning God’s promises, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith . . . For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants” (Romans 4:13, 16). God's promise to Abraham was first spelled out in Genesis 12. It was repeated in Genesis 22:18, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

A promise is only as good as the ability of the one who makes it to carry it through. It also
includes willingness to do so. God did carry through with Abraham. Paul points out in Galatians 3:16, that it was through Christ God intended to fulfill the promise to Abraham. Also in Acts 13:32-33, Paul says: “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus.”

Jesus’ life was shaped, while living on earth, by His trust in the power of the promises of God.
When Jesus said: “I am that bread of life," (John 6:48), “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), and “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25), He did so fully realizing that He had been empowered with this right by the Father who had promised to raise Him from the grave. There were more than 500 people at one time who bore witness to the fulfillment of this promise, according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-6.

What can be said about God's promises to us?

1. He’s promised to supply us with what we need for everything we face. The Bible says: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). We have to realize that God knows what’s best, which means it may not include earthly things that often times distract us from the heavenly things.

2. God has promised that His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). In fact, He has
made provision for our salvation by His grace through faith. Read Ephesians 2:8. It is
through an obedient faith that we have access into the grace of God according to
Romans 5:2.

3. God has promised us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such
as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape
also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Jude wrote: “Now unto Him that is able to
keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy” (Jude v 24). Darius, King of the Medes, said to Daniel, “Your
God whom you have served continually, he will deliver you” (Daniel 6:16). He did
deliver Daniel from the den of lions.

4. God has promised us victory over death. He first resurrected Jesus by way of assuring our resurrection. Peter said: “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Later on he adds: “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

5. God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28). It may be difficult for us to see and understand how this is accomplished at times, but God has promised it, and He will deliver.

6. God has promised that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins will be saved. (Acts 2:38). It was a promise for those listening on the Day of Pentecost, but also as he says “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

7. God has promised His people eternal life (John 10:27, 28).

These are just a few of the many promises God will fulfill in our lives if we honor Him and allow Him to work through our lives.