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THE PROMISES OF GOD

By George W. Sinquefield

(2 Pet 1:4 KJV)  "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

        The Revised Standard Version puts it this way, "His precious and magnificent Promises."  There are so many of God's promises. I am told that there are over 30,000 promises that God has made His people as recorded in the Bible.

I.    Let us consider just a few of those we find in the New Testament.

1.    Forgiveness of sin

(Acts 5:31 KJV)  "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

(Eph 1:7 KJV)  "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"

(Col 1:14 KJV)  "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

(1 John 1:9 KJV)  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

2.    Salvation by faith

(John 3:16 KJV)  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

(John 3:36 KJV)  "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."

(Eph 2:8 KJV)  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

(Eph 2:9 KJV)  "Not of works, lest any man should boast."

3.    Everlasting life

(John 5:24 KJV)  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

(John 6:47 KJV)  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

4.    To answer prayer

(Mat 7:7 KJV)  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"

(Mat 7:8 KJV)  "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

(Mat 7:9 KJV)  "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?"

(Mat 7:10 KJV)  "Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?"

(Mat 7:11 KJV)  "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

5.    Home in Heaven

(John 14:1 KJV)  "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

(John 14:2 KJV)  "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."

(John 14:3 KJV)  "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

6.    All things will work together for good to those who love the Lord

(Rom 8:28 KJV)  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

7.    Power to witness

(Acts 1:8 KJV)  "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

8.    To be with us as we proclaim the gospel message

(Mat 28:19 KJV)  "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

(Mat 28:20 KJV)  "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

9.    To save anyone who repents of sin and believes on Jesus as Savior.

(John 3:16 KJV)  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

(Rom 10:13 KJV)  "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

(Rev 22:17 KJV)  "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

       As a matter of historical interest, this is the passage God used in a decisive way in the life of John Wesley. Early on the morning of May 24, 1730, he opened his Bible to 2 Peter 1:4 and read: "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." The comfort of God came to him. On June 4, he wrote in his diary: "All these days I scare remember to have opened the New Testament, but upon some great and precious promise. And I say, more than ever, that the gospel is in truth but one great promise, from the beginning of it to the end."
 

They never change because God never changes.

(Mal 3:6 KJV)  "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."

(Heb 13:8 KJV)  "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

        A new Christian confided to another believer that he was doubting his salvation. "Yesterday I was filled with joy, and I thought I would never be in the dark again. But now it's all gone, and I'm in the depths. What's the matter with me?"

        "Have you ever passed through a tunnel?" asked his friend.

        "Certainly I have," said the convert. "But I don't see what that has to do with my present situation."

        "When you were in the tunnel, did you think the sun had been blotted out of the sky?"

        "No, I knew the sun was still in the sky, even though I couldn't see it."

        "Were you distressed when you were in the tunnel?"

        "No, I knew I'd soon be out in the light again."

        "And did you get out?"

        "Of course!" replied the new Christian. Then he paused as the truth dawned on him. "I see what you mean. God's promises remain the same no matter how I feel. I should rest in His Word -- not in my feelings!"

        The promises of God are as valid and powerful today as they've ever been. God is able to keep all 30,000 or more promises He has made.

(Rom 4:17 KJV)  "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."

(Rom 4:18 KJV)  "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be."

(Rom 4:19 KJV)  "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:"

(Rom 4:20 KJV)  "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;"

(Rom 4:21 KJV)  "And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."

III.    God will keep His promises.

        God is faithful. He is not whimsical, capricious, or flippant. He cannot violate His own integrity nor fail to keep His promise. We would have no gospel without God's faithfulness, no good news unless God could be counted on. Our gospel begins with the claim: Our God is faithful!

        Look again at Romans 8:28.

(Rom 8:28 KJV)  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

        God works in and through all things for the good of those who love Him

        Professor E. C. Caldwell ended his lecture. "Tomorrow," he said to his class of seminary students, "I will be teaching on Romans 8. So tonight, as you study, pay special attention to verse 28. Notice what this verse truly says, and what it doesn't say." Then he added, "One final word before I dismiss you -- whatever happens in all the years to come, remember: Romans 8:28 will always hold true."

        That same day Dr. Caldwell and his wife met with a tragic car-train accident. She was killed instantly and he was crippled permanently. Months later, Professor Caldwell returned to his students, who clearly remembered his last words. The room was hushed as he began his lecture. "Romans 8:28," he said, "still holds true. One day we shall see God's good, even in this."

        Notice that his emphasis is on God's good, not our temporary health, happiness, or prosperity. That perspective allows us to see our suffering and pain as bad in themselves, yet to be reassured that He is working in and through them to fulfill His good purposes.

        When we can say, "Lord, use me any way You can to advance Your plan, " we will have begun to understand the meaning of Romans 8:28. And, as the professor said, this verse will hold true -- even through tragedy.

        Yes, God is a faithful God, meaning He will keep His promises.

(1 Cor 1:9 KJV)  "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

(1 Cor 10:13 KJV)  "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

(1 Th 5:24 KJV)  "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

(2 Th 3:3 KJV)  "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil."

(2 Tim 2:13 KJV)  "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."

        The Bible says God cannot lie.

(Num 23:19 KJV)  "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

(Titus 1:2 KJV)  "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;"

        The Bible also tells us that it is impossible for God to lie.

(Heb 6:18 KJV)  "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:"

        An elderly woman always included this verse in her testimony. "I will never leave thee." Her pastor pointed out that the original could be translated, "I'll never, no never leave thee." She showed no surprise - her pastor asked, "Doesn't it make you feel better to know that God makes it doubly sure that He won't forsake you?"

        "Oh, no," she said, "I know God says it twice, but that was so some of you preachers could understand it. Once is enough for me."

IV.    God's promises have never failed and will never fail.

(Josh 23:14 KJV)  "And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof."

(1 Ki 8:56 KJV)  "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."

        David Livingston, missionary to Africa went to Glasgow University to receive the honorary Doctor of Law Degree. He said, "Would you like for me to tell you what supported me through all the years of exile among people whose language I could not understand and whose attitude toward me was always uncertain and often hostile? It was this promise God had made me, "Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world." "It is the Word of a Gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor."

        When David Livingston was found in the jungles down on his knees, he was cold in death. His Bible was opened to that text upon which he had placed his finger a thousand times.

        We are saved by hope according to the Word of the Lord.

(Rom 8:24 KJV)  "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"

(Rom 8:25 KJV)  "But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."

        New Testament hope means "certain expectation." We are assured that what we hope for will be ours. The element of doubt is removed. This is illustrated in the following story:

        Two little girls were counting their pennies. One said, "I have five pennies." The other said, "I have ten." "No," said the first little girl "You have just five cents, the same as I." "But," the second child quickly replied, "My father said that when he comes home tonight he would give me five cents, and so I have ten cents." Trustfully, she counted what her father had promised as though she already had possession of it.

        God has promised to save those who accept Jesus as personal Savior. We can rest assured that He'll keep that promise. That is what "saved by hope" means. We are as sure of salvation in its fulness as if it had already been given us.

V.    We need to appropriate these promises, believe them, and rest upon them.

        A man called upon a needy widow in Scotland. She complained of her condition and remarked that her son was in Australia and doing well. "But doesn't he help you?" he asked. "No, nothing," she said, "He writes me once a seek but only sends little pictures."

        He asked to see them and found each of them to be a draft for ten pounds. That is the condition of God's children. God has given us many "exceeding and precious promises" which we either are ignorant of or fail to appropriate. Many of them seem to be pretty pictures of an ideal peace and rest but are not appropriated as practical helps in daily life.

VI.    The promises of God are like keys that unlock doors of difficulty, despair, and doubt.

        A scene from Pilgrim's Progress illustrates the point.

        The author John Bunyan portrays Christian, the main character in his allegory, as temporarily at a standstill on his journey to heaven. He finds himself locked in a dungeon beneath Doubting Castle. Then one morning Christian says in amazement, "What a fool am I, to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk with liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle." To which Hopeful, his traveling companion, exclaims, "That is good news, good brother; pluck it out of your bosom and try!"

        So Christian pulls out the key and tries it in the dungeon door. The bolt opens with ease, and Christian and Hopeful hurry out. They then proceed to the outside door that leads into the castle yard, and the key opens it too. One last barrier stands between them and freedom -- an iron gate. At first the lock resists. Christian keeps working the key of promise, and finally the heavy gate swings open.

        Do you find yourself locked in doubting Castle, held prisoner by despair? Choose to trust one of God's promises and act upon it today.

        Someone has give us some good advice, if we'll only take it.

        "Life is so stressful, so crowded with work and battle and burden that we need all along to fortify ourselves with the promises from God's Book. One does not even know how to pray like he ought, if he cannot take these promises, and fill his mouth with them, and plead them before God, saying, as did one of old: "Do as thou hast said." These promises are designed to inspirit us, and rest us, and fortify us. We do not make enough of these promises from God's Book. They fit every condition in human life. If we will only find it, there is no condition that is not met by a promise out of God's Book, and these promises give us a grip on spiritual realities.

        I summon you today, my busy men and women, to search out these promises from God's Book constantly and appropriate them, and make them your own, and plead them before Him. One promise from God's Book has, times without count, anchored a human soul and kept it going in the right way."

        One has said, "No matter how dark, the promises of God all shine brightly." God's promises are so precious to us now while we live and they'll be precious to us when we come to the end of life here. The promises of God will light up the death bed for the Christian.

        A young preacher was called on to visit a dying saint, eighty seven years of age, who was a devout Christian. The preacher asked God to give him a message for the time. When he entered the room the old man said to him, "Pastor, I am dying. For years I have been feasting upon the promises of God, but this morning I can't remember a single one of them." The preacher said, "Dear friend, do you think that God has forgotten any of His promises?" the old man answered, "Praise God, He will remember, won't He?"

        God helps us to stand on His promises.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.