The mystery of God’s promises

Sunday, 23 August 2020 04:41

The mystery of God’s promises - Taiwo Akinola

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Blessed be the LORD . . . there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant ~ 1Kings 8:56.

Introduction

Prophetic promises abound in the Word of God, and they cover all aspects of human life (2 Peter 1:3). Yet, there is need to consciously unravel and activate them in our individual lives so as to fully enjoy them in our day-to-day living.

There is no watertight guarantee for any human promises, even when they come from people of sound integrity. Human ability is limited, hence some human promises naturally come over the bars. Besides, any sincere or well intended human promises can still fail if circumstances beyond human control come into play. But, on the other hand, there’s nothing like “promise and fail” with God: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

God is eternally faithful to His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9). And, His faithfulness is extremely lofty (Psalms 36:5). Even if we don’t believe, it is impossible for Him to lie (Hebrews 6:18). God abides faithful, for He cannot deny himself (2 Timothy 2:13). And if we dare to believe Him, He cannot deny us the benefits of His faithfulness (Hebrews 10:23). These are important and necessary faith mysteries to fully unravel and internalize.

The God of the Christian man is the God of heaven and earth who has unimaginable ability to do anything He wants to do. He doesn't change, yet He can change anything. He is always willing to see us getting on well and enjoying wellness in all ramifications of our lives and destinies. With Him, nothing can be too big to handle, or too hard to resolve (Daniel 2:43).

The Promise-Keeping God

The promises of God are perfectly reliable and absolutely dependable at all times. Whatever He has promised He is able to bring to pass. Indeed, our God is the infallible Promise-Keeper! There is nothing man needs that’s not provided for by God. And yet, there has never been a promise that He ever made to man that is not wrapped with His power for fulfillment.

Amazingly, it’s part of God’s promises that He will forever watch over His words to perform them (Jeremiah 1:12; Joshua 21:45). Heaven and earth shall pass away but the word of God will not go unfulfilled (Luke 21:23). Yes indeed, any promise from God is sure, no matter how unrealistic it may seem to be.

In their rich characteristics, the promises of God can never fail. They are backed by His boundless power, grounded in Christ Jesus, and are truly infinite in value (Romans 4:21; 2 Peter 1:4). Joshua told the Israelites how faithful God is to them: “.... 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 ....” (Joshua 23:14).

Better Promises Under The New Testament

Now, the promises under grace are immeasurably better than those under the law, because the new covenant of grace is incomparably better than the old covenant of law (Hebrews 8:6).

The promises under the law are contingent upon the performance of man. If man is able to keep the law, the promises of life and blessing would be fulfilled, otherwise the contrary. Many times in their history, the children of Israel demonstrated man’s inability to perform up to the standards of God's holy law, and they broke the hedge under the law (Ezekiel 20:21).

Happily, the promises under grace do not depend upon man's self-righteousness, but on God’s love and His imputed righteousness in Christ Jesus (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31). Emphatic yes, it is only in the gospel system that we can have the promises of grace, and enjoy the fullness of God’s mercy.

All the promises of God to mankind under grace dispensation are surely established in Christ and fulfilled through Him: they are “yea and amen”. They are true in themselves with respect to God who promised, and they are faithfully fulfilled to those who believe in Christ Jesus. And, this is to the glory of God who loved us and gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for our full redemption.

How to Enjoy the Promises of God

Ideally, no promise fulfills itself. Hence, actualizing the divine promises is based on fulfilling set conditions that regulate the promises: ‘if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land…’ (Isaiah 1:19). Thus, the duty validating the promises of God is incumbent on us as recipients of the promises.

As for God, He’s ever ready to fulfill His promises in our lives, but He always waits for us to line up with His attached conditions. These conditions are relational terms by which God’s promises and our assurance of hope in Him can be truly regulated, fully maintained and sincerely enjoyed (Amos 3:3; John 8:29).

These conditions include our willingness to obey God in all things, thereby perfecting holiness in the fear of God (Isaiah 1:19; 2 Corinthians 7:1). Included also are our diligence in keeping His commandments, following His direction, and walking in His way (Duet 28:1-14; Exodus 19:5; 1 Kings 3:14). Moreover, our services to the kingdom also count heavily in fulfilling God’s promises in our lives (Job 36:11).

Convulsion

Friends and brethren, we must be followers of faith and patience. As we do, the promises of God will automatically find fulfillment in our lives (Hebrews 6:12). You won’t miss these, in Jesus Name. Happy Sunday!