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God’s Great and Precious Promises
[God] has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4
The heroes in the Bible came from all walks of life: rulers, servants, teachers, doctors. They were male, female, single, and married. Yet one common denominator united them: they built their lives on the promises of God.
Jesus’ definition of faith (from Matthew 8:8-10,13 when he applauded the faith of the centurion whose servant was healed) was “the deeply held belief that God will keep His promises.”
God’s promises are irrevocable because of who He is:
- He is unchanging (James 1:17).
- He is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
- He is strong (Romans 4:21).
- He cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18 & Titus 1:2)
The question is not, will God keep His promises, but will we build our lives upon them?
Could you use some unshakable hope? We live in a day of despair. The suicide rate in America has increased 24% since 1999. 24%! People are dying for lack of hope.
People of the Promise have the advantage. They determine to ponder, proclaim, and pray the promises of God.
According to Peter, God’s promises aren’t just great; they are “very great.” They aren’t just valuable; they are “precious” (2 Peter 1:4). It is through the great and precious promises that we participate in the divine nature of God.
Declaration of the People of the Promise:
We are building our lives on the promises of God.
Because His Word is unbreakable, our hope is unshakable.
We do not stand on the problems of life or the pain in life.
We stand on the great and precious promises of God.
Stamped with God’s Image
Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature. Genesis 1:26 (The Message)
Remember this promise of God: you were created by God, in God’s image, for God’s glory.
All people deserve to be seen for who they are: image bearers of God. Imagine what impact this promise would have on the society that embraced it.
The Devil’s Days are Numbered
The God who brings peace will soon defeat Satan and give you power over him. Romans 16:20
The Bible names a real and present foe of our faith: the devil. The Greek word for “devil” is diabolos, and it shares a root with the word diaballein, which means “to split.” The devil is a splitter, a divider, a wedge driver.
According to research of the Barna Group, “Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan ‘is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.’ An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they ‘agree somewhat’ with that perspective. A minority of Christians (35%) indicated they believe Satan is real… The remaining [participants] were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan.”
Satan succumbed to pride, and as a result, he was cast out of heaven. Jesus referred to that eviction, saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
We play into the devil’s hand when we pretend he does not exist. The devil is a real devil. But, and this is huge, the devil is a defeated devil.
James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
An Heir of God
We are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Romans 8:17
You have everything you need to be everything that God desires.
Circumstances say, “Cower to your fears.” Your inheritance says otherwise, “You are a child of the King. His perfect love casts out fear. Move forward.”
Your Prayers Have Power
When a believing person prays, great things happen. James 5:16
When you speak, God listens. “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action” (Matt. 18:19 – The Message). Your prayers impact the actions of God.
Grace for the Humble
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5
In Daniel 4, God sent Nebuchadnezzar at least three messages:
- The message of the fiery furnace: Jehovah is greater than fire.
- The message of the dream: Today’s massive tree is tomorrow’s ugly stump.
- The waring of Daniel: Humble yourself before it is too late, but Nebuchadnezzar refused to listen.
When the mighty fall, the fall is mighty. And we are left with a lesson: God hates pride.
God resists the proud because the proud resist God. The humble heart is quick to acknowledge the need for God, eager to confess sin, willing to kneel before heaven’s mighty hand.
From Daniel 4:37, we see that those who walk in pride God is able to humble. It’s better to humble yourself than to wait for God to do it for you.
God Gets You
Our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. Hebrews 4:15
When the distance between where we are and where we want to be is impassable, what do we do? Where do we turn? Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For our high priest [Jesus] is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.”
God, for a time, became one of us. The One who hears your prayers understands your pain. He gets you. Because Jesus is human, he understands you. Because He is divine, He can help you.
Christ is Praying for You
Jesus…is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34
Among the unspoken expectations of the Christian heart is this: Now that I belong to God, I get a pass on the tribulations of life. I get a bubble. Others face storms. I live to help them. But face my own? No way.
To follow Jesus is to live a storm-free life, right? Life comes with storms. Jesus assures us, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33).
Ponder this promise: Jesus, right now, at this moment, in the midst of your storm, is interceding for you.
No Condemnation
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
The realization of our moral debt sends some people into a frenzy of good works Life becomes an unending quest to do enough, be better, accomplish more. A pursuit of piety.
There are two extremes: the legalist and the atheist. The worker desperate to impress God. The unbeliever convinced there is no God.
Our standard is not the rest of the world. Our standard is Christ. He was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
The declaration Paul preached with unwearied enthusiasm: “What we cannot do, God has done. He justifies us by his grace.”
As you look up at the insurmountable debt you owe, the debt you can never pay, let this promise be declared: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
This Temporary Tomb
Death has been swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54
What will happen when you die? Scripture reveals some intriguing assurances. The soul of the believer journeys home, while the body of the believer awaits the resurrection.
The final age will begin when Christ returns on the final day. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Before you see angels, hear trumpets, or embrace your grandparents, you will be engulfed by Jesus’ voice. “The Lord will roar from on high” (Jeremiah 25:30).
He will awaken the body and summon the soul of the dead man. “The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God… [All] who are…in their graves will hear his voice. Then they will come out” (John 5:25).
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles. We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.”
Joy is Soon Coming
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5
Night might delay the dawn, but it cannot defeat it. Morning comes. Not as quickly as we want. Not as dramatically as we desire. But morning comes, and with it comes joy.
You Will Have Power
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Acts 1:8
Many believers settle for a two-thirds God. They rely on the Father and the Son but overlook the Holy Spirit. Your Bible refers more than a hundred times to the Holy Spirit. Jesus says more about the Holy Spirit than he does about the church or marriage.
The Holy Spirit is central to the life of the Christian. Everything that happens from the book of Acts to the end of the book of Revelation is a result of the work of the Holy Spirit of Christ. The Spirit came alongside the disciples, indwelled them, and gave the early church the push they needed to face the challenges ahead.
The Spirit promises to give us power, unity, supervision, and holiness. P-U-S-H. Need a push?
Saints are never told to create unity but rather to keep the unity the Spirit provides.
Justice Will Prevail
For he has set a day when he will judge the world. Acts 17:31
How long will injustice flourish? God’s answer is not direct: not long.
We disdain judgment, but we value justice, yet the second is impossible without the first. One can’t have justice without judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10).
From his throne, Jesus will forever balance the scales of fairness. He will do so through three declarations:
- He will publicly pardon his people. Paul declared to the Corinthians “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
- He will applaud the service of his servants. “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time, each will receive their praise from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5). God will walk you through your life day by day, moment by moment, issuing commendation after commendation.
- He will honor the wishes of the wicked. “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Justice will prevail.
God will have the final word. “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11).
Unbreakable Promises, Unshakable Hope
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19
The anchor has one purpose—to steady the boat. You need one that can hook securely to an object that is stronger than the storm. You need a good anchor.
The anchor is set in “the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf” (Hebrews 6:19-20).
Jesus encouraged his followers to “always pray and never lose hope” (Luke 18:1).
Ask yourself this key question: Is what I’m hooked to stronger than what I’ll go through? Paul proclaimed it triumphantly, “We have put our hope in the living God” (1 Timothy 4:10).
The best book of promises is the one you and God are going to write together. The promises of God work. They can walk you through horrific tragedies. They can buoy you in the day-to-day difficulties. They are, indeed, the great and precious promises of God.
By the age of 30, Russell Kelso Carter had a critical heart condition and was on the verge of death. He began to lean on the promises he found in the Bible and lived, with a healthy heart, for another 49 years. His decision to trust God in the midst of difficulties gave birth to a hymn that is still sung today: