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By Wayne
Clapp
It is a wonderful thing that our
heavenly Father, the Creator of the heavens and the earth,
would make promises to His children. After all, it says
in Psalm 115:3 that "our
God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased. Therefore it must have pleased Him to declare
His Word and Will. Before He pledged His Word He was free
to do as it pleased Him; but after He has made a promise,
His truth and honor bind Him to do as He has said. However,
this is never a source of agitation or aggravation to Him,
because His promise is always the declaration of His sovereign
will and good pleasure. It is ever His delight to act according
to His Word.
The three major points of this teaching are:
- God confirmed His promise to Abraham by swaring an
oath.
- Our heavenly Father wants to give, and does give as
He has promised.
- We can claim God's promises and bring them into reality
for ourselves and those to whom we minister.
I. God confirmed His promise to
Abraham by swaring an oath.
One of the great promises recorded in God's Word was made
to Abraham. References to it can be found throughout the
Bible.
Hebrews 6:13-18:
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no [one]
greater, he sware by Himself,
[There was no one greater than He to whom He could appeal,
so He pledged His own eternal power to fulfill the promise.]
14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee,
and multiplying I will multiply thee.
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
There's an important key, Abraham
patiently endured. Remember Hebrews 10:36 says "for
ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the
will of God, ye might receive the promise."
16 For men verily swear by the greater: and
an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
[That settles it!]
[The "greater" refers to "one
of great authority who can enforce the oath and punish
any failure to keep it.]
17 Wherein God, willing [deliberately purposing]
more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise [God
didn't do it just for Abraham, but also for the heirs.]
the immutability [unchangeableness] of his counsel [will],
confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable [unalterable] things, in which it was
impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation [comfort,
paraklesis] ....
The two immutable things are the promise and the oath.
It was impossible for God to lie when He made the promise,
and it was impossible for God to lie when He swore the
oath. God also established the promise by making it twice.
Who are the heirs of promise? We want to read Galatians
3:29, but let's get a running start in verse six.
Galatians 3:6-9,14,16,22,26-29:
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the
children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee
shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which
is Christ.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise
by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according
to the promise.
God has promised, and on the faithfulness
of those promises we can be absolutely sure and certain.
God deliberately purposed more abundantly to shew us
the immutability of His will. These promises were not
only spoken but written. Men say they like to have an
agreement in black and white, and so we have it. "In the volume of the book it is
written." In the pages of God's Word we have that
which is given by inspiration of God. The record stands.
We believe our Bibles, and we rely upon the promises contained
therein.
Numbers 23:19:
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?
God never stoops to a lie. Why should He be false? What
is there about Him that could cause Him to break His Word?
It would be contrary to His nature. How could He be God
and not be just and true? He cannot therefore violate His
promise through any lack of faithfulness or ability to
perform. That God would speak of His Word as a PROMISE
shows how heartfelt it is to Him. He not only said it,
but He promised it. He pledged Himself to do as He said
He would. That's why it's immutable. God said it, and He
cannot lie! (Titus 1:2)
II. Our heavenly Father wants to
give, and does give as He has promised
God speaks deliberately, and we may depend upon it. His
words are sure, and will be fulfilled as certainly as they
were uttered. Can an instance be found in which our God
has been untrue to His word? Shall the Lord God Almighty
fail in His promise? It is absolutely necessary that God
keep His word. How else could He be God?
1 Kings 8:56:
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.
Moses knew that God performed His promises.
Deuteronomy 1:11:
(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye
are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)
Deuteronomy 15:6:
For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee....
Joshua knew the reason he was able to lead God's people
into the Promised Land.
Joshua 21:43-45:
And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give
unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all
that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all
their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into
their hand.
45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD
had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
Joshua 22:4:
And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them....
Joshua 23:10,14:
One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that
fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
14 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.
How about all the good things God has spoken concerning
you. Are you righteous? Have you been redemed? Are you
complete? Not one good thing will fail of all He spake
concerning us either.
David believed that God would do what He promised him.
2 Samuel 7:25,28
25 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast
spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house,
establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.
28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true,
and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
Solomon knew that God gave to him as He had promised.
1 Kings 2:24:
Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me
on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as
he promised....
1 Kings 5:12:
And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him....
God gives good things to men according
to His promise. It doesn't matter what people say. Indeed
Paul reminds us, "Let God be true and every man a liar." If
people confess that the promises of God are not true, we
know who the liar is.
Our duty to God demands that we
accept His promise, and act upon it. Every honest man
has a right to be taken at his word until he proves otherwise.
How much more does the God of truth deserve the same
treatment. We look upon a man's check and see that it
says "pay to the order
of...so many dollars." Then it is signed. The check
is as good as the name on it. God's promises could be regarded
in the same light.
Psalm 138:2: [This verse shows what I call the
sevenfold majesty of God with seven different references
to God.]
I will worship [that's not the simple future tense; that's the
emphatic or absolute way to state it. It shows resolve. The Psalmist
resolved to worship God because he recognized His majesty and greatness.]
toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness
and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
God's Word is like a blank check to which God has signed
His name. What kind of name has God made for Himself by
all His wonderful works? The greatest of His works is His
Word. His Word is magnified above the rest. Therefore we
should regard the promise as a thing so sure and certain
that we act upon it. If God has said so, it is so, beyond
all doubt. Nothing can be more certain than that which
is declared by God Himself; nothing more sure to happen,
than that which He has guaranteed by His own hand and seal.
It is the nature of our God of love to give boundless
blessing.
2 Peter 1:2-4:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through
the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that
hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
[costly] promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
They are given by God's grace.
None of us could pay the price. Jesus is our benefactor
who paid the price for us. "Are
given" is in the perfect tense in the Greek. It denotes
action in the past with its effect or completion in the
present. Although written years ago, they still have an
effect today. The exceeding greatness of the promises in
Ephesians was given to Paul years ago, while he was in
prison, but what an impact it can have on us now as we
claim and walk out upon them.
It is the heart of our Father God
to give. Remember John 3:16, "For God so loved that He gave...." He
made promises because He wanted to fulfill them in our
lives. This Word of God is the Will of God. This is His
desire for us. This is what He wants us to have.
Ephesians 1:15-23:
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love
unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in
my prayers; [This prayer by revelation shows God's heart.]
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give unto you...
According to Moulton's Analytical
concordance "may
give" is in the optative mood. The optative mood shows
desire or longing. Let's look at what God desires, what
He wants:
...may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may
know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward
who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Look at the next prayer in chapter 3.
Ephesians 3:14-21:
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his
glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
"Would grant" is the same word as "give" in
chapter 1. It is an aorist subjunctive, which means that
God could do it at any point in time. The Father made the
promise and He'll perform it at any point in time as we
believe.
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,
and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that
ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout
all ages, world without end. Amen.
The promise is already made, and freely made. It will
be fulfilled, and freely fulfilled each and every time
we claim it with believing. Our loving heavenly Father
delights in performing His promises.
Psalm 105:42,43:
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
It was God's delight to perform His promise. Father might
have given us all the mercies we needed, without pledging
Himself to do so. God, with His great strength of will,
and firmness of purpose, could have secretly resolved in
Himself to do all that He does unto believers without having
first made us aware of His divine counsels. But He wants
us to know Him, and what we can expect from Him.
III. We can claim God's promises
and bring them into reality for ourselves and them
to whom we minister.
Just because we at times fail to perform our promises,
we must never doubt God's ability to do so. Moses had a
momentary lapse in this regard.
Numbers 11:18-24,30-32:
[God tells Moses] And say thou unto the people,
Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall
eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD,
saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was
well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give
you flesh, and ye shall eat.
19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither
ten days, nor twenty days;
20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils,
and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD
which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth
out of Egypt?
21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred
thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they
may eat a whole month. [We're in a desert!]
22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice
them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them,
to suffice them?
23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? [In
Genesis 18:14 the angel of the Lord asks Abraham, "Is any thing
too hard for the LORD?"] thou shalt see now whether my word shall
come to pass unto thee or not.
24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD....
30 And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from
the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on
this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about
the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and
all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered
least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves
round about the camp.
Yes, we frequently intend to act according to our word,
but we find ourselves mastered by overwhelming circumstances,
and our promise falls to the ground because we are unable
to perform it. It can never be so with the Lord God Almighty,
for He can do what He has promised. All things are possible
with Him.
Nor can the promise fail because of a change in the Divine
Promiser. We change; poor, frail things that we are! But
the Lord knows no variableness, neither shadow of a turning.
Hence His Word abideth forever the same. Because He changes
not, His promises stand fast.
Not only do we change our minds, but we forget or become
complacent. But, the Word of the Lord never fails due to
slackness on His part.
2 Peter 3:9:
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
Although we are willing, we fail
in the performing because other things come in, and distract
our attention. We forget, or we lose our excitement or
enthusiasm for it; but never is it so with the Faithful
Promiser. His most ancient promise is still fresh in
His mind, and He means it as much now as He did when
He first uttered it. Like we read in Pslam 105, "He
remembered His promise and Abraham His servant."
Paul received a promise from God in Acts 23:11 that he
would bear witness for Him at Rome. Paul claimed that promise,
and he did get to Rome. However, the trip there was not
without incident.
Acts 27:21-25:
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said,
Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete,
and to have gained this harm and loss. [Not to say na, na, na, na, na,
but to establish his credentials because they were going to need to listen
to what he says next.]
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be
no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
This was a change from verse 10
in which Paul said that the voyage would be "with hurt and much damage, not
only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives." Perhaps
Paul was making intercession during this long abstinence.
Whatever the reason, the revelation changed. Why could
Paul could make this assurance to the people?
23 For there stood by me this night the angel
of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar:
and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that
it shall be even as it was told me.
Paul believed that all in the ship
with him would escape because God had promised it. He
accepted the promise and acted accordingly. He was calm
amid the storm. He encouraged the others to eat for their
health in verse 34, and they did and were of good cheer
in verse 36. He managed matters as a man would do who
was sure of the promise of God to him. Thus he treated
God as He should be treated, with unquestioning confidence.
Of course verse 44 says that "it
came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land." God
fulfilled His promise as He said He would.
Paul's unwavering confidence in God's promise, encouraged
the others, too. When we are convinced, we can be convincing.
Paul shared the promise of God with the others and it had
an impact. We too, can have an impact on those around us
as we confidently declare God's promises.
This morning we saw that:
- God confirms His promises by not only pledging His
Word, but by swaring an oath.
- Our heavenly Father wants to give, and does give as
He has promised.
- We can claim God's promises and bring them into reality
for ourselves and those to whom we minister.
What promise of God do you want to bring into reality
in your life? If God said it, He can absolutely bring it
to pass. We learned in Part I of Living in God's Power that
God's promises are ours. They are ours to claim and enjoy.
God so graciously recorded His Willl in His Word. His promises
are yea and amen. He said it, that settles it for those
of us Living in God's Power.
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