(The Promises of God - Part 1 | Part 2)
Our God is a promise-making and a promise-keeping God. No one can read the Bible without becoming aware that it is filled with His promises.
In the first part of this study, we learned that God gives us His promises to equip us for living a victorious Christian life, to become like Jesus, and to escape the corruption of this world - and that He moves in this world through His promises. We also learned that to become beneficiaries of His promises, we must have a deep, abiding unshakeable faith in them and that what God has promised He will perform.
In the second half of this study, we will continue to look at our part in seeing God's promises fulfilled.
We Must Persevere
The Scripture: Isaiah 62:6
"You who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silent." (The Amplified Bible)
1. What are God's servants to do?
Not only must we have faith in God's promises, but God tells us to remind Him of His promises. That's right - we're given permission to nag Him about what He has promised. We can be like the widow in Jesus' parable.
The Scripture: Luke 18:1-5
"Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said, 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men, and there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming.’"
2. Why did Jesus tell this parable?
3. What was the final result?
The Scripture: Luke 18:6-8
"Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you He will see that they get justice, and quickly."
4. What did Jesus say about God?
Of course, God is nothing like the wicked judge in this story. He is anxious to answer those prayers that are prayed in faith in His promises. But Jesus gives us another key here. When we remind God of His promises, we are to persist, to keep going to God over and over again until we receive an answer.
Most of God's Promises Come With Conditions
While God has made many unconditional promises to us, most of His promises come with conditions. We must meet the conditions before we can expect to receive what is promised. A good example of this is a prayer that is being prayed by Christians around the world.
The Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14
"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land."
5. What is God's promise to His people?
6. What are the conditions given in this scripture?
You will remember that Second Peter 1:4 says that one of the reasons God gives us His promises is to help us escape the corruption of the world. Let's look at some of the promises that help us do this.
Salvation
The Scripture: John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
7. What is the promise?
8. What is the condition?
The Holy Spirit
The Scripture: Acts 1:4, 5, 8
"He (Jesus) gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit....You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth.'"
9. What is the promise?
10. What is the condition?
11. What else would they receive?
Forgiveness
The weight of the sins we commit is too heavy a burden to carry and often leads to more sin. But God has provided a solution for getting rid of that burden.
The Scripture: Matthew 6:14, 15
"If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
12. What is the promise?
13. What is the condition?
Of course, Jesus is not talking about forgiving the sin of not believing in Him, but of the sins we commit on a daily basis.
We else must we do to be sure of forgiveness?
The Scripture: 1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
14. What is the promise?
15. What is the condition?
Guidance
We cannot lead the life God wants us to without His constant guidance. Through His promises, He has provided a way for us to receive it.
The Scripture: Psalm 32:6, 8
"Let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found;...I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
16. What is the promise?
17. What is the condition?
Finances
We live in a materialistic society - part of the corruption Peter speaks about. In our world there is the constant temptation to want more and more. But God warns us about the danger of wanting more than we need.
The Scripture: 1Timothy: 6:9, 10
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."
18. What happens to people who want to get rich?
19. What does God call the love of money?
But God doesn't stop here. He has the answer to our financial problems.
The Scripture: Matthew 6:33
"Seek first His (Christ's) kingdom and His righteousness, and all things (food, drink, and clothing) will be given to you as well."
20. What is the promise?
21. What is the condition?
Wisdom
It is impossible to successfully move through life without supernatural wisdom. God promises to give us that, too.
The Scripture: James 1:5
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the seas, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
22. What is the promise?
23. What is the condition?
24. How does James describe the doubting person?
Battling Satan
As long as we live, we will be tempted by Satan to sin. God has a promise to help us in this area, too.
The Scripture: James 4:7
"Submit yourself, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
25. What is the promise?
26. What are the conditions?
God has yet another promise for us in First Corinthians.
The Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. And when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
27. What two promises does God make in this scripture?
These are just a few of the promises God makes in His word to help get you started on your own search. God bless you as you do.
The Answers
- Put the Lord in remembrance of His promises
- To show His listeners that they should always pray and not give up
- The Judge gave the widow what she asked for.
- He would quickly give justice to His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night.
- God will hear our prayers, forgive our sins, and heal our land.
- We must humble ourselves and pray; seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.
- We shall not perish but have eternal life.
- We must believe in Jesus.
- You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
- The disciples were to wait for the gift, the coming of the Holy Spirit.
- Power, and they would become witnesses to the ends of the earth.
- Our heavenly Father will forgive us.
- We must forgive those who sin against us.
- He will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
- We must confess our sins.
- God will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go. He will counsel us and watch over us.
- To pray
- They fall into many and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
- A root of all kinds of evil
- Everything we need (food, drink, and clothing) will be provided.
- To seek Christ's kingdom and His righteousness first
- God will give us wisdom.
- To ask God without doubting
- Double-minded, unstable in all he does
- The devil will flee.
- To submit ourselves to God and resist the devil
- God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear; when we are tempted, He will provide a way out so we can stand up under it.
All scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version
(unless otherwise indicated)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, New International Bible Society
Copyright © 2000 by JoAnne Sekowsky