- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
PROMISES OF GOD.
(2 Corinthians 7 v1).
By Matthew Henry
“Therefore we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God”
It is the amazing privilege of all believers to possess the precious promises of God, but what is the importance of these promises?
(1) We have them as signs of God’s favour towards us, and everyone of them are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus Christ our Lord.
(2) We have them as fruits of Christ’s purchase. The Lord purchased us with His own blood and so we have these promises produced by His amazing grace.
(3) They are clear declarations of the goodness of God towards humankind, and are part of the Covenant of Grace.
(4) They are a foundation of our faith, and we have them as our hope. We can build all our expectations about God on them, and in temptations and trials they give our souls rest.
(5) We have them as the directions and encouragements of our desires in prayer. “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7 v7). Therefore they are a guide for us and the foundation of our hope in prayer.
(6) We have them as a way by which the grace of God works for our holiness and comfort. “Through them you may participate in the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1 v4).
(7) We have the promises as a guarantee and assurance of future blessings. By them, eternal life and glory is secured for all believers.
The blessed promises of God.
The first is, He has promised that we shall be His people. “Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession” (Exodus 19 v5).
The second is, that all our sins shall be forgiven. “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43 v25).
The third is, that our sinful nature will be subdued. “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6 v14).
The fourth is, that the Spirit of Grace will be given to us, to enable us to obey the Lord. “And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws” (Ezekiel 36 v27).
The fifth is, that God will circumcise our hearts to love Him. “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 30 v6).
The sixth is, that He will give us the knowledge of His truth and the comfort and benefits of it. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8 v32).
The seventh is, that He will unite our hearts to Himself and to each other. “I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will never turn away from Me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them” (Jeremiah 32 v39).
We must be thankful to God for all these precious promises, that God not only does good for us, but engages with us by using promises. We must encourage ourselves with these promises in our daily life. We must acknowledge the truth of God and that He is faithful to all His promises. “Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave” (1 Kings 8 v56).
We should actively collect these promises so that we will have them ready to use when we need them, to silence our fears and to strengthen our faith. There is a great need for us to live by faith, and we do this by making use of these promises. God gave us promises and we take them by faith.
The Bible teaches us the fruits of these promises. They give us strength and grace against sin. The promises enable us to overcome all our spiritual enemies, which are the world, the flesh and the devil. God is faithful to these promises which He has given us. Therefore, we must honour them. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10 v23).
We are greatly honoured to have these promises, and we should carry this fact with us. God has promised to be a faithful, loving and tender Father. The promises give us security because we will be rewarded for our obedience. “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15 v58).
To conclude, let us apply the promises to ourselves, live by them and take them as our heritage forever. Both old and young must treasure theses promises. “Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20 v32).
From ‘A Sermon on the Promises of God’.