The Unchanging Power of God's Promises
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God throughout the scriptures has made his promises to humanity in general and to his people in particular. God has made his promises very prominent and important throughout the scriptures. God made important promises to Adam and Eve, to Cain, to Noah, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Moses. I mean, I could just keep going on and on and on throughout history. Almost every important person that God dealt with in his whole plan of redemption through the scriptures, he made promises to them. But then there's also beautiful promises to the people of God in general. [00:79:04]
Some promises are positive in their character, their promises of blessing and protection and God's presence and salvation. But some promises are negative in their character, their promises of judgment, promises of cursing if people turn away from God and disobey him. But what I want to talk to you about today has to do again with this idea of the promises of God being true and eternal and what it does is it connects back to the idea of the nature of promises. [00:119:43]
You see, promises depend on the ability of the promiser to perform or to fulfill the promise. You see, ability means character. If promises depend upon the ability of the promises, part of that ability is character. You have to ask yourself, are they the kind of person who keeps their promises? If somebody has a terrible reputation for not keeping promises, then why would you ever enter into a serious promise with them? [00:148:31]
Ability means more than character. Ability also means power. Do they actually have the power to keep their promises? Let me give you an example. Somebody may make a promise. Let's say, I'll just use a crazy example. Here's somebody on their deathbed, they're very, very close to death, and they come and they make you a promise, hey, let's go fishing together in five years. Well, that might be a sweet thing for them to say, but if they did that, you'd kind of roll your eyes and say, I don't think you have the power to keep that promise. [00:180:95]
God has the character and the power to keep his promises. God is able to keep his promises and let's take a look at some scriptures that just remind us of that. First of the character of God, that God is a faithful promise-keeping God. I love what it says in First Corinthians chapter 1 verse 9. It says this, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Do you see that simple statement? God is faithful and if God is faithful, he'll keep his promises. [00:232:00]
God does not make promises that it is not in his character to keep. Matter of fact, Numbers chapter 23 verse 19 speaks very powerfully about this. It says this, God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should repent. He has he said and he will not do, or has he spoken and he will not make it good. No, he said God is not like that. God will fulfill his promises because that is part of his character. [00:290:72]
God can make everlasting promises to his people because he really can make good on them because he is unchanging. I always like to go to Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8 which tells us this again, Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's everlasting, he's not going to change. It's not like God would have the heart to keep his promises, but not have the ability to keep his promises because he's not everlasting in his power, but he is everlasting. [00:444:24]
With a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. Isn't that true with our God? He has everlasting kindness towards us, it doesn't change. Or I love what it says in Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3. Ready for this one? Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3, the Lord has appeared to me of old saying, yes I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you. [00:485:19]
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him and his righteousness to his children's children, to such as keep his covenant and to those who remember his commandments to do them. Again, let me just read you a quote from FB Meyer having to do with Psalm 103. He says this, God's love does not alter with our alterings or change with our changes. There was never a time when he did not love you, his mercy is from everlasting nor a time when he will love you less. [00:559:68]
We can rest in the confidence that God is able to keep his promises. He has the character to keep his promises and now and forever, God has the power to keep his promises. Let me conclude with one last verse, Second Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 where Paul wrote this, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. He is able and we can be confident that God is able to keep every one of his promises. [00:604:24]
He has the character, he's true, he's faithful, and he is everlasting. He will never change in his ability to do that. Let's thank the Lord for that and press into the promises of God. [00:640:64]
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Some promises are positive in their character, their promises of blessing and protection and God's presence and salvation. But some promises are negative in their character, their promises of judgment, promises of cursing if people turn away from God and disobey him. But what I want to talk to you about today has to do again with this idea of the promises of God being true and eternal and what it does is it connects back to the idea of the nature of promises. [00:119:43]
You see, promises depend on the ability of the promiser to perform or to fulfill the promise. You see, ability means character. If promises depend upon the ability of the promises, part of that ability is character. You have to ask yourself, are they the kind of person who keeps their promises? If somebody has a terrible reputation for not keeping promises, then why would you ever enter into a serious promise with them? [00:148:31]
Ability means more than character. Ability also means power. Do they actually have the power to keep their promises? Let me give you an example. Somebody may make a promise. Let's say, I'll just use a crazy example. Here's somebody on their deathbed, they're very, very close to death, and they come and they make you a promise, hey, let's go fishing together in five years. Well, that might be a sweet thing for them to say, but if they did that, you'd kind of roll your eyes and say, I don't think you have the power to keep that promise. [00:180:95]
God has the character and the power to keep his promises. God is able to keep his promises and let's take a look at some scriptures that just remind us of that. First of the character of God, that God is a faithful promise-keeping God. I love what it says in First Corinthians chapter 1 verse 9. It says this, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Do you see that simple statement? God is faithful and if God is faithful, he'll keep his promises. [00:232:00]
God does not make promises that it is not in his character to keep. Matter of fact, Numbers chapter 23 verse 19 speaks very powerfully about this. It says this, God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should repent. He has he said and he will not do, or has he spoken and he will not make it good. No, he said God is not like that. God will fulfill his promises because that is part of his character. [00:290:72]
God can make everlasting promises to his people because he really can make good on them because he is unchanging. I always like to go to Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8 which tells us this again, Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's everlasting, he's not going to change. It's not like God would have the heart to keep his promises, but not have the ability to keep his promises because he's not everlasting in his power, but he is everlasting. [00:444:24]
With a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. Isn't that true with our God? He has everlasting kindness towards us, it doesn't change. Or I love what it says in Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3. Ready for this one? Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3, the Lord has appeared to me of old saying, yes I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you. [00:485:19]
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him and his righteousness to his children's children, to such as keep his covenant and to those who remember his commandments to do them. Again, let me just read you a quote from FB Meyer having to do with Psalm 103. He says this, God's love does not alter with our alterings or change with our changes. There was never a time when he did not love you, his mercy is from everlasting nor a time when he will love you less. [00:559:68]
We can rest in the confidence that God is able to keep his promises. He has the character to keep his promises and now and forever, God has the power to keep his promises. Let me conclude with one last verse, Second Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 where Paul wrote this, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. He is able and we can be confident that God is able to keep every one of his promises. [00:604:24]
He has the character, he's true, he's faithful, and he is everlasting. He will never change in his ability to do that. Let's thank the Lord for that and press into the promises of God. [00:640:64]
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