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Author
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Topic: Seven Promises Of God To Man
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
The Yes and Amen
For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2 Cor. 1:20)
The above passage is a clear statement to the effect that the faithfulness of God is not based in anything about US. God’s YES and AMEN is based on Himself. Or to put it another way, God Himself IS His own YES and AMEN. He IS the embodiment of faithfulness, Truth, and is the guarantee of His own purpose. To see this, and begin to rest in it, is one of the great victories of the Christian life.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Found in Him
Advanced Member
Member # 7596
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posted
Okay... I ask the question when do we get this "true Christ-Like-Love and behavior" ???
The word says "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29)
So this conformity is a work in progress. I found the following comment at prayergear.com regarding a very interesting image of Jesus...
The image of Jesus at Gethsemane is bitter and tragic. In Hebrew, Gethsemane means "oil press," the means by which oil was squeezed from olives. A symbol of sanctification, olive oil was used for the anointing of both kings and the sickly poor. How appropriate pointing to the squeezing of Jesus' blood that would anoint the world! Jesus told His apostles, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me" (Matthew 26:38, NIV). "Keeping watch" is akin, in this context, to keeping a prayerful vigil beside the bed of a sick and suffering loved one. Jesus prayed so intensely that He needed to rest, and He sought rest with His beloved apostles. They were asleep. "Couldn't you keep watch with me for one hour?" Jesus rhetorically and mournfully asked. What if they had been awake and on watch? Perhaps Jesus would have had shared the most profound and heartfelt words from the deepest recesses of His heart in this very private and painful time. If so, we have been denied that treasure, twice, for Jesus found them sleeping again after more prayer. They were not yet conformed to His image. Instead, they were images of sleeping men oblivious to the supreme suffering of their Lord and God. We see these same images all day long at work, on the street, and, mournfully, even in our churches.
"…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10, NAS)
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~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
Posts: 1503 | Registered: Jan 2009
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
![[Smile]](smile.gif) Sorry about my bad wording, heheh.
I agree, Eden, we are capable of keeping promises to some degree -- usually when it will not put us out in any way; if we keep it or if we don't.
It has been my experience that most people are promise breakers in the end, because their sin nature guides them.
I'm just thankfull that the only promis maker I've ever given true stock in is God -- that way I've never been let down. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
God Bless.
And PS, Eden: Thank you for your kind words earlier.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
MentorsRiddle wrote quote:
Only until we obtain a true Christ-Like-Love and behavior that we remain promise breakers.
When we obtain a Christ-like love we become promise breakers? Get behind me, Satan, for you cherish not the things of God ...
(Only kidding, MentorsRiddle, I know what you meant; you have been a very decent person.)
However, to address what you said, being a promise-keeper is not that hard, it does not require a "Christ-Like-Love and behavior" to be a promise-keeper. I've been a promise-keeper for a number of years now and it's just as easy as being a promise-breaker. It's not hard to say, "Okay, I'll help you with $100 towards your rent" and then actually show up and pay it.
For what the LORD requires of us is not hard:
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the LORD requires of you, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?
Do justly and love mercy, we can choose to do these things, because we know that to do them pleases God and because we know that God grants us favor when we do them; even saved sinners can be promise-keepers ... it is NOT that hard.
To be sure, only Jesus can be a 100% promise-keeper, but we can get very close because it is not much harder to do than brushing our teeth. "His word is bond."
love, Eden
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
PS: Another great post, Carol
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
God is the ultimate promise keeper – for he has a righteous nature, which is infallible.
Man however… well, mankind is another animal entirely.
We are riddled with our sin nature and usually look out for number one.
This post kinda’ reminds me of a post earlier in which a discussion took place between Carol and Found In Him.
Mankind’s nature is evil – through and through.
Only until we obtain a true Christ-Like-Love and behavior that we remain promise breakers.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
Promise-keepers are wonderful people, compared to promise-breakers. I have one tenant, who even says he's a Christian, who promised not to smoke on the balcony, but as soon as he sees me drive off, he smokes on the balcony. Or he promised me to pay the rent on a certain date, and when that day comes, he has a story to tell why he can't pay the rent after all ... and on and on it goes.
How wonderful are the promise-keepers! God LOVES the promise keepers.
love, Eden
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becauseHElives
Advanced Member
Member # 87
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posted
Carol ![[thumbsup2]](graemlins/thumbsup2.gif) ![[type]](graemlins/type.gif)
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
Posts: 4578 | From: Southeast Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
Seven Promises Of God To Man
We are all accustomed to promises. We are also accustomed to seeing them made and broken. Anyone who has lived for a number of years would certainly never lay claim to having kept every promise made. There are many reasons why this is true. Sometimes we forget, sometimes we are negligent, and sometimes it may be due to circumstances beyond our control.
People change their minds, and they do break their promises.
What about the promises of God? How certain are they? The Apostle Paul, in writing about the promises of God to Abraham, addressed the church at Rome with these words: "For the promise that he should be heir of the world, was not to Abraham or his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith . . . therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed" (Romans 4:13, 16). God's promise to Abraham was first spelled out in Genesis Chapter 12. It was repeated in Chapter 22. Verse 18 reads: "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice".
Now a promise is of no more value than is the ability of the one who makes it to carry through. It also includes willingness to do so. God did carry through with Abraham. Paul points out in Galatians 3:16, that it was through Christ God intended to fulfill the promise to Abraham. Also in Acts 13:32-33, the Apostle says: "And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again."
The contour of Jesus' life, while living on earth, was shaped by his trust in the power of the promises of God. When Jesus said: "I am that bread of life", John 6:48, "I am the light of the world", John 8:12, "I am the resurrection and the life." John 11:25, He did so fully realizing that He had been empowered with this right by the Father who had promised to raise Him from the grave. There were more than 500 brethren at one time who bore witness to the fulfillment of this promise according to I Corinthians 15:1-6.
What can be said about God's promises to us?
1. He has promised to supply every need we have. The Bible says: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". That's Phillipians 4:19. Now notice, God has obligated Himself only to the extent of our needs. That would include food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation thru Jesus Christ. It would not include the multiplicity of luxuries that we have come to think of as needs.
2. God has promised that His grace is sufficient for us. (II Corinthians 12:9). In fact, He has made provision for our salvation by His grace through faith. Read Ephesians 2:8. It is through an obedient faith that we have access to the grace of God according to Romans 5:2.
3. God has promised that His children will not be overtaken with temptation. Instead, He assures us that a way of escape will be provided. This promise is recorded in I Corinthians 10:13. Jude wrote: "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude v 24). Darius, King of the Medes, said to Daniel, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee" (Daniel 6:16). He did deliver Daniel from the den of lions.
4. God has promised us victory over death. He first resurrected Jesus, assuring our resurrection. Peter said: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:32). Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:3,4). Later on he adds: "but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15:57).
5. God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28). It may be difficult for us to see and understand how this is accomplished at times, but God has promised it, and He will deliver.
6. God has promised that those who believe in Jesus will be saved. (Read Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38).
7. God has promised His people eternal life (John 10:27,28).
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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