HF099 - God's 'Never-Ever' Promise
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2003
Subject: Bible Study HF099 - God's 'Never-Ever' Promise
Hebraics,
In the study to follow we want to take a closer look at conditional and unconditional promises. The title of our study comes from Hebrews 13:5, in which the Lord said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."
It should go without saying that conditional promises have conditions attached, while unconditional promises are without condition. An unconditional promise is unilateral. God made it. Thus God fulfills it.
This is Bible Study HF099 - God's 'Never-Ever' Promise.
Believers who lack knowledge in how our salvation works have to often battle with insecurity. This is why you see some of the same people in the altars revival after revival. But the problem doesn't begin with the person in the altar. It is a problem with the pulpit. Jesus Christ is being presented in a manner that is not in keeping with the true gospel.
The work of salvation is God's work from alpha to omega. There is nothing left to chance. No one is accidentally born into the kingdom of God. Every birth is planned. The apostle said he was convinced the good work that God began in us, He would perfect until the day of Jesus Christ. God is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the perfector of His work. (Cf. Phil1:6)
I had resigned from my former church association. The following morning it was like a black cloud settled on me. I felt an aloneness that I was not accustomed to. What will I do? Where do I go? Falling to my knees, something prompted me to reach for my Bible. My eyes fell upon Philippians 1:6, where the apostle said, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
The cloud vanished. The 'Sun of righteousness' had risen over me. No more fear. No more uncertainty. I knew in my heart everything was alright. Does it not say, "For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Heb2:18) He came to my aid. Hallelujah!
Of course I'm not telling you something that you don't know. Sure the Lord came to my aid. Jesus has come to my aid untold myriads of times on my pilgrim journey. But He does the same for all who belong to Him. Did He not say, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." That, dear friend, is an unconditional promise.
Perhaps we need to consider what would make up a conditional promise. Conditional promises are based upon some action on our part. An unconditional promises is based entirely upon something God has promised to do with no aid from us.
There are many conditional promises. A good example is Luke 6:38, where the Lord says, "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure --- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."
Notice that it is 'our' standard of measure that is the gauge for the 'pressed down' blessings. But this is true throughout the Scriptures. God wants His people to be giving people. We are to emulate Him. For God so loved, He gave. We are to so love, and give. And there are literally thousands of conditional promises.
But back to the unconditional promises. Unconditional promises are generally summed up as redemption promises. These kinds of promises are 'from God, through God, and to God' promises. They cannot be broken by believers simply because we have no role to play in them. They are based entirely on the sovereignty of God.
The 'never-ever' promises serve as the bedrock of our walk with the Lord. One of the very last things Jesus said to the disciples was, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt28:20)
Another one that some folk try to unwind is the John 10:27,28 promise, where the Lord said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand."
Many Christians see the strength of their walk in how strong their grip is on God. This is not what Jesus is saying. The safety for a child of God does not depend on his or her grip. It rests entirely in the hands of the Lord. Jesus said, "No one will snatch them out of my hand."
Here are a few more of these 'never-ever' promises:
"...whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." (John 4:14)
"...everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:26)
"Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away." (1Co13:8)
Each of the afore promises has its own doctrinal platform. The point being that these promises are based upon something God says He will do.
But there is a deeper lesson in all this. These unconditional promises actually relate God's redemption plan in Christ, a plan that was set forth before the beginning of time. To try to even understand it is beyond our grasp. To say that God is unjust or unfair is not true in the least. It is merely that we are unable to understand things that are finite. God is perfectly just in all His ways.
Paul gave some insight into this area, when he said, "We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to [God's] purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will." (Eph1:11)
Notice that Paul said our will does not figure in the picture. It is God's will that is at work. This is why I said earlier that nothing happens in a believer's life by chance. The apostle John certainly agrees. He said that our birth from heaven was not a thing of our will. He says, "[We] were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13)
When we were born again, it is because God opened our ears to hear, and placed in our heart to respond. We see this being worked out in a lady named Lydia. It says, "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshipper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul." (Acts 16:14)
We also see this worked out in the life of a man called Peter. If you recall, Peter actually denied the Lord three times. Was that the end of the story? No indeed. Jesus sought him out, restored him fully, and gave him the privilege of preaching the gospel at the very place where Peter became fearful of his life.
Yet there is something we may forget. Recall what the Lord said to the 70 who returned and were rejoicing over all the miracles that took place through the name of Jesus. What was the Lord's response? He said, "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:20)
Peter's name had been recorded in heaven long before there was a world. Only God can do that. And Peter's name being recorded was not based on some goodness to be found in Peter. There was no goodness to be found in him. If any part of our salvation is based on our personal goodness, then no person will ever be saved. The Bible says there is none good. Not a single one.
But there is a point in all this --- Regardless of how well we think we understand the mystery of our salvation, the fact remains that God's unconditional promises do not rest upon how well we are able to perform. They are not our performance promises. Each of these promises rest upon God Himself. When He says that He will never desert us or forsake us, that promise cannot be broken.
Yes, we all struggle over this. How can God give such promises? After all, I am such a bummer of a person. There is no good in me. So we ask, "Why me, Lord?" Wish I could answer that. About the best any of us can do is write songs about all this. And write the songs we do. Christianity is known for its awesome songs of praise.
We write:
"I don't know why Jesus loved me. I don't know why He cared. I don't know why He gave His life for me. Oh, but I'm glad. So glad He did."
Or,
"Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong."
Or,
'All hail the power of Jesus name! Let angels prostrate fall..."
Or,
"I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong..."
Or,
"So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, ... Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown."
Well, it is songs without end. And yet while we love the Lord with a love that cannot be measured, John carefully wrote, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1Jn4:10)
Paul carefully adds that nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let's talk about it. The study is open.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)