Our heavenly Father has made many promises in the Bible. But there is confusion about which verses we can claim as a definite commitment from God. Three questions are useful in evaluating whether divine promises apply to our own situation:
1. Is this promise limited to a specific person or circumstance, or does it apply to all believers? For example, the pledge made to Abraham and Sarah about giving birth to a child (Gen. 18:10) is restricted to them, whereas Hebrews 13:5 contains a guarantee to all Christians that Jesus will be with them forever.
2. Are we asking the Lord to meet a need or a desire? A need is something that we must have in order for God to complete His work in our lives. A desire is something we want for satisfaction or enjoyment. If we lose our job, then an essential—an incoming wage—is missing. But if we want a new position for personal reasons, it’s a desire.
3. Before fulfilling a promise, does the Lord require some action on our part? Proverbs 3:5-6 is a conditional promise, which pledges God’s direction on the basis of our trust in Him. On the other hand, Jesus’ assurance of His presence with believers is unconditional (Matt. 28:20).
By evaluating Scripture on the basis of these questions, we will know which promises apply to our situation. Think of how much more confidence we’ll have in asking our Lord to fulfill them. For, as 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV) says, “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”
Paul wrote extensively about grace —God’s favor given to the undeserving. And wherever the apostle traveled, he spoke about the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24). He knew firsthand sin’s controlling power and the freedom that comes through faith in Christ. He described himself as the worst of sinners because he persecuted and imprisoned many believers prior to his conversion (1 Tim. 1:15).
Once we accept Christ’s death on our behalf, the penalty for our sin is considered to be paid in full, and the power of sin over us is broken. When the Holy Spirit indwells us, we become spiritually alive. What’s more, we are then given a new family and purpose for living. Scripture compares our conversion experience to receiving a heart transplant (Ezek. 36:26; 2 Cor. 5:17), changing citizenship (Phil. 3:20), and moving to a new country (Col. 1:13).
Paul exhorts everyone who has been saved to continue in the grace of God (Acts 13:43; Eph. 2:8)—our heavenly Father’s desire and will is that we relate to Him on this basis alone. Just as we needed to rely upon Christ’s substitutionary death for salvation, we are to live a life of dependence upon Him. It’s our faith, expressed through obedience, that pleases Him (Heb. 11:6).
Grace is the most powerful, life-changing force in the world. God freely offers His unconditional love to whoever receives His Son. At salvation, our life is placed upon the immovable Rock—Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 10:4)—whose favor is extended over us. And from then on, He sees us through the everlasting grace He has provided us. What’s your response to this miracle of grace?
Scripture records a grim picture of mankind: dead in our sins, under God’s wrath, and subject to eternal separation from Him (Eph. 2:1-3). Through the cross, He gives us a second chance to be in a loving relationship with Him. When we place our faith in Christ, He pours out His unconditional love—His grace—upon us.
Because of grace, we have been justified by faith. Justification is a declaration by God that we are not guilty in His sight. At salvation, Jesus’ death on the cross is counted as payment for our sins. All our disobedience—past, present, and future—is fully forgiven.
The means of obtaining this pardon is through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. What does that look like? It’s a faith that accepts the Lord’s judgment that we are sinners who are unable to rescue ourselves and in need of a Savior. It believes that Jesus paid for our sins through His death, that God accepted His payment on our behalf, and that we are forgiven and made part of His family. If we have true faith, we’ll give Him our allegiance and wholeheartedly seek to serve Him.
Grace also gives us peace with the Lord. Before salvation, we were His enemies, under a sentence of eternal death. But after trusting in Christ, we were adopted into God’s family and have His favor forever.
Through grace, we have been given a second chance. Instead of receiving the eternal punishment we deserved, we’re given acceptance through faith in Christ (Rom. 15:7) and have become members of God’s family (Rom. 8:15). Make full use of this second opportunity by passionately pursuing Him.
If you ask a group of people what God is like, you will receive many different answers. Some will say He is a force somewhere in the cosmos, while others picture a benevolent grandfather type who overlooks “little sins.” Most of the time, the description given will reveal more about the speaker than about the real Jehovah. In fact, the true God might surprise you.
As the Father reveals Himself in Scripture, one word that’s never used when referring to Him is “it.” God is a person; in every reference, He is given a name (Yahweh, Elohim, Lord) or referred to by masculine pronouns (He, Him). He fits all of the attributes of personhood—intelligence to reason, emotions to feel, and the will to make decisions. From Genesis to Revelation, God displays these features.
Scripture also shows God’s immutability. Let us be clear about what that means: Neither the Lord’s nature nor His character ever changes—He is always Spirit, and His love remains constant. We can all expect that God’s principles and laws will hold true and that He will act exactly as He has promised. While He does adjust His emotions to fit a situation, delight, anger, and other feelings are nuances of His being, not new traits.
God is eternal—He has no beginning or end. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No one created Him; God simply is. That’s hard for humans to understand, but if the Lord were completely explainable, He would be like us and unworthy of worship. If we are to honor the Father, we should know Him as He really is—eternal and unchanging.
Sharing is a learned quality; it simply is not a natural characteristic. Observe what young children do. They squabble over who goes first, whose piece of cookie is bigger, and who plays with their toys. As adults, we struggle as well, especially when it comes to our finances. We demand to have our “rightful share” and keep what is ours. The choices we make with our finances—how much we hold, how much and how often we give—reveal where we place our trust.
God calls Christians to a lifestyle of generous giving, not of accumulating and hoarding. He tells us to find security in our relationship with Him rather than in our assets. Why? Because for most of us, no matter how much we have, it never feels like enough. Also, when we focus on money, we open the door to uncertainty and anxiety. What if we lose our job, miss the promotion, get a long-term illness, or witness a stock market decline? When our finances suffer, our sense of security decreases.
But if our security is in our relationship with God through Christ, then we’ll be thankful for what we have and will trust Him for the future. We’ll keep finances in their proper perspective: They are given to us by God to be used for His purposes, not ours.
One of God’s purposes is that we support the local church. How generously do you contribute to your congregation? Do you look for additional opportunities to give? Do you have a positive attitude when you hear financial appeals? Let your giving pattern reveal that you’ve placed your security in God rather than money.
