I Promise

HAVE YOU EVER RECIVED AN INVITATION OR ADVERTISEMENT IN THE MAIL FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS RUNNING A PROMOTIONAL IN WHICH YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO RECEIVE A GIFT JUST FOR SHOWING UP?

WHETHER IT’S A POST-CARD IN THE MAIL OR SOMETHING YOU HEAR ON THE RADIO, WE DON’T TRUST SUCH PROMISES BECAUSE WE THINK A HIGH-PRESSURED SALES PITCH WILL BE PART OF THE DEAL OR THAT THERE MAY BE STRINGS ATTACHED TO BUY SOMETHING.

BUT, THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT IF THE PROMISE IS TRUE IS TO RESPOND TO THE INVITATION. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH THE PROMISES OF GOD. THE PROMISES OF GOD ALWAYS REQUIRE A RESPONSE OF FAITH.

FOR EXAMPLE, GOD MADE A PROMISE TO ABRAHAM THAT THROUGH HIM HE WOULD PRODUCE A GREAT NATION AND HAVE COUNTLESS DESCENDANTS.

BUT IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, ABRAHAM WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE HIS HOME AND ALL THAT WAS FAMILIAR TO HIM IN ORDER TO JOURNEY TOWARDS A FOREIGN LAND IN ORDER TO RECEIVE WHAT GOD HAD PROMISED.

THE GOOD NEWS FOR US TODAY IS THAT JUST AS ABRAHAM FOUND OUT, WE REALIZE THAT GOD’S PROMISES ARE ANCHORED IN HIS UNCHANGING CHARACTER AND STEADFAST LOVE.

THE BIBLE IS FILLED WITH OVER 100 REFERENCES TO PROMISES THAT THE BELIEVER CAN DEPEND UPON. ALL 100 PROVE THE SAME THING: GOD’S PROMISES NEVER FAIL.

OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE TODAY DEALS WITH ONE OF THOSE PROMISES. JEREMIAH THE PROPHET DELIVERS A MESSAGE TO ISRAEL THAT SIGNIFIES PROMISES OF BLESSINGS.

JEREMIAH SPEAKS OF A FUTURE PERIOD OF BLESSINGS FOR ISRAEL WHEN THE NATION WOULD BE RESTORED FROM CAPTIVITY AND WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS BRANCH OF DAVID WOULD BE RULING OVER A UNITED MONARCHY.

JEREMIAH ALSO GAVE HOPE OF THE BLESSINGS THAT THE NATION WOULD EXPERIENCE PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN THE LAND AND THAT THE NEW COVENANT WITH ITS CLEANSING FROM SIN WOULD BE IN EFFECT.

THE FINAL PROCLAMATION GIVEN BY JEREMIAH IS THE FULFILLED PROMISE THAT THE CITY OF JERUSALEM WOULD BE REBUILT AS A HOLY CITY THAT WILL NEVER AGAIN BE DESTROYED.

THESE WERE THE PROMISES THAT WERE GREATER THAN ANYTHING ISRAEL HAD EVER EXPERIENCED THROUGHOUT HER LONG HISTORY. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE BLESSINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL THEY HAVE YET TO BE TOTALLY FULFILLED.

EVEN THOUGH A VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROMISED BLESSINGS WERE FULFILLED WITH THE COMING OF THE CHRIST CHILD WHEN GOD BECAME FLESH, THEY WILL NOT BE TOTALLY FULFILLED UNTIL CHRIST COMES AGAIN AND USHERS IN THE MILLENNIAL AGE WHEN THE KINGDOM OF THE MESSIAH IS ESTABLISHED.

UNFORTUNATELY, SOME WILL NEVER SEE THESE PROMISES FULFILLED. JEREMIAH SAID THAT THE FULFILLMENT OF THESE PROMISES OF GOD CAN ONLY BE REALIZED THROUGH THE LORD MESSIAH, THE RIGHTEOUS ONE.

THIS, OF COURSE, THIS “RIGHTEOUS ONE” IS JESUS CHRIST WHOM THE PROPHET FORETOLD AS THE "SPRING OF LIVING WATER, THE GOOD SHEPHERD, THE RIGHTEOUS BRANCH OF DAVID’S LINEAGE, THE REDEEMER, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THE AGENT OF THE NEW COVENANT."

YOU WILL SEE THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S "I PROMISE" IF YOU WILL, BY FAITH, ACCEPT GOD’S PREREQUISITE OF THIS PROMISE. REMEMBER, THE PROMISES OF GOD ALWAYS REQUIRE A RESPONSE OF FAITH. THOSE WHO DO NOT RESPOND TO GOD’S INVITATION WILL NOT RECEIVE THE PROMISE.

THAT PREREQUISITE IS HIS SON JESUS CHRIST WHO MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE TO BEGIN WITH! WE CALL THIS SALVATION, BEING BORN-AGAIN, GETTING SAVED OR PROFESSION OF FAITH.

IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT JESUS THEN YOU CANNOT RECEIVE THE BLESSING OF SALVATION THAT GOD HAS PROMISED WHICH IS ETERNAL LIFE IN HIS KINGDOM.

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY: ACTS 4:12, "THERE IS SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE! THERE IS NO OTHER NAME IN ALL OF HEAVEN FOR PEOPLE TO CALL ON TO SAVE THEM."

THERE ISN’T ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SAVE OURSELVES. THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO EARN OUR WAY INTO HEAVEN. TRYING EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN TO GET INTO HEAVEN WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH JESUS IS FUTILE!

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY: JOHN 14:6, "JESUS TOLD [THEM], ’I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE CAN COME TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME."

BY CONFESSING THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY WE THEN RECEIVE GOD’S "I PROMISE" BECAUSE WE RESPONDED WITH "I WILL" BY ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

ALL OF THIS IS BY FAITH: EPHESIANS 2:8-9, "BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND YOU CAN’T TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS; IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD. SALVATION IS NOT A REWARD FOR THE GOOD THINGS WE HAVE DONE, SO NONE OF US CAN BOAST ABOUT IT."

GOD HAS PROVIDED THE WAY FOR YOU TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH HIM. HE PROMISES YOU ETERNITY WITH HIM IF YOU WILL STEP OUT IN FAITH AND ACCEPT IT BY ACCEPTING HIS SON JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR. WILL YOU DO THIS TODAY?