The Promises Of God

II Peter 1:4

Within the scriptures we are able to find more than 10,000 promises from God.

In this message, I want to focus our attention on 4 of the promises of God.

What is so wonderful about the promises of God is that they are attainable if you will trust fully in God.

What promises do we have from God?

1. We have the promise of Peace within our Hearts and Minds.

There will never be true peace in this world especially since man is driven by the selfish desires of greed, directed by the lust for power, and living with a lack of true love for others.

Jesus promised the disciples that although He was leaving to return to the Father and to prepare a place for us, He would leave with them a peace unlike what the world gives. In John 14:27, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Jesus, of course, was promising them perfect peace, an eternal peace, not a temporal peace like the world gives.

This same understanding of God's perfect peace is shared by Isaiah in the Old Testament. In Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah records, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." As you see, if God is the focus of our lives, we can obtain a peace that keeps us feeling safe and secure in Him.

Finally, Paul shared about this perfect peace with both the Romans and the Philippians. In Romans 5:1, Paul told the Romans, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul also shared with the Philippians in Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." First, Paul shares with us the peace we obtain through a relationship with God as He instructed the Romans, and our ability to communicate all our problems and petitions will bring us peace in both heart and mind as Paul told the Philippians.

What a promise is ours, perfect peace which protects both our hearts and minds as we trust fully in Jesus Christ our Lord.

2. We have the promise of Tremendous Opportunities for Service.

Yes, you and I have the opportunity to serve the living God and reach the world with the gospel of Christ. No matter if you are well educated or not, one's heart desire to serve is enough for God to intervene and use you.

John wrote to the church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:8 and he told them about this tremendous open door of opportunity that God has given to us for service, he wrote, "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Fellowship with God opens up doors that we cannot fathom. Rejecting Jesus Christ or denying Him will close doors of service.

Paul again shared with the Philippians in Philippians 4:13, 19, the resources that become ours when we choose to serve the Lord and allow Him to have control of our lives. First, Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Second, Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." As you see, God never calls you to do a job that He does not fully equip you to complete. God never calls us to failure, but success in our work of glorifying Christ. Therefore, when we choose to serve, we are given the strength to finish the task, and whatever we need to accomplish it, is ours just for the asking.

Do you desire to do more for the Lord than you have accomplished since becoming a born-again believer? Remember the reaction of Isaiah when given the opportunity to serve, he told God he would go, he would do it. Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8b, said, "Here am I; send me." Don't pray that God would perform His will through the service of others, but ask God to use you to accomplish His will.

Once again, what a promise, we can serve the God of the universe and do something to fulfill His will.

3. We have the promise that God's Mercy is there when we are in Need.

As grace is God giving us something we do not deserve and that is His acceptance into His family, so mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve and that is judgment and punishment.