The Power of God’s Promises
![The Power of God’s Promises
2 Peter, Pt. 2
2 Peter 1:3-4
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© July 14, 2013
www.pastorkennedy.com
Out text today speaks very clearly about God’s Promises to us. In fact it declares that it is through these great and precious promises from God that we may participate in God’s own Divine Nature and escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires!
Acquiring God’s Divine Nature…All through “Promises” Alone?
“Promises (like pie-crusts) are made to be broken”, politicians and poets have declared it since 1681…and there is a confirmation of the truth of this satire, with the stinging reality of one’s own inability to truthfully keep every promise.
Skepticism reigns in our nation, mostly because most of us have been burned by the crushing reality of broken promises!
“Promises” have become so untrustworthy that we even question the validity of God’s declarations when He establishes the foundation of His Children’s spiritual growth on this one truth…His Promises.
WHO ARE WE as Human Beings?
Are we Who the World Teaches, or
Are we Who God Teaches?
Who we believe we are, establishes the way we think and how we live out our lives.
The world tells us who we should be, and what we cannot live without, but what the world tells us is different from who God says we are and what we need as those created by Him.
The World says that everyone is basically good and that with higher self-esteem (a good self-image), more education, and a better standard of living, we will be a better people who can eventually eliminate illiteracy, poverty and crime.
God’s Word tells us that we are by nature and choice sinful individuals, who must realize our sinful state and rebellion against God, have a rebirth in our hearts by Christ’s Redemption - by God’s Power, and be transformed in our minds through our Knowledge of Him, before we can fully become who we were created to be.
For those in the world, the change is supposed to begin with the mind and be translated to the heart.
Education becomes the savior.
We work hard and/or we take what we want to get ahead or to be fulfilled.
We die.
For the Christian, the change begins with the heart and we are transformed by the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:2).
Jesus Christ is the Savior.
We work hard to honorably get ahead and we treat others with respect and honor.
We serve each other.
We are promised eternal life with God.
As Christians we have the undeniable Necessity to need God’s Power in our life, through His Great Promises, in order to be fulfilled and become who we should be.
God’s Power, Knowledge and Great Promises
Our Text for Today…2 Peter 1:3–4
2 Peter 1:3–4
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Through His Knowledge and Promises, God has provided for us:
1. Everything we need for life and godliness.
2. Participation in His Divine Nature and Escape from the Corruption in the world.
Why Promises? Why does God say that His Divine Nature is accessible by the unknown, unseeable concept of Promises? Why isn’t the accessibility of Godliness found in something else more tangible than “Promises”!
1. Can we acquire God’s Divine Nature through legalistically following a set of Laws?
If we could see how to embrace and acquire God’s Divine Nature through the outward obedience of “laws” – as were given in the Old Testament, or as collected by mankind through the ages, then human beings would be forever trying to capture a Divine Nature by meticulously and legalistically following rules. (Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law…when we would never be able to do so.)
2. Can we acquire God’s Divine Nature through following Cultural Norms?
Cultures are immensely important to those in this world. We even create our own little sub-cultures to experience the security of culture…why not follow “culture to have the benefit of a godly life? Can we acquire God’s Divine Nature by being merely Politically Correct?
3. Can we acquire God’s Divine Nature through following what we believe our mind and emotions tell us what is good and bad?
What about following our own system of guidelines to enjoy the fulfillment of godliness in our life? We are sensing people. We have many thoughts and ideas about good and bad; about what we should do or not do. Why not what seems right in our own eyes? Can’t we be trusted?
4. Can you thinks of another dynamic concept or physical achievement that would give us the amazing power to acquire God’s Divine Nature…other than through His Promises?
(It was through God’s Word that everything was created. The Promises of His Word are Powerful!)
God, in His Infinite Wisdom understands why only Faith and Promise transcends the ages –
No matter what type of culture, or what language,
No matter what psychological barrier,
No matter what nuance in the dimensions of society in the first century of the world or our 21st century,
Or, no matter what unique need each individual will have encountered in his or her life journey.
God’s Reservoir of Promise is consistent, for any who would call upon His Name for Salvation, throughout the history of mankind.
Remember, Peter was most likely writing this second letter at the end of his life, in a nasty jail cell, on “death row”, after losing a court battle loaded with hateful opponents who wanted to see him…not just see him lose, but have him suffer and die and excruciating death by crucifixion for his beliefs in Christ’s power to forgiveness of sins, resurrection and Coming Again. Peter was most likely writing this as he was waiting for his executioners to come and nail him on a cross.
Peter was not trying to give hypothetical jargon to lessen his pain, or trying to deceive those in persecuted churches with some supernatural mumbo jumbo.
Peter was very clear in what he believed and in what he was writing. He was writing to others who had their life on the line because of their faith in Christ and he was letting them know that God’s Promises would get them through – to the end, just as the Knowledge of God and the Power of God’s Promises had gotten him through. And, Peter was standing by this with his very life.
God’s Power, Knowledge and Great Promises
2 Peter 1:3–4
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
God’s Divine Power and Knowledge:
God Made us and He Knows what we Need
As we learn who God is and what His understanding of our needs are, we begin to access our practical and emotional needs from the reservoir of His Promises.
The Problem of Corruption in the World
How has the corruption in the world affected you and I through evil desires?
God’s Goal for Us:
• God wants us to clearly understand that sin is the foundational problem of our heart and that we cannot educate ourselves enough, or work hard enough, or be good enough, in order to deal with this corruption that we must escape…for our own good and eternal life.
Romans 3:20
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
• God’s Goal for us is that we will learn of His Salvation and be able to escape the Corruption that is in the World that causes destruction and death and experience eternal life with Him. God sends those who preach His salvation and deliverance from sin, to tell us of His Gospel of Life.
Romans 10:13–17
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
• God wants us to participate in His Divine Nature – through the Knowledge of His Redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ, and experience New Birth into His Eternal Kingdom.
• God wants us to draw from the Reservoir His of precious Promises that give us the wisdom and Power to live a God-honoring life.
Have you personally experienced the Power of God’s Promises?
o Have you rocked yourself asleep at night after an emotionally punishing day, recounting the promises of God to your soul in order to calm the anxiety of your heart?
Does this reflect God’s Wisdom in establishing the depth of His communication with us through His Promises?
o Have you woken up in the morning drenched with sweat, punished with thoughts that you are not able to accomplish what you need to accomplish to survive the next day, the next week, the next year?
Have you then immersed yourself in God’s Word to find His Promises, which calm your troubled heart?
o Have you experienced sheer despair, only to fall into the depth of God’s unfathomable peace, through quiet rest in His Promises?
o Have you been rudely awakened to someone’s disastrous attack on your person, character or good-will, even when you thought they were a friend, you having bent over backwards to accommodate their seeming perpetual demands – and now they are accusing you and putting you on trial?
Have you run, while dodging the fiery darts aimed at taking your life, into the fortress of God’s protection found in His Promises?
o Have you come to the end of yourself in your weaknesses, only to find strength, comfort and forgiveness for the foolish and disastrous things you may have done, in the Promises of God’s cleansing and forgiveness through the Precious Blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ?
o Have you experienced the comfort of His Promises first hand? Have you rested under their shadow? Have you found protection in the bulwark of their shield? Have you found in them a Peace that Passes Understanding? Have you noticed that clinging to the Promises of God enlivens our moment-by-moment communion and communication with the God of all Ages!
o Do the intangible but very deep Promises of God somehow reinforce the verse, which tells us that everything that is seen is merely transient – will fall apart, rust and dissolve into nothing…while that which is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18)?
o Spiritual Promises are unseen…God’s promises are eternal!
Promises! God’s Promises!
God’s Promises are such a huge, invisible fortress for our soul! Such a deep reservoir for our hope! …Such an unexplainable haven for the perplexities of our mind.
The Promises of God Carry us through the Storms of Life
“He knows the way that I take and when He has tested me I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10
“Faith grows during storms. These are just four little words, but what significance they have to someone who has endured life-threatening storms!
Faith is that God-given ability that, when exercised, brings the unseen into plain view. It deals with the supernatural and makes impossible things possible. And yes, it grows during storms-that is, it grows through disturbances in the spiritual atmosphere. Storms are caused by conflicts between the physical elements, and the storms of the spiritual world are conflicts with supernatural, hostile elements. And it is in this atmosphere of conflict that faith finds its most fertile soil and grows most rapidly to maturity.
The strongest trees are found not in the thick shelter of the forest but out in the open, where winds from every direction bear down upon them. The fierce winds bend and twist them until they become giant in stature. These are the trees that toolmakers seek for handles for their tools, because of the wood’s great strength.
It is the same in the spiritual world. Remember, when you see a person of great spiritual stature, the road you must travel to walk with him is not one where the sun always shines and the wildflowers always bloom. Instead, the way is a steep, rocky, and narrow path, where the winds of hell will try to knock you off your feet, and where sharp rocks will cut you, prickly thorns will scratch your face, and poisonous snakes will slither and hiss all around you.
The path of faith is one of sorrow and joy, suffering and healing comfort, tears and smiles, trials and victories, conflicts and triumphs, and also hardships, dangers, beatings, persecutions, misunderstanding, trouble, and distress. Yet “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us” Rom 8:37
Yes, “in all these” – even during storms, when the winds are the most intense – “we are more than conquerors.” You may be tempted to run from the ordeal of a fierce storm of testing but head straight for it! God is there to meet you in the center of each trial. And He will whisper to you His secrets, which will bring you out with a radiant face and such an invincible faith that all the demons of hell will never be able to shake it.”
From Streams in the Desert July 14th
The Promises of God Carry us through the Storms of Life
Addendum on the Promises of God
Passages of God’s Promises (NLT)
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Matthew 11:28–29
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Isaiah 40:29–31
29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Philippians 4:19
19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:37–39
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 14:27
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Romans 10:9
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
God’s Promises to Israel
God’s promises to His people form the core of Old Testament teaching. In Genesis 12, God promises Abram land, progeny, a nation, renown, and blessing; He also promises that Abraham and his descendants will be a blessing. Throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, God fulfills His promises to His people:
• Genesis and Exodus describe the growth of Abraham’s descendants into the nation of Israel.
• In Joshua, God fulfills His part of His promise by leading His people into the promised land.
• Under David, God fulfilled the promises of nationhood and renown.
Blessing guided each of the patriarchs and leaders of Israel.
Butler, T. C. (2012). God. In J. D. Barry & L. Wentz (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary (J. D. Barry & L. Wentz, Ed.). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
God’s promises concerning Prayer
God promises to hear and respond to the prayers of his people, when they pray in the name of his Son and according to his will.
• God expects his people to make requests of him in prayer
Mt 7:7-11 pp Lk 11:9-13 See also Mt 21:22
• God promises to answer prayer in the name of Jesus Christ
Jn 14:13-14; 15:7 See also Jn 15:16; 16:23-24
• God promises to respond to the prayers of his people in times of need
Ps 91:14-16 See also Ps 50:14-15
• God promises to hear the prayers of the oppressed
Ps 10:17 See also Ex 22:22-23,26-27; Ps 102:19-20; Isa 41:17
• God promises to hear the prayers of the truly penitent
2Ch 7:14 See also Eze 36:37; Zec 10:6; 13:8-9
• God promises to hear the prayers of his obedient people
1Jn 3:22
• The need in prayer to have confidence in God’s promises
Mk 11:24; 1Jn 5:14 See also Mt 18:19
Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.
The Promises of God
In what ways does the OT look forward to Christ? First, it directly points forward through promises of salvation and promises concerning God’s commitment to his people. God gave some specific promises in the OT relating to the coming of Christ as the Messiah, the Savior in the line of David. Through the prophet Micah, God promises that the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David (Mic. 5:2), a prophecy strikingly fulfilled in the NT (Matt. 2:1–12). But God often gives more general promises concerning a future great day of salvation, without spelling out all the details of how he will accomplish it (e.g., Isa. 25:6–9; 60:1–7). Sometimes he promises simply to be their God (see Gen. 17:7).
One common refrain is that, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (cf. Jer. 31:33; Hos. 2:23; Zech. 8:8; 13:9; Heb. 8:10). Variations on this broad theme may sometimes focus more on the people and what they will be, while at other times they focus on God and what he will do. God’s promise to “be their God” is really his comprehensive commitment to be with his people, to care for them, to discipline them, to protect them, to supply their needs, and to have a personal relationship with them. If that commitment continues, it promises to result ultimately in the final salvation that God works out in Christ.
The principle extends to all the promises in the OT. “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]” (2 Cor. 1:20). Sometimes God gives immediate, temporal blessings. These blessings are only a foretaste of the rich, eternal blessings that come through Christ: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3).
Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (23–24). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
God’s Promises
The promises of God reveal his particular and eternal purposes to which he is unchangeably committed and upon which believers can totally depend. These promises are, however, conditional upon obedience on the part of believers.
• God’s promises are irrevocable
o He is absolutely trustworthy Nu 23:19 See also Tit 1:2; Heb 6:13-18
o He is unchanging Ps 110:4; Mal 3:6-7; Jas 1:17-18
o He has the power and will to fulfill his promises Isa 55:11 See also Ro 4:21
o He is faithful in keeping all his promises Jos 21:45; 23:14-15; 1Ki 8:56; Ps 145:13; Heb 10:23
o His promises stem from his goodness and glory 2Pe 1:3-4
o God may confirm his promises with an oath Ge 22:15-18 See also Ge 26:3; Isa 45:23; Am 6:8; 8:7
• Examples of God’s promises through covenant relationship
o Ge 9:8-17 with Noah
o With Abraham: Ge 15:9-21; 17:1-22; Heb 11:8-9,17-19
o Ge 26:3-4 with Isaac
o With Jacob: Ge 28:13-15; 46:2-4
o With Moses and the Israelites: Ex 19:1-6; 24:1-8
o Nu 25:10-12 with Phinehas
o With David: 2Sa 7:5-16 pp 1Ch 17:4-14; 1Ki 8:15,24
o Jer 31:31-34 with Jeremiah
• The grounding of God’s promises in Christ
o God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ 2Co 1:18-20 See also Mt 5:17; Lk 4:16-21; Ac 2:29-31; 3:21-26; 7:37; Dt 18:15-18; Ac 13:23,32-34; 26:6-7; Ro 1:2-3; 15:8; Heb 9:15
o Jesus Christ brings superior promises through the new covenant Heb 8:6-8 Jesus Christ mediates a covenant of inner transformation, willing obedience, intimate relationship with God and forgiveness of sins forever. See also Eph 1:13-14; Heb 7:22; 11:13,39-40; 2Pe 1:1-4
o Jesus Christ has the right to make promises on God’s behalf Jn 3:34-35 See also Jn 1:1-2,14; 8:25-29; Heb 1:1-3
• God’s promises must be received by believers
o They are received by faith Gal 3:22 See also Jn 1:12; Ro 4:13-16
o They are received by perseverance and obedience Heb 10:36 See also Ro 4:19-24; 2Co 7:1; Heb 6:12
• God’s promises unite believing Jews and Gentiles Eph 3:6 See also Ac 2:38-39; Ro 9:8; Gal 3:29; 4:28; Eph 2:11-18; Heb 11:39-40
• Disaster awaits those who reject God’s promises Jos 23:12-16; Jn 3:18-20,36; 2Ti 2:11-13; Heb 6:4-12; 2Pe 3:3-10
• Particular promises of God in Christ
o The gift of the Holy Spirit Lk 24:49; Ac 1:4; 2:33; Eph 1:13
o The fullness of life and eternal life 2Ti 1:1; Heb 12:26-28; Jas 1:12; 2:5; 1Jn 2:25
o Resurrection Jn 5:29; 11:25-26; 1Co 15:48-57; 2Co 4:14; 1Th 4:16
o The forgiveness of sins 1Jn 1:9
o The presence of God Ex 3:12; 33:14; Jos 1:9; Isa 58:9; Mt 28:20; Heb 13:5
o The peace of God 1Ch 22:9; Ps 85:8; Isa 9:6-7; Ro 5:1; Php 4:4-9
o Joy in God Ps 16:11; 132:16; Jn 16:20-24
o The knowledge of God Jer 31:33-34; Jn 17:25-26; 1Jn 5:20
Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.](The_Power_of_Gods_Promises_files/shapeimage_1.png)
