December 27th

The Promises of God

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Many Promises

God has given us many promises in His word. Some have said that there are 1,247 promises in the word of God, while others say there are more. In either case, there are many. Peter says that we have been given exceeding great and precious promises, by which we are made partakers of the divine nature.

The Life of Faith

The faith walk comes to life in us when we begin to recognize the word of God as His promises to us. At that point we start to perceive His word to be God speaking to us directly, and not as just a book of religious concepts and Jewish history. A relationship is developed with Him, in which God has given us promises, and our response is to put our faith and trust in those promises. And, as a result, we live our lives by faith in obedience to Him.

Yes, and Amen

How do we release faith in His promises? We release our faith by acknowledging His promise and agreeing with it. In the Scripture verse found in 2 Corinthians 1:20, Paul is affirming that all the promises of God are yes and amen by us. Not yes and no, not yes and maybe, but yes and amen. The meaning of amen is so be it. We hear the promise of God, and our response to it should be yes, so be it.

The kingdom of God works by faith. By grace are we saved, through faith. The just shall live, or be made alive, by faith. We walk, or, that is, we live our daily lives, by faith. Faith is the force that releases the power of God to perform His promises in our lives. And faith comes by hearing the word of God, His promises to us.

Knowing Verses Believing

Yet, it is possible to know a lot about what the Bible says, and never release faith in it from the heart. It’s possible to know, for example, that Paul, the Apostle, said to the Corinthian Church that God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and never recognize that statement as a promise of God to us. We must agree with the promise of God for it to become a reality in our lives.

The promises of God are many. Begin the pursuit of His promises today. Find them in His word. Hide them in your heart. And stand upon them in time of need. Our relationship is based upon His promises to us, and our response to those promises. Let’s make that response to be yes, and amen.