Text:

2Peter 1:4:

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

 

Theme:

This Is My Promise

 

Introduction:

• The Second Epistle of Peter was one of the most criticized books of the Biblical canon. Scholars questioned its authorship, doctrinal soundness and placement within the New Testament. All of this is due to the lack of textural support in the other books of the bible and, most strikingly, the dissimilarities between the first and second Epistles of Peter.
  • To disregard the arguments or the varied opinions, the Second Epistle of Peter is complimentary companion to the first. The first epistle focuses on HOPE, and then the second focuses on KNOWLEDGE. As typical of Judaic scholarship, hope may not be seen, but it is at least founded on knowledgeJ.
  • This scripture from the first chapter represents the way by which we, as believers, have access to all power and all things through salvation from all corruption as realized through eternal damnation.
• The PROMISES of God have made salvation available. Through His Promises, we can make it!!
  • A song by the Temptations was named “This Is My Promise”. In this song, the man tells the woman of his full intentions for their relationship and seeks her attention by offering his undying love and devotion to her. He promised to spend his life making her happy. Oh, how has God done the same for us and we have not heeded His promise!

What is a promise?

• The promise denotes two or more parties coming together and departing with clear intent to perform or not to perform.

• The promise implies understanding and clarity on both sides.

 

Biblically, the promise refers to either:

• The contractual statement of intent (the agreement)
  • God has historically made promises to His children (Generally, the Old Testament)
  • Adam – Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
  • Noah – Genesis 8:21-22, “And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
  • Abraham – Genesis 12:2, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”
  • David – 2Samuel 7:12-13, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
  • Israel – Jeremiah 33:14, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.”
  • To ALL God’s Children – Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:”
• The thing(s) that is(are) promised (the desired)
  • God is always true to His Word (Generally, the New Testament)
  • God has made the promise of two critical elements to the fulfillment of His will for mankind
    • Jesus, The Christ – Acts 13:23, “Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:”
    • The Holy Spirit – Acts 1:4, “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”
• The theme focuses on the second definition – “The thing(s) that is(are) promised”
  • Often we refer to the Promises of God but are not clear on what they are!

• Let’s look at what WAS and WAS NOT promised:

Body: 

What God HAS NOT promised

• Easy days
  • As the hymn says, we are not to expect living on “flowered beds of ease”
  • Job 14:1, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”
  • 1Thessalonians 3:4, “For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.”
• Riches
  • Proverbs 11:28, “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.”
  • Ecclesiastes 5:19, “Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.”

What God has PROMISED

• Strength for the day
  • 2Samuel 22:33, “God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.”
  • Nehemiah 8:10, “… for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
  • Psalms 29:11, “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”

• Rest for the laborer
  • Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

• Light on the way
  • Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

• Grace for the trial
  • Ezra 9:8, “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.”

• Help from above
  • Psalms 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

• Unfailing sympathy
  • Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
  • Psalms 103:13, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”

• Undying love
  • John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
  • Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

• LIFE
  • 2Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,”
  • 1 Timothy 4:8, “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
  • John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Conclusion:

 

When it is all put together, God is telling us, “This Is My Promise” to you in two verses:

• Old Testament
  • 2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
• New Testament
  • Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”