THE CERTAINTY OF GOD'S PROMISES The promise God made concerning the blessing of all nations was without any provocation from men! Because of the faith of Abraham, which enabled him to receive the promise, God made it known to him. Mark this well, the promise was not something He negotiated with Abraham. It was not the result of a dialog with the patriarch. It is imperative that this aspect of the promise be seen if confidence is to be generated in the heart of the believer. All doubt proceeds from unwarranted consideration of self – never from the appropriate consideration of God. If, therefore, believers are to become solid in the faith, they must hear about the promise from the perspective of Divine intent, rather than from the view of human need alone. -- Tomorrow:
"For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (Hebrews 6:13-15).
The point of this text is brought home forcibly in the book of Galatians. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one" (Gal 3:16-20).
Observe the reasoning of the Spirit.
1. The promises were not only to Abraham, but to his Seed as well.
2. The singularity of the Seed, or Offspring, is emphasized.
3. The Seed of reference is none other than the Lord Jesus Himself.
4. The covenant made with Israel at Sinai was 430 years later, yet it did not disannul, or take the place of the covenant made with Abraham and his Seed.
5. The Law was never intended to be the means of appropriating the promise of God.
6. The Law was "added" to the covenant made with Abraham in order to produce a sense of the need of a Redeemer. This was done by identifying and convicting of sin.
7. As a covenant, the Law was only intended to last unto the promised Seed, Jesus Christ, came.
Some decisive conclusions can be seen in this reasoning that feed faith and water hope.
1. The New Covenant is actually the oldest covenant. The Law was added to it, and did not void that covenant of blessing.
2. The New Covenant has actually been made with Christ, not us. We are beneficiaries of that covenant by virtue of being joined to Him.
See the powerful argument that the Spirit places before us. Unlike the Law, The promise (or New Covenant) was not given through a mediator. Primarily, it was the announcement of what the Lord would do. As a promise, or Divine commitment, it could be given unequivocally, and without a mediator, because its fulfillment depended upon the coming Savior. God made the promise to Abraham, but it would be realized through his single promised Offspring, the Lord Jesus Christ.
By believing God, Abraham set the tone for all who would enjoy the benefits of the coming covenant. However, the sureness of the covenant depended upon the promised Seed, not Abraham. Thus God grounds the promise in Deity, providing faith something to grasp. The making of the New Covenant was unilateral – one sided: i.e., "God is One." Participation in the covenant requires faith on the part of the recipient – unwavering faith!
The Holy Spirit is giving us a reason to believe God. He is showing us that no amount of human effort can equate to the promise of God. On the other hand, the unqualified belief of this promise will exert a moral force upon the heart and mind which the law could not produce.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the solidity and surety of the New Covenant.