Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
January 25, 2004 - W0404

Godís promises are very different than the ones people make. Oftentimes, manís promises are just ploys. So when someone breaks a promise, we begin to feel distrustful of all promises. Consequently, we have a tendency to approach even the promises of the Bible with much caution. However, Godís promises can be trusted. ìÖit is impossible for God to lie.î (Heb. 6:18) When God makes a promise, itís impossible for Him to lie because God is truth. Lying would go against who He is. Itís not His nature.

ìNot one of all the Lordís good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.î (Josh 21:45) In other words, Godís promises reveal His character, faithfulness, heart, power, and His love. Thus, the best way to get to know God is through the lens of His promises. Actually, there are 7,000 promises in the Bible. And the greatest thing about these promises is that it reminds us of who WE are. Thatís why when we memorize His promises, we begin to understand His goodness. And not only will it reveal something about God, but alsoÖ

Sometimes itës easy to forget who we are because we are always under the pull of this world. So when weíre faced with temptation, discouragement, or adversity the devil is quick to lead us into believing we are a victim instead of a victor or a loser instead of a winner. We feel hopeless instead of hopeful. However, God floods us with promises like:

ìWho shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Rom 8:35) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38) We can be confident that God loves us no matter what.

Okay, what if we make a mistake? Well, the Bible says, ìAnd we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28) ìWhat the devil meant for harm, I have meant for good,î says the Lord. (Gen. 50:20) ìNo weapon formed against me shall prosper for this is the inheritance of the servant of the Lord.î (Isa. 54:17) So we can be assured that God works out all things for good.

One of my favorite promises says, ìWhen you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.î (Isa 43:2-3) I take comfort in this promise especially when I feel like Iím going to drown. You see, through His promises, He restores peace, confidence, and trust. So the best way to live is not by what we see, but by the promises of God. His promises remind us that we are His children and He wants us to have a future and a hope.

ìëFor I know the plans that I have for you,î declares the Lord, ëPlans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hopeíî. (Jer. 29:11) God is saying that His promises will help us to become more like Him. As a result, when we memorize Godës promises, it restores our identity. Not only that, but His promises helps us to find our roots back in relationship with the Lord.

ìÖHe has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lustî (2 Pet. 1:4) The lusts of the world is always pulling us to become worldly. So if we know His promises and incorporate them in our lives, then we will become more like Him. Therefore, those 7,000 promises help us to become partakers of His divine nature. How then does this change happen? Well, here are three steps to likeness. The first is:

Godís promises change the way we see things. Hebrews 13:5 says, ìHe will never leave me nor forsake me.î ìWherever two or three are gathered in My name, there I am.î (Mat. 18:20) Godís promises begin to tell us to look for evidence of His presence because He is here in our midst. In fact, His promises help us get excited about whatís happening around us. It opens our eyes to a miracle thatís about to happen -- a potentiality rather than an impossibility. Keep in mind that whatever we are looking for, we will see. So the best way to see God is through the lens of His promises.

ìÖbeholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to gloryÖî (2 Cor. 3:18) When we are beholding the glory of the Lord, we condition our eyes so that we process things differently. Essentially we are being changed. Things that would have made us angry we are able to handle differently. What would have seemed hopeless, we now view through hopeful eyes.

The promises of God changes us from glory to glory into His image. So His promises help us to see evidence of His presence. Another way to cooperate with God and to walk into what He has for us is to:

We play a vital part in Godís promises coming to pass. ìTherefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.î The Bible is our tutor. You see, if we are in the Lord and the Lord is in us, all of heaven is available to us. However, there is a condition. The Bible will guide us in our relationships, our jobs, and our positions. Thus, if we learn to apply what He teaches through His word, we will develop the kind of character necessary to steward well all that He places before us.

So as we obey Godís Word, His character quality begins to develop within us. ìÖso that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promisesî (Heb. 6:12) Doní t be sluggish, but be one who imitates someone like David, Moses, or Esther. These and others were each tutored by Godís Word and inherited the fullness of His promises. Like those before us, as part of our inheritance, we may go through a rough season. And if we have been obeying Godís Word, we will have a stalwart confidence, rather than a victimís mentality. And in turnÖ

Moral excellence, knowledge, self control and perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Faith has to include all of these character qualities. There is a huge purpose attached to being obedient to Godís word. It builds Godís character in us and as a result, we become more like Him. Sure part of our inheritance will include struggles. Yet it is being obedient through these struggles that we begin build the character and compassion of our Lord and start to transform more and more into His image.

Of course, God could just push us aside and do all His work alone. However, the Lord chooses to limit Himself in order that His work is accomplished through us. He allows us the opportunity to follow and obey Him and when we do, thatís when something of His character is deposited into us. Then one day people will say that we remind them of the love of God -- we remind them of Jesus. Thatís our identity and thereís no greater inheritance than that.

So through the promises of God we are restored to that identity. Of course without obedience, itís impossible. Yet with obedience, Godís heart and character is left with us. And we begin to represent Him well. Thatís why He stresses a glad obedience. Itís because He loves us and knows our inheritance. Finally, the third step to likeness isÖ

There will be times that we wonít be able to see our future and we wonët understand why our circumstances are such, but we can stand on the promises of God. As Christians, we must learn to live by promises and not explanation. So may I encourage you to memorize Godís promises. Letís commit to memorizing one scripture per week. Most importantly, it has to be ready on our lips. Just knowing where it is in the Bible is not enough because when the adversary of our soul tries to corner us, we must be able to speak to him. Then when he says weíre finished, we can say ìNO!î ìÖbecause the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the worldî. (1 John 4:4) And just as Jesus said in Luke 4:4, ìÖit is written, man shall not live on bread alone.î

If we are to become more like God, we must be a people who stand on His promises. Remember that not only does His promises show us who God is, it also reveals our identity as well. Though He will deposit His ability, His will, His ways, and His heart, it requires something from us -- our obedience. So as we begin to open our eyes and view life through Godís promises, He restores who we are. Then as the world pulls at us through adversity, temptation, or circumstance, we can confidently stand on this promise and quote that: