2 Corinthians 1:19–20 – For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

THEME OF THE DAY: PEOPLE OF HIS PROMISES. Christianity differs from other religions in the world in many ways. Two predominant differences are the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promises of God. Take away the resurrection of Jesus and we have nothing. We believe a lie. We preach deception and are self-deceived. If our Lord doesn’t rise from the dead, we are hopeless and claim to know a living God who is not. Yes, our faith rises and falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The second distinction making Christians different from those who follow other religions is that we are people who exist, live, and hope in a God who has given us promises as the means to exist, live, and hope. Yes, other religions have their false, dead gods who offer a promised afterlife, but if we sit down, think long and hard on our faith, everything about our Christian life is promise-based. Just like the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, take away the promises of God and we have nothing. The Apostle Peter would tell us such in his second letter – “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4). Let’s explore the Christian life and God’s promises and begin with the definition of the word promise.

In today’s scripture, the word “promises” is defined as “a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do or not to do something in the future.” We are familiar with the term, but there is a distinction between us and God in the giving of promises. We may fail to keep them. Have we experienced times in our lives of not keeping a promise to someone? For sure, but not God. What He promises will happen. Without fail. And that leads to a couple of applications in living out the Christian life as people of His promises.

First, God has promised there is no circumstance, trial, or situation that is so overwhelming to be beyond our ability to endure and even prosper from it. He promised, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). I admit, there are times we think what we are experiencing is too much, but what we think isn’t what matters. It is what God knows that matters. He knows what we can handle and He promises the strength to be able to handle it so don’t fret in the situation, rest in the promise to endure and grow in the situation.

Next, God has promised us the greatest experience known by a human being; an intimate relationship with Him. Jesus promised, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). Do we not long for such reality in our Christian life? It is there for us. God has promised it, but there is a catch . . . remember, promises are only experienced by faith. God gives us promises to live by and that through faith. Why? Because a promise, as defined, is “a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do something” and that is how God designed the Christian life – faith in His “verbal commitment” or His Word. And because our great Promiser God is unable to lie, we may exercise bold faith in His promises to strengthen us in our trials and to reveal Himself to our souls with the pleasure of His Presence. May He help us live what He has called us to be – a people of His promises.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for giving me precious promises in Your Son which never go unfulfilled”

QUOTE: “The life of faith is a life lived by believing on and acting upon God’s promises in Christ.”