THE PROMISE
In this lesson we will be talking about the promise God gave to Abraham.
The faith of Abraham in what would have seemed impossible to us, yet for God
nothing was or ever will be impossible.
Through God all things are possible.
We must all learn to trust God in all things.
To give God the glory in all things as Abraham did.
Romans 4:13 says; For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was
not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness
of faith.
God didn't promise Abraham the nations of the world because he knew all the
laws and followed them.
The promise was not through circumcision.
The promise was mad through Abrahams righteousness of faith.
Our faith in God is what answers our prayers but also the promises God has
made to His children.
Genesis 17:4-6 says; 4. As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you
shall be a father of many nations. 5. No longer shall your name be called
Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of
many nations. 6. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations
of you, and kings shall come from you.
In verse four it tells about the covenant between God and Abram.
Abrams principal descendents are the Israelites but he was also over other na-
tions.
In verse five the name change was a very big deal.
Abram means "Exalted Father".
Abraham means "Father of Many".
God promised Abraham much for his faith in Him.
Verse six is the promise God made to Abraham.
Genesis 22:17 says; blessings I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply
your descends the stars of the heaven and as the sands which is on the sea-
shore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
This verse God is showing Abraham how extensive the promise is that He made
Abraham.
When God mentioned guarding the gates of the city it probably over whelmed
Abraham.
For to guard the gates it means that they would control the cities.
Abraham knew it would take Gods intervention to accomplish these things.
The promise that was made to Abraham probably blew Abrahams mind.
It was indeed a huge blessing and Abrahams faith grew stronger.
Romans 4:14 says; For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void
and the promise made of no affect.
This verse is saying that if those who know the law are made heirs than it makes
God a liar.
It is written that the law only points out our sins.
It shows us just how much we need God.
There would be no need for faith.
When actually faith is the only way to get to heaven.
The promise God made to Abraham would be a lie too.
The promise was given to Abraham because of his faith in God.
Those who depend on the law for their rigteousness will not make it to heaven.
Our righteousness comes from faith in the Lord and no other way.
Galatians 3:18 says; For if the inheiritance is of the law, it is no longer of pro-
mise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise
God has made promise after promise in His Word.
The promise to Abraham is the promie Paul is talking about here.
But as you read the scriptures you will find many promises.
If indeed the inheiritance is of the law all of Gods promises would be a lie.
God is not a liar as much as the enemy would want you to believe that, God can-
not lie.
God is Holy, Righteous, and all knowing.
Romans 4:15 says; because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no
law there is no transgression.
Transgression means: "Stepping over"
The law makes it clear what God wants us to do or not to do.
If we allow our flesh to go against God's laws we could find ourselves going down
a road we don't want to be on.
Remember when you were a kid and all those rules you had to follow?
At the time they seemed like a real pain in the neck.
But after you had kids of your own you had pretty much the same rules for your
kids that you had to follow.
All of a sudden they made sense , imagine that.
God knows what is best for us and He will supply our needs.
But it is up to us to know God's laws and follow them.
Believe me they all make sense too, even more so than our rules do for our kids.
Romans 3:20 says; Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in
His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
In this verse Paul is pointing our that we cannot be justified by the law.
The only thing the law does is points our our sins to us.
That was the whole purpose of the law to show us what a sinful nature we have.
It also shows us just how badly we need the Lord in our hearts.
Romans 4:16 says; Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so
that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of
the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of
us all.
Paul is talking about salvation and being made righteous by faith.
By grace we are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That those who don't know the law can be saved, by grace through faith.
Abraham is the father of all of us because of his great faith in God.
Romans 3:24 sys; being justified freely by His grace though the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.
God loves us so much that the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is
free there is no price we have to pay.
Once we ask Jesus into our life we are part of Gods family.
God wants each one of us born on the earth to be part of His family.
But the enemy wants to lead you away from God.
Get into God's Word so you will know the truth and the enemy won't be able to
mislead you and take you away from God.
Galatians 3:22 says; But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the pro-
mise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve we are all born under sin.
But there is the promise that if you believe in Jesus Christ by faith you are made
righteous, justified in Jesus Christ.
How could we ask any more than that?
A promse of living in heaven wih the Lord for eternity.
Isaiah 31:2 says; Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For
I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.
God made an example of Abraham because of his faith.
And Sarah even though she laughed when God told her she would have a child
she loved God and lived for Him.
Abraham knew he was very blessed and he went out and built an altar to worship
God.
Romans 8:11 says; But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
God raised Jesus from the dead.
When we ask Jesus into our hearts God's Spirit goes into us.
God will give us everlasting life through His Spirit that lives within us.
Romans 9:26 says; And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to
them, 'You are not My people, There they shall be called sons of the living
God.
God called the Israelites His people.
We, the body of Christ, we are part of God's family.
When we ask Jesus into our hearts we become sons and daughters of the living
God.
We are all part of God's family.
Romans 4:18 says; Who, contrary to hope believed, so that he became the
father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your des-
cendants be.
This vese is talking about Abraham.
Even though there seemed like there was little hope to have a child Abraham
stood on God's promise.
He knew that with God everything is possible.
Because of Abrahams belief in God he was made righteous and God made him
father over many nations.
God also promised that his descendants would be many.
Genesis 15:5 says; Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward
heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." and He said,
"So shall your descendants be."
God knew Abraham could not count the stars.
No man knows how many stars are in the sky.
But Abraham got the idea that God was pointing out.
Abrahams descendants would be more than he could count.
This was truly a great blessing for Abraham.
Romans 4:19 says; And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own
body, Already dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), and the
deadness of Sarah's womb.
These days so many of us look at what we can see and think anything else is
impossible.
Where is the faith that Abraham had in us?
So where is our faith in God?
Abraham looked at his situation with his heart not his eyes and mind.
If he would have believed the way we do he would have said no way is this going
to happen.
I am too old and so is Sarah.
Think about all that God has done for you.
What kind of mess were you in when God finally got your attention?
What did God deliver you from?
If that doesn't help to increase your faith, hang onto your hat because, God will
show you wht a mighty God He is.
Genesis 17:17 says; Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his
heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And
shall Sarah who is ninety years old, bear a child?
Abraham laughed in shock and surprise at what God had told him.
Abraham believed because God had been telling him for years that it would hap-
pen.
Abraham had waited for so long that he began to think this was a joke.
That was the exact time that God let it happen and Sarah became pregnant.
They had a son, he was named Isaac, which means laughter.
Romans 4:20 says; He who did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief,
but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.
This verse like the rest in thiss lesson are referring to Abraham.
But if all Christians would listen to see what God's will for them is we would all be
blessed like Abraham.
God has made us promises throughout the Bible.
Like He will supply all of our needs.
Are you worried over a bill that you don't have the money for?
I used to do that a lot.
But it seems like just before the bill is due we get a check in the mail or we are
able to make different arrangements.
Paying a small protion and catch it up later.
Either way Gods hand is on that situation.
I'm not going to say I don't worry anymore but it is getting less and less.
If something is important to us it is important to God too.
Sometimes what we want is not good for us and in that case God has to just say
no.
Trust God, Praise God, Worship God and Love God for who He is !!
God is our heavenly Father and He loves us just as we are.
For mankind to love you, you have to bend this way or that to even be accepted.
Not so with God.
Romans 4:21 says; and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was
alos able to perform.
First there is nothing God can't do.
Any promise He makes He is well able to do just that.
God is not a liar.
So you know in your hearts that what He promises He will do.
Sometimes we get impatiant and think He will not answer.
God's timing is different than ours.
And it is in God's timing that we will receive our promise.
God has a sense of humor.
But when it comes to a promise He has made to us there is no joke involved.
Hebrews 11:19 says; concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from
the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son because he had faith that God could
raise him from the dead.
But instead He supplied a goat to be sacrifised at the very last moment before
Abraham killed his son.
This was an example of what God would do in the future.
He would offer His only Son for the sins of the world.
Jesus would not die quickly, no mercy was shown toward Jesus.
But God knew all along that His Son would be treated brutally but allowed it so
that we might have ever lasting life in heaven.
Romans 4:22 says; And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Faith in God was accounted to Abraham as righteousness.
God is willing to give all of us His rihteousness if we will only have faith in God
and believe.
If you put your faith in man or the things of the world you will only be disappointed
over and over.
But God will never let you down.
Genesis 15:6 says; Andhe believed in the Lord, and He accounted to him for
righteousness.
We can't do works for righteousness.
Abraham believed in God.
Abraham had faith that Gods promise would come to pass.
Abraham trusted God for everything.
If we believe, have faith, and trust in God He will bless us.
Without belief, faith, and trust, in God we have no hope for tomorrow.
Romans 4:23 says; Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was inputed
to him.
This verse is saying that promises and righteousness were not for Abraham alone
This scriptures is for all Christians.
For all wh have fath in God and believe in Jesus Christ, we will be made righte-
ous.
Romans 15:4 says; For whatever things were written before were written for our
learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might
have hope.
Everything written in the Bible is written for all the generations down through the
years.
When you read the Bible and see what God has done for others it should en-
courage you.
Even when people have gone through hard times God was with them.
I can think of a really hard time in my life that when it was over and done with
something good came out of it.
That is God working in my life.
God wants to work in all of our lives if we will only open ourselves up to Him.
Romans 4:24 says; but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him
who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.
God is no respector of man.
He loves each of us the same.
So what God will do for one He will do for all.
We each have gifts in which to serve the Lord.
Once you give your heart to the Lord your heart will be filled with God's love.
You will want to serve Him.
Acts 2:24 says; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because
it was not possible that He should be held by it.
This verse is talking about God raising Jesus from the dead.
Even though He went to the cross with all the sins of the world He had none of his
own sins.
So it was not possible that Jesus would be held by death, because He was inno-
cent.
Romans 4:25 says; Who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was
raised because of our justification.
Jesus was sent to His death because of our sins.
God resurrected Jesus from the dead.
His resurrection brought us justification.
It proves God accepted Jesus sacrifice for us.
It also gives us hope that there is something better when we take our last breath
on earth.
Our first breath we will take in God's Kingdom.
Isaiah 53:4-5 days; 4. Surely He has borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God and afflicted. 5. But He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chas-
tisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior was borne to suffer and die for our sins.
When verse four talks about grief it is talking about pain, sorrow, and sickness,
which are the consequences of sin.
The people thought Jesus Christ was smitten by God because back then anyone
who was hung on a tree was accused by God.
In verse five it explains Jesus ministry which is peace, reconciliation, justification,
adoption, and glorification.
Also that we are healed by His stripes.
1 Corinthians 15:17 says; Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the
things which pertsain to God.
We as Christians all have reason to glorify Jesus.
Jesus is the way to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is the truth of what has been prophesied, His coming, death, and ressu-
rection from the dead.
Jesus is the light we should follow for He will lead us to the Kingdom of God.
For Jesus is God's only begotten Son.
He is our only way to heaven because He died for our sins so we could truly be
free.
The scriptures I used in this lesson are: Romans 4:13-25, 15:4, 3:20, 3:24,
8:11, 9:26, Genesis 17:4-6, 17:5, 15:5, 17:17, 15:6,
Galatians 3:18,
3:22, Isaiah 51:2, 53:4-5, Hebrews 11:11, 11:19, Acts
2:24,
1 Corinthians 15:17.
My prayer is that who ever reads this lesson, the Lord gave me, will let these
truths into your hearts. There were many scriptures I used but I encourage
you to read all of them plus more. Read a couple of verses before and after
the actual scripture. I also pray that these lessons are bringing you closer
to God. That you are eeking Him more. That you are realizing just how much
God loves each of us.
God bless you and your family may the Lord keep you close to Him.
PRAISE GOD OUR FATHER, JESUS OUR SAVIOR, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT LIVES WITHIN ALL CHRISTIANS.
