Project Description

2016/07

Precious Promises

All the promises of God are made to us in Christ and He Himself is the very first promise (Genesis 3:15).  When He is promised, all is promised, for He ‘is all and in all’ (Colossians 3:11). Whatever blessing we enjoy it is in Christ first, and belongs to us when we by faith are made one with Him. All the promises are in Him and He is in all the promises. Simply stated, Christ is the Alpha and Omega of all the promises of God. He is the first heir of them all.

Adam was the heir of the promise of life while he continued in his obedience, but he lost that heirship to himself and all humanity when he sinned. Christ, in fulfilling the command of the first covenant and bearing its penalty for Adam’s transgression is the new heir to the promise of eternal life and of all that pertains to it. Our title to the promise comes in and through His life and death. We have the promise of eternal life and ‘this life is in his Son’ (1 John 5:11).

The Lord Jesus is the great blessing contained in all the promises. In Him are found all the treasures of grace and glory and out of His fullness we receive all the promised grace.  The believer and the promise stand on the same foundation.  Just as the weary traveller leaning on his staff finds support only as it rests on the ground on which he himself walks, so the staff of promise must rest on Christ or else it provides no support. But what is a promise? Surely nothing but a manifestation of love from the One who promises and a conveying of goodness to the believing recipient. How then is faith to act upon Christ by virtue of the promises? By being more and more acquainted with the excellency of His person and the efficacy of His work.

When we rest in Christ we are trusting One who is clothed with prophetical, priestly and kingly offices; offices which He executes for the benefit of His people and in which He gives all the sure mercies of David – yes, all the blessings of His covenant of grace. He is made of God unto us (not to Himself), ‘wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption’ (1 Corinthians1:30). Faith says: our God in Christ is One of infinite wisdom to lead us in a way we know not; One of infinite mercy to pity and pardon us; and One of infinite faithfulness who will honour His promises to us.

The promises of His word are but the thoughts of His heart toward us. We can and must frequently plead them in prayer. They are to be pursued at the throne of grace, for He tells us ‘I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them (Ezekiel 36:37). He cannot and will not suffer them to fail.

Rev Leslie Curran.