Rom 4:13-15 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. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
2 Cor 1:20-22 For all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Gal 3:13-14, 18 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith... For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Heb 8:6 But now He (Christ) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Grace Roots Blog
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
THE Promise Keeper
The gospel, redemption, salvation, eternal life, righteousness, our heritage, our anointing, the Spirit, the New Covenant, our hope, etc, etc, etc... What is it ALL based upon? Our promises and faithfulness to God? Or HIS promises and faithfulness alone?
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Joel....You beauty!!
ReplyDeleteAll Christ; All the time...THAT'S why it's called REST! ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm countin' on that Promise Keeper!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome haha! This is something that bothers me about wedding vows too, they seem so based on our promises to one another...not on Jesus' promise to us. They are often based on human love instead of agape, and the 'vows' are conditional on two each human keeping their vows. Sorry, not really to do with your post... anyway I loved the subtle and clever reference if I'm understaning rightly.
ReplyDeleteGreat words, everyone!
ReplyDeleteJul,
I'm debating internally whether or not to come out and say what I'm about to say. :) Well, first I'll say that indeed I was referencing various types of 'promises' that are common in the church today, including but not limited to the whole "Promise Keepers" thing, as well as promises or vows that people make to God, thinking somehow that God's actually going to depend upon them keeping their promises... and also the promises/vows that we humans make to each other.
That last part is the part I go back and forth with, as far as expounding upon it publicly. But I think I've done it one time before, on another blog, so I might as well come out with it. LOL. Not to mention that I've shared some of my past marriage problems on my own blog before, and how the Lord did some very wonderful things, and this all has to do with it.
Maybe the easiest way to say this is to say that my marriage, even at the rockiest time, has never been held together by the promises or vows we made to each other on our wedding day, or any promises since that time. Rather our marriage has been held together by the grace and love God, and that alone! Indeed, as you say, it's really based upon Jesus' promise to us.
During times when I wasn't sure what to do, I realized and acknowledged to God that I knew it was all in His hands and in His working in and through us. It was through those times that love was able to begin working in and through us, rather than us contriving it due to the efforts of our own flesh to maintain some vows we made.
I know this doesn't fly in the Christian world today, and I think it probably even potentially raises flags in many grace-oriented Christians, but having been through it, and also comparing it to the whole rest of the Christian life as I've come to know it, I see no other way than to live all of the Christian life, including marriage, not based upon my own pledges or promises, but on the very grace of God. Life is SOOO much better because of that!
Didn't mean to go on, but your words brought up some really need remembrances of what the Lord has done in my marriage, all through His grace!
Joel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing so intimately about your life. You know that I have only found my true relationship with Father a few months ago, so even though I've been saved for years, I'm actually very young in the Lord.
Having said that, I would ask that you pray for me. I am struggling right now with something, and have an unspoken request. It's pretty heavy stuff.
John,
ReplyDeleteOpening up like this is somewhat hard, but yet I sometimes think that perhaps the good news that I share, and my solid faith in the gospel, implies to others that my life has always been a rosy bed. So from time to time I like to get real about some of these issues in life, hoping that someone can relate.
I will definitely keep you in my prayers with whatever it is that you have going on.
Grace and peace to you.
I never heard Paul telling people to re-dedicate their lives to Jesus. Where is repeated confession and re-commitment in the New Covenant? I see it in the Old Covenant. But the New Covenant has not a sign of it.
ReplyDeleteI was telling Jamie on the phone the other day that when people tell me they "re-dedicate" their lives to God, that immediately tells me that their heart is not in it. If my heart is in it, then why do I need to struggle and strive and commit and re-commit?
You're flying in the face of some heavy tradition, Joel!
Also, another thing that irks me is when people say they read the Bible to plant the Word in their heart. Sorry...He is already there. But it is great to go to the Scripture to be reminded of THE Word. The Gospel.
YIKES! Jesus loves us and has forever joined Himself to our spirit. We're one. Why do we need to keep trying to put Jesus where He already is? That must be very frustrating. I'm in my room, yet I'm still trying to get in!! AHH!
Matthew,
ReplyDeleteVery tru dat. Dedication and rededication isn't what's called for. I think you're so right... When the heart needs to "recommit," the heart wasn't in it in the first place... which means that the heart never received the true revelation that it's about God's commitment to us, and not how much we can struggle or strive to commit ourselves to Him!
And yes... with all that I've said here, in the post and in the comments, I know it all flies in the face of traditional teaching. :) But more and more, I see that traditional teaching flies in the face of the TRUTH! I have to admit that sometimes I hold back. I was holding back with what I shared here! I don't want to simply be 'loose' with the truth, and there are people I don't want to 'offend.' But yet, along the lines of what PAW shared on your blog (not exactly what he said, but in the same vein), I think I'd rather offend people and get accused of things rather than not speaking the truth. We all need to build one another up in this.