LESSON 12 PRECIOUS PROMISES

The pledge:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4

Partakers—Sharer, associate.

Nature—Figurative disposition, constitution, (inclination, propensity, frame of mind).

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Corinthians 1:20

The promises:

1. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Triumph—Figurative to conquer, to give victory.

Savour—Fragrance.

2. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. 2 Peter 2:9      

Deliver—Rescue

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials. 2 Peter 2:9 AMP

How is this done?

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 1 Peter 5:8, 9

Sober—Calm not under the influence of passion, serious, solemn.

Vigilant—To keep awake, to watch.

Resist—To stand against, i.e. oppose.

Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8, 9

3. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:7–10

Submit—To subordinate, to obey.

Draw nigh—To make near i.e. approach.

Double minded—Two-spirited, i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose).

Purify—Make clean, i.e. figurative sanctify.

Hearts—The thoughts or feelings (mind).

Afflicted—To be wretched, i.e. realize one’s own misery.

4. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

Follow—To be in the same way with, i.e. to accompany (as a disciple).

Darkness—State which renders any thing difficult to be understood. A state of being intellectually clouded. Empire of Satan. (See John 3:19; Colossians 1:13.)

Light—Illumination of mind; instruction; knowledge. Christ, joy comfort, saving knowledge.

5. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22    

Quench—To extinguish.

Despise—To make utterly nothing of, i.e. despise.

Blameless—Faultlessly, from irreproachable.

Wherever the will of God is made known as in the above text, it is meant for us to follow. But “as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12). This being our condition, it is the change wrought in us by God as we choose to submit to the leading of His Holy Spirit that enables us to be born again and live the will of God, even the life of rejoicing, prayer and giving of thanks.

It is God who sanctifies us, which is His enabling grace that leads us to commitment and obedience. This sanctifying work of God is manifested in the five points highlighted in the above text. God has called us to Himself and the promise is even emphasized by the prayer of Paul, for God will preserve us and make us ready for His coming, so long as we choose to follow Him and allow Him to work out the experience called for in these verses.

Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 AMP

God, who called you to become his child, will do all this for you, just as he promised. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 TLB

He who calls you is utterly faithful and he will finish what he has set out to do. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Phillips

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

6. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude 1:24

Falling—Not stumbling, figurative without sin.

Faultless—Unblemished.

The word is able—James 1:21, 22; 2 Timothy 3:15; Acts 20:32.

Christ is able—Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 2:18; Philippians 3:20, 21

And he is able to keep you from slipping and falling away, and to bring you, sinless and perfect, into his glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy. Amen. Jude 1:24 TLB

We need to focus on this promise, for it is God who is able. We of ourselves will never be able, but God is abundantly able to keep us from falling. The ability to be kept is not in us but God. God is able to present us, to bring us to Himself, faultless in Christ. The joy to be found in God’s presence is promised to us, but also it is God’s joy to keep us from falling, and His joy to bring us to our eternal home.

7. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

Confident—To assent (to evidence or authority); To rely (by inward certainty).

Perform—To fulfill further (or completely) i.e. execute.

And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns. Philippians 1:6 TLB

Q. How is this accomplished?

A. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9–11

8. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Ephesians 1:3, 4

Blessed—Adorable; to speak well of, i.e. (religiously) to bless (think or invoke a benediction upon, prosper).

Blessing—Benefit, largess.

Spiritual—Supernatural, regenerate, religious.

Holy—Sacred physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated.

How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in heaven because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love. Ephesians 1:3, 4 TLB

May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. Ephesians 1:3, 4

9. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:16–21

Strengthened—To empower, increase in vigor.

Might—Force, specially, miraculous power.

May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Ephesians 3:16–21 AMP

10. This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Galatians 5:16, 17

Walk—Figurative, to live, deport oneself, follow (as a companion or votary).

Fulfil—Complete, execute, conclude.

Contrary—To lie opposite, be adverse (figurative, repugnant) to.

So that—In order that (denoting the purpose or the result).

Would—Choose or prefer, i.e. be inclined to.

But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. Galatians 5:16, 17 AMP

11. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1

Filthiness—A stain, i.e. figurative immorality.

Spirit—Mental disposition etc.

Perfecting—To fulfill further (or completely) i.e. execute.

Holiness—Physical pure, morally blameless or religious.

What promises is Paul referring to? (See 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; 3:17, 18; 4:6, 7, 6:17, 18.) Through faith in these promises every man may be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin.

12. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. 1 Peter 1:18–20

Redeemed—Ransom, from to loosen, a redemption price.

Vain—Empty, profitless, an idol.

Conversation—Behavior.

Tradition—The delivery of opinions, doctrines, practices rites and customs from father to son.

“Vain conversation”

For you must realize all the time that you have been “ransomed” from the futile way of living passed on to you by your father’s traditions. 1 Peter 1:18 Phillips

For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. 1 Peter 1:18 TEV

You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers. 1 Peter 1:18 AMP

God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take. 1 Peter 1:18 TLB

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Christ “gave Himself for our sins” Galatians 1:4. This means, He bought them, and paid the full price for them. And that price is death. When a friend tells us that he paid so much for a certain item, we know that that item belongs to him, because he has purchased it. In the same way the Scripture tells us that Christ gave Himself for our sins, we can be sure that they belong to Him, and not to us. They are ours no longer, and we have no right to them.

Not only has Christ paid the price for our sins, but He has taken the sins of all on Himself. He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).

Jesus comes proclaiming “liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isaiah. 61:1), to “say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves” (Isaiah 49:9). Here is the freedom of the gospel, the Lord has taken all our sin upon Himself, having purchased it, so that we do not need to bear it.

Christ gave Himself for our sins, “that He might deliver us from this present evil world.” This present evil world is composed of “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Christ said, “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17:15).

Men and women have gone into cloisters and convents, and have lived in deserts and in caves as hermits, in order to be separate from “this present evil world” yet it is always present; because it was within them. It is not our associates or surroundings that cause us to sin, but the evil that is within us. No man can escape from this present evil world until he escapes from himself; and Christ gave Himself for our sins, to deliver us from ourselves. Every soul can say, if he will, “O Lord, …Thou hast loosed my bonds” (Psalm 116:16).

The fact that Christ has bought us, together with our sins, leaves no room for the question, “Will He accept me?” He has already accepted you. Why does a man buy an item at the store?— Because he wants it. We cannot rightly say, “But I am so sinful and unworthy God cannot accept me.” It matters not how sinful you are; Christ “gave Himself for our sins.” We need to praise Him for “the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

13. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32

Freely—Grant as a favour, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.

Q. What are the all things?

A. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:31–33

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:2, 3

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. Psalm 57:2

I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! Psalm 57:2 AMP

Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. Proverbs 28:5

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matthew 21:22 (See also 1 John 5:14.)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. Romans 8:28 Phillips

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17

Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 2 Timothy 2:7

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 John 2:27

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7
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