From the beginning of man’s history, God made great covenants and promises with people. He is not only the Author, God is the Finisher. What God has promised, He is able also to perform. Your faith does not just stand in the God of promises, it stands in the God Who will do whatever He has promised.
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Lord our God is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Consider what that means.
The Bible is full of God’s promises and covenants. The word “promise” appears over 100 times in the Bible and covenant appears over “300” times. There are 8,810 promises in the Bible, of those 7,487 promises are from God to mankind. When God makes a promise or a covenant, it will be accomplished. The Bible and history are full of the testimonies that God is not just the Author of our faith, He is the Finisher.
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Many of us grew up in church singing songs about God’s promises.
- Standing on the promises I cannot fall.
- Sweet are the promises; kind is the word.
- There shall be showers of blessing; this is the promise of love.
- Every promise in the Book is mine; every chapter, every verse, every line.
We are accustomed to the idea of God’s promises.
God made covenant promises to Noah.
First, God promised an escape from the judgment that was coming on Noah’s generation and world. Noah had to endure all of those years while he built the boat, but everything happened just like God said. After the flood had destroyed the world as it was, God put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise and covenant.
In Genesis 9:14-15 NKJV God said, “It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”
God made promises to Abraham that involved a land, a nation and the Messiah.
Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
When all hope seemed to have passed that they could even have a son, Abraham and Sarah were blessed by the God Who made promises to them. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Hebrews 6:15 “After Abraham patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Think about all that means. This is more than an earthly inheritance. The promise included a Savior, Who is Christ our Lord.
Joshua testified that God’s promises were true.
After all of the years of wandering in the wilderness, and fighting through the land, God gave them rest. After the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies, when Joshua was advanced in age, he called all the nation together.
Joshua 23:14 NKJV He said, “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.”
You need to take this into account today.
“Not one thing of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke has failed.” In a day of broken promises and covenants, this is unusual. You need to know that God is faithful to His Word. You can trust God.
“All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.”
King Solomon had just finished his prayer of dedication and supplication to the Lord.
He was standing before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all of Israel. The temple had just been completed and dedicated to God.
1 Kings 8:56 NKJV Solomon said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”
This is more than a theme in the Bible. God’s promises are always finished. He always does what He says He will do.
God had called Joseph to go ahead of His people into Egypt.
Most of his life had been spent in Egypt. First, he was a slave, then a prisoner, then God raised him up to a high position in the kingdom. When the famine came, God had Joseph where He needed him. God had sent Joseph ahead to preserve life. The vision and dream that he had been given as a child came true. When he was dying, He reminded his brethren that God was going to bring them out of that land. God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would give them the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession and that He would be their God, (Genesis 17:8).
Joseph had confidence in the promise that God gave him that He would bring Israel out of Egypt, (Hebrews 11:22).
Hebrews 11:22 NKJV By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
You can follow God’s faithful promises throughout the Bible. His promises were always fulfilled on schedule, and God’s timing was always perfect. Israel came out of Egypt at the time God had promised. They came out in the exact manner God had promised.They were great in numbers and had great possessions. God’s timing is always perfect and His promises never fail.
Hebrews 6:17-18 NKJV Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
You can have strong consolation. What does that mean? You can trust God to keep His promises. His promise never fails.
Consider the exceedingly great and precious promises God has made that involve you personally.
1 Peter 1: 4 tells us there is an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and it does not fade away. God’s promises cover everything that you need and contend with in this life and eternity.
2 Peter 1:3-4 NKJV His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…
- God has promised to give everything that pertains to life.
This covers a multitude of things in your daily life.
- He has promised remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit to everyone who repents and is baptized.
In Luke 24:49 Jesus said, “Behold I send the Holy Spirit, the Promise of My Father upon you.”
In Acts 2:39 NKJV Peter said, “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
- Before time began, the God Who cannot lie promised eternal life through His Son, our Savior, (Titus 1:1-3).
- In James 2:5, He promised the kingdom to those who love Him.
- He has promised a new heaven and earth.
2 Peter 3:13 NKJV We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
God has obligated Himself to His promises.
The gifts of His promises are graciously bestowed upon us through Christ. God has confirmed His promises with an oath.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV84 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.
In Christ Jesus, you have the guarantee of all of God’s promises. God is going to do what He has promised.
1 Peter 1:9 talks about “receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls.”
There is a positive outcome for trusting God. This phrase has at least two specific areas of full blessing. There is an end of our faith when we come into the reward of God’s promise. There isthe reward we will receive when our salvation is completed. We receive a daily reward for following Jesus Christ. In the daily reward and the eternal reward, we experience the full reward of Christ’s salvation.
“The salvation of your souls” refers to all of the benefits that we gain through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The benefits of the Lord’s salvation covers all our need. The word “receiving” refers to what has been promised. “Receiving” the “end” is the goal, the culmination of your faith, the reward, the end of your faith…
Take a quick review of what we have been saying.
Every time God has made a promise, the promises came to pass. God is faithful to His promises.
What God told Noah happened.
The rain came, just like God had told Noah. The boat kept them safe. Never again has the earth been flooded.
Everything God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob happened.
Their descendants received the promise.
Consider, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon.
Take a survey through the Bible.
It is a never ending story of God’s faithfulness to His promise. You can trust God’s promises. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Psalm 37:5 NKJV Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
What is it that you are needing in your life? You can trust God to do what He said He will do. Are you needing salvation? Are you needing healing? Everything that pertains to life and godliness is covered by His exceedingly great and precious promises. God can turn your life around. He has provided the solution for all your needs in Christ Jesus. You can trust God to finish what He has promised.
