Limitless Riches of Christ — God’s Promises
God has given many promises that impact our lives and future. These promises are the sure Word of God. Whatever God has said will certainly happen. Have you received a promise from God for your life? If God’s Word and promise has become personal in your life, you can expect the answer. Have you noticed that when God gives you a dream or promise, there is often a delay? Many people give up on that dream or promise when delay or opposition comes. Often when there is delay, the promise becomes buried under discouragement, rejection, negative comments, or failure. You may begin questioning if the promise from God will happen.
What God has promised may seem to be lost, but the good news is that everything that He has promised is still alive.
Paul’s enemies in Corinth attacked his character as unreliable and uncertain. On one side, Paul preached a positive faith. He knew that God was working and that things would turn out for his good. On the other, he was personally challenged and was weak in the flesh. Paul spoke of the power of the Gospel of Christ but he was afflicted and challenged on every side. Throughout his trials and afflictions, Paul did not vacillate or waver in his faith in God’s Word or promises. At the heart of everything he said was the person and work of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
Paul was telling believers that God is certain and definite in His promises. Everything God has promised will come to pass. In Christ, we have a “yes” and an “amen.”
Everything God has promised finds fulfillment and confirmation in Christ.
When God gives a promise, dream, or vision, it will happen. In verse 19 he said, “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you …was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.”
What does that mean?
All of the promises of God have been secured and made certain for us in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is the guarantee of everything God has promised.
Look at that verse in the Amplified Bible.
2 Corinthians 1:20 AMP For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.
We are considering the limitless riches of Christ.
In Christ Jesus we have the guarantee of all of God’s promises. Your faith and hope must be certain and steadfast in this fact.
We are instructed to hold fast to the promises of God.
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23 AMP So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable, sure, and faithful to His word.
Have you faced a delay after you heard the promise and believed that God was going to do it?
You need to remind someone that delay does not mean that God is not faithful. All of God’s promises are reliable, sure, and faithful. God will do what He has promised. Throughout the ages, people have been challenged to continue believing what God has promised. Noah and Abraham faced this challenge. David struggled with this. He knew that the Lord was his help and shield. He said he put his faith and trust in God, but he was struggling with a delay.
Psalm 13:1-6 NKJV How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He
has dealt bountifully with me.
Most of us know what it is like to wait on the Lord without a sign of an answer. You need to hear this word from God’s word and get ready for the answer.
Solomon had finished his prayer and supplication to the Lord. He spread his hands up toward heaven and spoke to the whole assembly of Israel.
1 Kings 8:56 NKJV 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.
After Israel came in and possessed the land of God’s promise, everyone came to know that every promise the Lord had made was fulfilled.
Joshua 21:45 NKJV Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
“Everything God promised came to pass.”
Do you believe that God is faithful to His promises? Have you noticed that during the delay or the wait, the enemy torments you about God’s faithfulness? He wants you to question and doubt God, and fall into despair. If you are going through a delay, you need to keep your faith up. This is the time your confession of faith must be strong. You need to constantly remind yourself of God’s promises and His faithfulness. Refuse to yield to despair and hopelessness. Everything God said will come to pass.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
All of the promises of God, no matter how many they are, find their fulfillment in Christ.
What has God promised you through Christ?
Everything God has promised finds fulfillment in Christ. Has He promised to save, heal and deliver? Has He promised to keep, supply and protect? You can have what God has promised. We must appropriate and take every promise of God in Christ. By faith keep holding on to what God has promised.
Joel 2:25-27 NKJV So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
Remind yourself again of the promise, dream or vision that God has given you.
Have you been through a delay and has your faith been challenged? Don’t give up on that dream, vision or promise of God!
God is faithful.
Keep holding on and don’t give up. Even if you have been through a long delay and a strong test of your faith, keep on believing. God is faithful as promised.
1 Peter 1:3-9 NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Keep holding on because God is faithful.
Look at that phrase — “receiving the end of your faith…”
There is a positive outcome for trusting God through all of the difficulties of life, trials and delays.
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 is the 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 the whole person and our whole 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… The end of your faith is receiving what has been promised.
James 5:11 AMP You know how we call those blessed (happy) who were steadfast [who endured]. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the Lord’s [purpose and how He richly blessed him in the] end, inasmuch as the Lord is full of pity and compassion and tenderness and mercy.
Throughout Job’s trial, Satan continued to challenge his faith and trust in God. Everyone mocked and scorned Job for trusting God. In the end, God richly blessed him and showed Job full pity, compassion, tenderness, and mercy.
2 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV But as God is faithful…
Psalm 37:5 NKJV Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
By Christ Jesus you can trust and receive all of God’s promises.