God's Unchanging Words and Promises

 

God's Unchanging Words and Promises

The efficacy of God’s Word in our lives is only operational and functional to the extent we obey. We will never be able to rise above the level of our obedience to the Word of God. The implication is that we must seek the true interpretation of God’s Word which is connected to context. The tendency to take Scripture out of its context and attempt manipulation of the same is detrimental to spiritual growth. A classic example is what Satan did when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. In Matthew 4 : 5-7, the Bible says

“Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Satan partially misquoted Psalm 91:11-12 out of context and Jesus responded with Deuteronomy 6:16. Satan left out “To keep you in all your ways.” which is the other part of Psalm 91:11. This means that we must embrace the whole counsel of God’s Word. We must not pick and choose. For example, we simply cannot gravitate towards the passages that speak about health and God’s provision and omit or disregard portions of Scripture that challenge us to be holy and obedient. Furthermore we cannot afford to have a lackadaisical attitude towards sin and expect victory. It is out of order to proclaim that one’s propensity towards sin is a result of one’s imperfections. Adam and Eve were perfect and yet they sinned. What is the point? Sin is a choice and anyone who sins will be held accountable, imperfections notwithstanding. Period. Thank God for His love and mercy, making it possible for us to be forgiven over and over again if we sincerely repent and turn away from our sin (1 John 1:9). Remember the Word of God  “…is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) 

There are lots of promises in the Bible that we can hold on to. Some are stated below:

• “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  
• “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
  
• “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
  
• “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
  
• “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,  as 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, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:1-4)
  
• “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
  

In John 15: 1-8, Jesus said:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”  (Emphases are mine)

• “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
  

We are involved in spiritual warfare and in Ephesians 6:10-18, we read:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

What and who are warring against? - “...against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Our battles are not physical battles; they are battles in the spiritual realm against demons, powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil that are involved in diabolical deeds instigated by the devil. These spirits are evil and very often exploit our weaknesses and/or carelessness. They dangle before our eyes alternatives to God’s Word - demonic agendas that pamper and feed the flesh. Embracing wholeheartedly God’s Word enables us to counteract the subtle temptations of Satan.

The place and importance of total obedience to the Word and commands of God cannot be overemphasised. Expecting victory whilst living in disobedience is unrealistic and in fact foolish. The one who obeys God is a mighty vessel in His hands; such a person walks in victory irrespective of challenges; such an individual walks in confidence and not fear; such a believer walks in divine wisdom and is a perpetrator of extraordinary exploits for our Lord God Almighty. Hallelujah! Are you fully on the Lord’s side? Then you have nothing to worry about. What should you do?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

My dear brethren, the Word of God is powerful. Get rooted in the undisputable, uncompromising, inerrant, Word of God and Kingdom success and prosperity will be your portion in 2024 (Joshua 1:8). Putting God first is the vital key to growth and fruitfulness. It is a matter of priority. That which we prioritise constitutes the predominant influence in our lives. God bless you as you embrace God's unchanging Words and His promises.
[All Scriptural passages are quoted from the New King James Version (NKJV), unless otherwise stated]