Okay, this morning if you would
turn with me to Hebrews chapter 6. We'll read the passage in
a minute. The lesson title taken from part
of what we'll read is Heirs of Promise. Heirs of Promise. Ok, Hebrews chapter 6 starting
with verse 13. 13-20 For when God made promise
to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore
by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying
I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently
endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater,
and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise
the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that
by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to
lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope that is set before us, which hope we have
as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which
entereth into that within the veil. whether the forerunner
is for us entered, even Jesus, made in high priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek. There's quite a bit in this passage,
and we're gonna make a few comments, but mostly we're gonna look at
other scriptures that have to deal with this, and I think that'll
put us on pretty safe ground. There's, Even the commentator that we read
at times, Brother Hawker, he was pretty wordy on this piece
and he had to, towards the end of it, he had to say, we'll leave
some of this for later. there's, there's, he just can't
say enough or he couldn't say enough. And his, and we echo
those, those thinkings and those feelings and those thoughts about
that, that God would, would, um, speak to his people first
of all, and that he by promise promises some things. And, um,
as it says in this, we're going to look, we're going to look
at several things. Uh, and it says in verse 13, It says, for
when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no
greater, he swore by himself. That, as it says, there's no
greater that he could put to that promise than himself. And
as promises go, God's people, by faith in them, that he puts
in them, and reveals things and by his grace and mercy shows
us that when God promises or says something, he will do it.
Just as in the first few verses of Genesis when it speaks about
the creation and God spoke it and it was done. And when he
says something or has said something that we have record of, it's
God's people count it as a sure thing. By nature, we know what promises
are like when we issue them or others issue them. Even if they're
in writing, they're not something you want to stake your life on
very often. But we know that, as it says
here, he could swear by no greater, he could swear by himself. And
these things to Abraham. Greater basis for promises to
his people He could swear by no greater, we must remember
and keep in mind that these promises are to the church through Jesus
Christ our Lord. The spirit alone reveals truth
and comfort of God's promises to us. There are those religious people
that can read these things and they read and they claim the
promises of God, or they say they do, they recognize where
it says, God's promise, but they cannot, by nature we cannot comprehend
or fathom those things as so because we can't, it says we
can't receive the things of God by nature. It has to be revealed
to us. So those promises are, only mean
something to the church. They're only given to the church
to start with. But they also only mean something
to the church, to God's people that He reveals Himself to and
reveals these things. It's based solely on what God
desires to have take place for His people, for His church, for
the church. A comment, it'll come out later
in some verses, but as it says in Ezekiel, it talks about God
putting life in his people. And that actually is farther
on in my notes, but it comes to mind now that he does those
things. And if you underline in Ezekiel,
or in all of scripture, but in Ezekiel chapter 36, God says,
here's what I will do. And it says, I will, I will,
I will. a number of times, many times
in that chapter, of all that God does to put life in his people. And not much is, it doesn't say,
you do this and I'll do this, or I do this, it says, you're
dead until I do all these things, there will be no life of any
kind. And it's not, there's a phrase that Brother Hawkers used the
word, I don't remember the phrasing of it, I didn't write down, but
he says that not by performance on any level are the promises
made to the church. Not in performance on man's part
of it. God's part of it is all the performance. That word struck me, and I don't
know how he remembered all the other things he used in his comments,
but the word, the performance, that would relate to anything
physical that we can do or anything spiritual that we can't do. to
bring life about and it isn't contingent upon anything. It's
not like an earthly covenant or the covenant of the law that
says if you do these things this will take place. The everlasting
covenant is not based on any performance of the church. It's
all done for the church. Solely on the promise of the
covenant and God's doing in his people are they realized the
promises are only realized when eyes are open. Salvation to the
heirs of promise, not of good that we have done has brought
this life to us. And we have to keep that in mind
all of scripture that we know that all of it points to what
we have by promise, and it's all done by promise, and the
promise that God gives his people. Turn to Luke. I'm gonna put a
marker in the page here. Turn to Luke, the first chapter,
if you would, please. Luke chapter one, we're gonna
start with verse 72, And this section deals here with
John's father, Zacharias. And it's titled in my heading
that is put up on this area, it says, The Song of Zacharias.
But this is the reflection and the thoughts
that God gives to all of His people in these things. It says
in verse 72 and following, It says to perform the mercy promise
to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. the oath which
he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us that
we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve
him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him
all the days of our life. And thou, child, speaking of
John, shalt be called the prophet of the highest, for thou shalt
go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give
knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their
sins. through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring
on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of
peace." And here, speaking of those things that God does, for
his people, and to give knowledge of salvation unto his people
by the remission of sins, through the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us." So this,
as it says, sheds a little light on the promises and the promise
of God to his people that this shall be about. righteousness is come to his
people. And the verse that said, God
or Lord, our righteousness, and that is revealed and reflected
through the promises. It's all of his doing and his
giving to the church. Um, in, in the book of Genesis, Just about the front, chapter
3 of Genesis, just a couple of verses here. Verse, let's see, starting with
verse 14, just a couple of verses here. It says, Genesis 3, 14,
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done
this, thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast
of the field. Upon thy belly shalt they go,
and the dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will
put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel. A promise that was given here that
there is one that's coming that would take care of this problem.
Early on here, that the promise of that one that would bruise
the head of the serpent. And a picture of the only one
that could deal with sin, only one and only way that could deal
with sin would be the Lord himself. And in Genesis chapter 22, while
we're here in Genesis, chapter 22, starting with verse
15, and reading just a little bit
here. It says, Genesis 3.15, or 22.15 rather, and the Lord,
angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second
time. And he said, by myself have I
sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing and
hast not withheld thy son, thy only son, that in blessing I
will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the
stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the seashore.
And thy seed shall possess the gate of his kingdom. enemies and in thy seed shall
all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou had obeyed
my voice." And remember he had been up on Mount Moriah with
his son and was told to offer his son a sacrifice unto the
Lord and he was prepared to do that and the Lord delivered him
from that and there was a ram caught that they sacrificed and
here the Lord it says came to Abraham the second time out of
heaven and the promise that he shall be blessed and not just
that he was going to have a big family and do well in the world
but through that line that the Lord himself was going to become
and that's the true blessing and that is the true seed that was going to bless
the His people and bless the church, a promise to the church,
promise of the Messiah to come. In Acts chapter 3, along the
same thoughts, Acts chapter 3, and starting
with verse 22, it says, for Moses truly said unto the fathers,
a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your
brethren. Like unto me, him shall ye hear
in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come
to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall
be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from
Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken,
have likewise foretold these days. You are the children of
the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers,
saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindred of
the earth be blessed. Unto you, first God, having raised
up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every
one of you from his iniquities. And indeed, the prophets foretold
his coming, And early on, like we see in Genesis, very, very
early on. And we had a message one time
about when God even promised before that, when God said, let
there be light, that that was alluded to the true light that
would come into the world and the Lord himself. And so not
just the prophets and the law but in the beginning and as the
Lord himself showed those two in Luke that all the scriptures
spoke of him and not just certain ones that had him as a key player
somewhere but the scripture is all of revelation of Jesus Christ
to His people. And that's always been the purpose,
always will be the purpose, and by His Spirit reveals these things
to us. And then in Matthew, the first
chapter, Matthew chapter one, and these all key into and build
on or with, parallel to the promise, as it says here in Hebrews, the
promise that was given to Abraham was given to all of us. In Matthew
chapter one, and starting with verse 18, speaking about the
birth of the Lord himself, it says, now the birth of Jesus
Christ was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was his spouse
to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the
Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being
a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was
minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets,
saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is being
interpreted as God with us. speaks to, again, to the promise
that was given. And it says, all this was done
to fulfill all those things that were spoken of by the prophets. And that this would happen, that
we would have God with us. And we would have God with us,
and we would have God, He who would deliver His people from
their sins. That promise was given, like
I say, way back when in the very beginning of the record we have
and reiterated over time and time again and then a promise
to Abraham was the same one. We're looking at it in other
messages that Norm is bringing about them coming into the physical
land and how people take that for something that it is not. They were indeed given the physical
land, but much greater was the promise given to them to take
that and the spiritual promise that were given, and only to
realize those parts of it, that there was more to it than just
the physical land. They saw that he was able to
take that land, but they had their eyes on other things, on other things
than just that physical land. And it was only the spirit of
God that made those men realize that and put that in them to
not only to consider that what God had said he would do, and
that anything that God brought up to them and said that he would
deliver the land to them, That's a promise of God. I mean, anything
that God has said, there's nothing that is said lightly that God
says that he will do or not do that is not a promise to his
people. But he has to reveal that to
them. The stated promise is stated
by all the prophets. of someone who's coming that
is the church's righteousness and that's the whole of it, all
of scripture we have. There are times and places it's
hard to put that together in our mind or comprehend or fully
understand some things or even understand things a little at
times, but we do know that what the record is of is of the Lord
himself and what he what He is and has done and what He has
promised the church, to the heirs of promise. In Hebrews chapter 6 verses 16
and 17, we drop down a little bit. and that God swore these things
and promised these things. And like I say, only God by His
Spirit that opens the eyes of His people can realize what God
says to us is our promises. There are things that are already
done, taken care of. Wherever whatever we see when
they're in Ezekiel, when God says, I will do these things.
Those, that's the only way it's going to get done. Not that,
uh, he's, he's taking on something that can be done any other way.
Uh, and those are, are promised to his people, but in verse,
um, verses 16 and 17 here in, in Hebrews chapter six, it says,
For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation
is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly
to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed it by an oath. It says here that men swear and
take an oath. I promise to pay this back to
you, or I promise to perform this or whatever. And we know
by experience that sometimes that isn't worth a whole lot.
Maybe not the paper that's on or the soon as the, if they're
speaking, they're lying to me. And maybe we've been in that
spot ourselves and we said things that we know probably that capability
is not there to take care of that or whatever. But it says
here that fairly menswear by an oath, and that ends all strife. Generally speaking, that takes
care of things, as it says here. Wherein God, willing more abundantly
to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed it by an oath. It says here, show unto the heirs
of promise the immutability of his counsel. That's another wording, another
way of saying when God says something, it's going to get done. To show unto the heirs of promise
that that counsel will stand. In whatever area we want to look
at that in, that his counsel will stand and does stand immutable. A couple of places that we go
to a lot, but it's there. places that we just love to see
that and one of them is in the book of Malachi and it talks
about where Israelites are and what's
going to take place to them and those things that the Lord does in his people in
the sending. The Messiah is going to come
up in a little bit. It's above this passage we're
going to look at. But in chapter 3, verse 6, where it says, I
am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. That's a pretty straightforward verse. It's saying
that because of who I am, you won't be consumed. And if I've
promised to deliver you, That's a done deal. And the church is safe in those things. And then along the same line
in the book of James, just a little bit over from where we are in
the Hebrews here, the book of James. in chapter 1 verses 17 and 18. It says, Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning of
his own will, begat he us with the word of truth, that we should
be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. And here that
no variableness or shadow of turning, that anything that He
has determined and that we have record of, it's better than a promise as
we perceive promises. It is God's word on that and
He has, that's the solid gold, that's
the best God's people can get is His word to us. In the Hebrews chapter 11, just a little bit over, Hebrews
chapter 11, starting with verse 8, and we know this
chapter talks about what faith is and those things that the
record of many people that chosen here of the faith that God has
given to them, but here, starting with verse 8, it says, By faith
Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out, not
knowing whether he went. By faith he sojourned in the
land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, and the heirs with him of the same promise.
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God. Through faith Also Sarah herself
received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a
child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful
who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of
one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky
in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.
These all died in faith, having not received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on
the earth. For they that say such things
declare plainly that they seek a country." And a couple of things
here. The heirs of promise it speaks
of again here by those promises that God gave him and Sarah. She judged him faithful and promised,
speaking of God, that she would have a son. And there, down in
verse 13, it says they were persuaded of them, persuaded them and embraced them,
the promises of God. And that is only done by his
revelation to his people. showing these things to us. And
by nature, these are not things that we would do or be able to
do or have inclination to do. But by God's Spirit and the faith
that He puts into His people, these things are done. In 1 Peter
chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. First Peter chapter one, starting
with verse, oops, let me get in the right chapter. Starting
with verse 18. It says, for as much as you know
that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver
and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers. Interesting, doesn't say that You had a pretty good
start on things from your fathers. It says here, vain conversation
received by tradition. We were not redeemed by those
things. But with the precious blood of
Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, verse 20, who
verily was foreordained before the foundation of the
world, but was manifest in these last times for you. Who by him
do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave
him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing
you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through
the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you
love one another with a pure heart fervently. being born again,
not of corrupt seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth
and bideth forever. For all flesh is grass, and all
glory of man is as the flower of grass. Grass withereth away,
and the flower falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth
forever, and this is the word by which the gospel is preached
unto you. It says here, endures where the
Lord endures forever. This is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you. And it has to be the same word. That's the only gospel because
we see where others were persuaded otherwise. And Paul says to them,
I'm surprised you've gone after another gospel, which is not
another gospel. There's only one. There's only one. words
of life and the true gospel and that endures forever. That is
not something that comes and goes and is altered by time. In Hebrews once again, Hebrews
chapter 6, it says, verse 18, It says, that by two immutable
things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have
a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon
the hope that is set before us. Which hope we have is an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that
within the veil. Whether the forerunner is for
us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek and that it says God cannot lie. I guess the opposite of that
exactly, cannot lie. All things that he has spoken,
given, or promised or otherwise that we have record of is true,
can be nothing but true. And it says that because of that
we have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us. Which is that hope which
is life and eternal life in our
Lord Jesus Christ who has taken care of those things for us.
And I'd like to look at just a couple of verses here in Galatians
chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3. Galatians
3 starting with verse 1. It says, O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among you? This only what I learn of you.
Receive ye the Spirit by the works of the law or hearing of
faith. And are ye so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, that
ye now may perfect in the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things
in vain, if it be yet in vain? He therefore that ministereth
to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he
it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith. Even
as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness,
know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the
children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen to faith preached before the
gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be
blessed. So then they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham. And that ties that back again
to Hebrews, the promise that was given to Abraham was not
just physical things. He was given many physical things
and was blessed by God of those things. But again, here it tells
us that here the gospel Justify the heathen through faith. Preach before the gospel unto
Abraham, saying, and thee shall all nations be blessed. And that
seed that was talked about is our Lord himself, and not physical
property. And it said that they look for
a city whose builder and maker is God, and not physical. It's
not done the physical things. And also while we're in Galatians,
in chapter three, Drop down to verse 26. And not to make light of these
in here. It speaks much more about the promise
to Abraham. In verse 16, verse three, verse
16, before we move on, it says, now to Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of
many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. The promise
is all dealing with the church and the coming of Christ and
who Christ would be to the people. And that's all the promises. that mount to anything, that's
what they're all tied to, to Abraham. And verse 26 of that,
it says, for you're all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you have baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free.
There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus. And if you be Christ, then are
you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. There are other places in Ephesians,
Romans, and the rest of the scripture that deal with these same, in
the same vein as these things. But it, and it says in verse
29, if he be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed according
and heirs according to that promise. And that's where we take our
stand. That's what we, what our, what
our hope indeed is in that seed and that we are heirs of the
promise that that all includes. We stand always in His righteousness,
in Christ's righteousness, grace, goodness, and mercy of our Lord.
That's what we stand in. In verse 20 of this same passage
in the Hebrews, it says, Jesus and high priests forever after
the order of Melchizedek. And next time we'll address that
verse somewhat. We'll see what the scripture
says. Thank you for your attention and be free.