Today I would like you to turn
in your Bible to the book of 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians
chapter 1, and let's read verse 19 and 20. 2 Corinthians chapter
1, verse 19. And the Apostle Paul here is
writing to these believers at Corinth, and he says, For the
Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us,
even by me, and Silas and Timothy, was not yea and nay, was not
yes and no, but in Him, that is, in Christ, was yes. For all the promises of God in
Christ are yes, and in Him, amen, unto the glory of God by us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is
not a deceptive gospel. It plainly states the problem,
sin, S-I-N. by one man, sin entered into
this world. In Adam, all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. It plainly states the problem,
and it clearly points out the remedy. The only remedy to have
sin put away, the only remedy for sin, for salvation, is Jesus
Christ. And that's why Paul says in verse
19, our preaching is not yes and no preaching. That is, he's
saying our preaching is not questionable. Our preaching is not a maybe. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is not a maybe gospel. Not a conditional gospel. It's
a certain and sure gospel. And then he says in verse 20,
all the promises of God in Him are yes. All the promises of
God in the Lord Jesus Christ are yes. Now, let's see if we
can amplify that a little bit. Is there salvation in Christ?
Now, it's not a yes or no question. Is it? Is there salvation in
the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes. Yes. We read in Scripture
in Acts chapter 4, neither is there salvation in any other.
Is there pardon of sin in Christ? Yes. Our God delights to pardon. He is a God that's ready to pardon. Is there justification? from
our guilt in Christ?" Huh? Yes. Yes, there is. "...in whom
we have redemption, justified freely by His grace through the
redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ." Is there forgiveness
with Him? Yes. Yes, there is. "...in whom we
have redemption, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace." You see what Paul is saying here? Is there cleansing
from our sin in Christ? Yes, the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all sin. Peter wrote this, "...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." God has
given us all these precious promises, and in Christ they're all certain. They're yes. Now, let me give
you four things. about these promises of God.
The first one is this, found in verse 20. Let's read verse
20 again. For all the promises of God in
him are yes. Now, the first thing we know
about these promises, the first thing is they're of God. They're
of God. These promises were all made
according to God's own will and purpose. He's working all things
after the counsel of His own will. Every temporal and every
eternal blessing given to His people flows out from God's eternal
purpose, which He purposed in Christ Jesus before the foundation
of this world. All these promises are of God.
They all were made according to God's will and purpose. Secondly,
these promises display the qualities of God who gave them. They are
all true as God Himself. We read in Scripture, it is impossible
for God to lie. We read in Romans 3, let God
be true and every man a liar. All the precious promises recorded
in the Word of God can be believed, trusted, relied upon, believed
because His Word is truth. Everything God speaks, He speaks
in truth. Of His own will beget He us with
the Word that is true. Secondly, they're unchanging.
These promises display the qualities of God who gave them. They're
true as God Himself. Secondly, they're unchanging.
Now, if God has made a promise and doesn't fulfill it, then
He's changed His purpose. But we read in Scripture, He
said, I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you
sons of Jacob, you are not consumed. Thirdly, these promises are powerful. It shall never be said that God
failed to keep his promise because he lacked the power to perform. Now, often we're guilty of doing
that. We often make promises that we
have no capability and no power to perform. But that's not the
case with God. Listen to this Scripture. Abraham
said, and it said of Abraham that Abraham was fully persuaded
What God had promised, God was able to perform. He never lacks
the power, the ability to accomplish His will and purpose. And fourthly,
these promises are like God Himself, they're eternal. We read in Scripture,
Ecclesiastes 3.14, "...Whatsoever the Lord doeth, it shall be for
Ever. He's loved His people. He's loved
His church with an everlasting love. And He saved them with
everlasting salvation. Now here's the second thing we
know about these promises. The first thing, remember, they're
all of God. They're of God. The second thing
we see is this. All promises. Now notice the
range, the scope and dimension of these promises. All promises. There is not a need we have as
guilty sinners before a holy God There is not a need we have
that His precious promises don't meet. Listen to this promise
in Philippians 4, verse 19, "...but my God shall supply all your
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." This
ought to give every sinner great encouragement and great motive
to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him. Trust Him to supply
our every need. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of a Godhead bodily, and in Him the believer stands complete
before God." You say in your heart, well, I'm ungodly. My friend, the promise of the
Scripture is this, Christ died for the ungodly. Well, you say,
I'm naked before God. I'm ungodly and naked and guilty
before God. He provides the robe of righteousness. You see, there's not a need we
have that He doesn't provide. He said, I am the Lord. I will
provide. He is the Lord our righteousness.
You say, well, I'm hard-hearted. Every sinner is by nature. God's
promise of the gospel is, I'll give you a new heart. I'll take
away that stony heart and give you a heart that loves God. You
say, well, I don't have faith. That's right, you don't by nature.
Faith is not a product of the fallen, guilty sinner. Faith
is the gift of God. He said, I'll give you faith.
You say, well, I can't pray. He ever lives to make intercession
for you. See, every need we have, the
Lord Jesus Christ is able to supply our need. You say, well,
I have nothing to bring. Listen, friend, you are not called
to give but to simply receive. Listen to this promise. 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? Are you weary
and heavy laden? Listen to this promise. Come
unto me, and I'll give you rest. Are you thirsty for spiritual
life? He said, Ho, every one that's
thirsty, come ye to the waters. He that hath no money, come ye,
buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. Are you weary, heavy laden over
sin? He said, Come to Me and rest. Are you thirsty for spiritual
life? He said, Come to Me and drink.
Are you hungry for salvation? Listen to this promise. He said,
I am the bread of life. He that cometh to Me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on Me shall never thirst. You see
the range and scope of all these promises. They meet all our need
in Christ. Thirdly, about these promises,
notice this. They're certain and sure. Certain and sure. Now, notice
this verse again. For all the promises of God in
Him are yes, and in Him, amen. Now, two times in this very short
verse, we read these words, in Him. In Him. In Him? In Christ? They're yes. That is, they are certain, fixed,
sure, true, and everlasting. And in Him, they're amen. That
is, they are accomplished. The Lord Jesus said on Calvary's
tree, it is finished. Redemption, righteous salvation
was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. It pleased the
Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. The certainty
of these promises are guaranteed by the powerful, complete, satisfying
performance of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has performed all
things for us. His past performance is a guarantee
of future results. Every spiritual blessing, every
spiritual blessing and every spiritual promise God has for
any fallen, guilty son of Adam is found only in God's storehouse. You say, what's that? Jesus Christ
is God's storehouse. You listen to Paul. As he talks
about his experience of grace, he says, I count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, that I may win Christ and be found in Him. Paul knew that
Christ is salvation. Paul knew that every blessing
God had for every sinner was in the Lord Jesus Christ. That
I might be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of Jesus Christ. God has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Now remember that. They are in Christ. These promises
given to guilty sinners is in Christ. Whether we talk about
election, God choosing a people before the foundation of the
world, we are chosen in Christ. Whether we talk about redemption,
it's in whom? In Him that we are redeemed.
Whether we talk about being glorified, we are glorified and raised up
and made to sit together in the heavenlies only in Christ. Every
promise of God in Christ is sure to all His elect, all His seed,
because they're in Christ. They're in Christ. And they were
given to Christ before the foundation. of this earth. We read this promise,
"...therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to
the end the promise might be sure to all the seed." Romans
4, verse 16. You see, these promises are of
God. All promises. The range and scope
meets every need that we have. And, my friends, they are all
in Christ. Now, lastly, let me give you
this. Now, notice this in the text,
"...for all the promises of God in him are yes, And in Him, amen. And lastly, notice this phrase,
unto the glory of God by us. Here is the grand design of all
God's promises. Unto the glory of God. The promises of God are His glory. The gift of the Redeemer. The
life of the Redeemer. The death of the Redeemer. The
intercession the Lord Jesus Christ ever lives to intercede for us. all the promises sure. All this is greatly to glorify
the Lord Jesus Christ. All these promises of His coming,
of His life, of His death, of His intercession, are making
all these promises sure, and they all work to glorify God. We read this in 1 Corinthians
1 30, But of Him are you in Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that would glory, let him glory only in."
We glory only in the Lord Jesus Christ. They work unto the glory
of God. Now, two words, the last part
of that, unto the glory of God by us. By us. Believers in Christ quickly and
rightly give God all the glory for so great a salvation. Now,
if you'd like a copy of today's message about the promises of
God, I'd be glad to send it to you absolutely free. You can
call or write to me. My number is 631-9053, 631-9053,
or you can write to me at Zebulon Baptist Church, 6088 Zebulon Highway,
Pikeville, Kentucky.