7. The Promise of the WORD

a. When GOD gives His WORD, He gives Himself.

Psalm 138:2: "Thou hast magnified Thy WORD above all Thy name." When a man gives his word to someone, he is giving that which represents himself, and stands in his place. His word represents him. When God Almighty gives His WORD, His WORD represents Him more than His own Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient Name does. He esteems His wondrously, unique Name below the estimation He gives to His WORD. And even though, "there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12), still He honours His WORD above this Almighty name of "Saviour". And when God makes a PROMISE, He really does honour that PROMISE with all that He is Himself. With all the power, with all the glory, with all that He is-- this is how He honours His WORD!

Hebrews 6:13,17-19: "For when God made PROMISE to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, 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 set before us: which Hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast."

b. 2Peter 1:4: "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."

This is His PROMISE. This is His WORD.

c. 1John 2:25: "And this is the PROMISE that He hath promised us, even eternal life."

There is no way to guarantee this future for yourself with money, fame, or goodwill. You can be sure of eternal life, only by His PROMISE. Only by His WORD.

d. Ephesians 1:13: "In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the WORD of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of PROMISE."

God's PROMISE is only redeemable to those who believe His WORD has worth, because only He is worthy.

Revelation 4:11: "Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

Revelation 5:9: "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."

e. Ephesians 2:12: "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of PROMISE, having no hope, and without God in the world."

To be without God's PROMISE, is to be, truly, without hope.

f. Ephesians 3:6: "That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His PROMISE in Christ by the Gospel."

By His PROMISE, all believers in His WORD are promised an inheritance in Christ by the Gospel.

g. Acts 2:39: "For the PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call."

The PROMISE of Himself is not only for you, but also for your children. What better inheritance can they possibly possess, than the LORD of Glory Himself, the Living WORD?!

h. Romans 9:8: "That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the PROMISE are counted for the seed."

Only those who claim The PROMISE can be counted as His children.

i. Galatians 4:28: "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of PROMISE."

Hebrews 11:11-12: "Through faith also Sara 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 sea shore innumerable." </span>

Hebrews 11:17-19: "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the PROMISES offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead."

As Isaac was "conceived" and "offered up" by PROMISE, even so is also the believer.

j. Romans 4:20-21: "He [Abraham] staggered not at the PROMISE of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

The LORD is as good as His WORD.

Matthew 19:17: "Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments."

This is His PROMISE. This is His WORD.

k. Hebrews 6:15: "And so, after he [Abraham] had patiently endured, he obtained the PROMISE." Hebrews 10:36: "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the PROMISE."

You must do your part, just as God must do His part.

John 5:17: "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

l. Galatians 3:17,22: "And this I say, that the COVENANT, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the Law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the PROMISE of none effect. But the SCRIPTURE hath concluded all under sin, that the PROMISE by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." On God's part, nothing can void His PROMISE. On your part, you must believe.

m. 1Kings 8:56: "Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there hath not failed one WORD of all His good PROMISE, which He promised."

If He promises rest, then be assured, there is rest. This is His PROMISE. This is His WORD.

Hebrews 3:18-19: "And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

Hebrews 4:1-3: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a PROMISE being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the WORD preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest."

n. Revelation 3:8,10: "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My WORD, and hast not denied My Name. Because thou hast kept the WORD of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

What does this PROMISE offer you? What does your faith make of it? "The hour of temptation" can specifically mean the time of the Vial judgments being poured upon the earth. It is His solemn promise to deliver His people, who are trusting under the shadow of His wings, from the time of "temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell on the earth"

(Revelation 3:10b). "Because thou hast kept the WORD of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation"

(Revelation 3:10a). Why wouldn't we accept a PROMISE like this for all that we could receive?... "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).

o. 2Peter 3:13: "Nevertheless we, according to His PROMISE, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

If we believe Him, then we will "look". Then we will "hope". Then we will "patiently endure".

p. Hebrews 3:14: "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end."

If we believe Him, then we will have confidence in Him. Hebrews 10:35: "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward."

1John 5:14-15: "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."

1John 2:28: "And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

This is His PROMISE. This is His WORD.

Whose camp are you in? "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

Romans 1:21

"He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My WORDS, hath One that judgeth him: the WORD that I have spoken, The Same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me,

so I speak."

John 12:48-50