However, the truth is the majority break those resolutions
We are going to think of the promises of God
God never breaks His promises
God is a faithful God and cannot lie
God made promises to Abraham
Abram was from a pagan family, from Ur of the Chaldeans
Those who Abram blessed would be blessed and those he cursed would be cursed
After 10 years God repeats some of His promises towards Abram
At this time Abram does still not have a son
Another 14 years passed and Abram was now 99 years old - God repeated His promise
How are these promises fulfilled?
Were the fulfilled in the life of Abraham?
What does it mean that he would own the land forever and his descendants would be so numerous?
In Abraham all the families of the earth (both Jews and Gentiles) would be blessed
The New Testament teaches that the children of Abraham are his spiritual descendants, those who believe in Jesus Christ
The blessings of salvation, of peace with God
Gal 3:8 - "And ?the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ?“In you all the nations shall be blessed""
The gospel came in the form of a promise
It is first of all a blessing, of promise
It is also a salvation from
sin and hell
It was a promise that God would fulfil through Jesus Christ
This promise is being fulfilled as the gospel is going out throughout all the world, even in Burundi
The Gospel promise is brought by God to individuals
Why should God come to Mesopotamia and speak to one man?
Why Abraham?
Because of God's love
Because of God's grace
God chooses people
Like Mary, she was very favoured
Jesus calls the fisherman as apostles
Saul who is persecuting the church
Why are you hearing this message today?
Has God chosen you for salvation?
'However calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'
Abraham believed God's promise even though there was no evidence of there fulfilment
Do you need more evidence?
Will you not believe and see the resurrection
Will you not believe God's word?
These promises must be believed
Abraham believed the promise so much that he left his home
Abraham did not give up when his father died
Gen 15:4-6 - Abraham did not know how the promise would be fulfilled
Rom 4 - Paul writes about justification by faith and points to the promise of Abraham
Paul points out that this believing was before circumcision
God's blessings come by faith alone and not by works
The gospel comes by faith and grace, not by works
People are not christians because their parents are christian
People do not become a Christian by keeping the commandments of God
Are you a person still in unbelief or are you a person of faith?
Have you taken hold and believe in the promises of God?
These promises are for blessing
Whatever a person's status or situation the Gospel comes with the promise of blessing
Example of the Christian in Burundi
Psalm 32:1-2
The blessing of cancelled and forgiven sin
David could know and praise God that his sins had
been forgiven
God has every right not to forgive sin, but He does
not count our iniquity against us
There are some who feel so lost that they give themselves up to a life
of abandonment
Come to Christ: He forgives and restores
There are some who have done terrible things
They can confess to God
Gal 3:16 - the promise of the 'Seed' is to Jesus Christ
The line comes through Abraham, Isaac, David ... then Mary and Joseph
"In him all the families of the earth are blessed"
Jesus was born of a virgin and without sin
He had no sin (unlike Adam)
He pleased the heavenly father and obeyed the laws of God
He died on the cross and rose again with an incorruptible body
Some of the Old Testament prophets saw this in part (e.g. Micah, Jeremiah)
There are no works of penance, there is no purgatory, there is no mass
Christ has made complete atonement of sin
The promises:
We have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ
We become children of God
We are given security - God will never leave us or forsake us
He will keep us - He will complete the good work He has started in us
He has given us every spiritual blessing
All the promises in God are 'yes and amen'
It is very sad to miss out on blessings
These promises are not just for Abraham's descendants but for all families on earth
