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The Promise of God

2 Peter 1:2-4
   Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ our Lord,
   According as his divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

   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.

   These three verses describe the divine nature promised of God which we received when be confessed with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in our heart that God raised him from the dead.

   As partakers of the divine nature we have been given promises - exceeding great promises - precious promises - all things that pertain unto life and a spiritual relationship with God promises - glorious promises - excellent promises - gracious promises - peaceful promises - escape the corruption in the world promises.  All of these promises and more are part of the "spiritual package" known as holy spirit made available through a knowledge of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

   God promised Abraham that of his seed the Christ would come and bring mankind back into a spiritual relationship with God.  God promised David that the Christ would also be his heir.  God promised the Children of Israel a holy, spiritual relationship in which they would walk and talk with Him in a land flowing with milk and honey.

  Jesus of Nazareth, heir to David and of Abraham's seed, came and walked as the promised Christ.  He always did the Father's will and gave his life to bring the promise.  Just before he ascended into heaven to sit down at the Father's right hand, he let his apostles know that the promise was about to be given:

Luke 24:49
   And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued (clothed with) power from on high.

   Ten days later the promise was fulfilled:

Acts 2:32-33
   This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
   Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this (speaking in tongues), which ye now see and hear.

   God gave the promised holy spirit - divine nature - to Jesus Christ who was seated at His right hand to "shed forth" upon all those that believed on the day of Pentecost.  The coming of the Christ who would make available the divine nature was promised to Abraham and David and the Children of Israel many many years before this Pentecost day.  Finally, the day arrived and the promise was shed forth.

Acts 2:38-39
   Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
   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.

   Now, as Gentiles, we were not included in the original promise made to the Children of Israel.  We were without Christ, without God, and without even a hope for the promise.

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:
 
   But God had a secret - a mystery kept secret in God and not revealed until it was made known to the Apostle Paul:

Ephesians 3:6
   That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

   God purposed in Himself a mystery, that anyone: Jew or Gentile - ANYONE would be able to receive His promise in Christ by believing.  Therefore anyone who trusts in the Word of God and confesses with his or her mouth the Lord Jesus and believes in his or her heart that God raised him from the dead receives the promise.

Ephesians 1:13-14
   In whom (in Christ) 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,
   Which is the earnest (token) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

   We have received holy spirit.  We have received the promise.  We have the divine nature living within us.  We have escaped the corruption in the world and we have eternal life.  We also have an inheritance awaiting us which we will receive at the return of Christ.  We need to continue to walk in the greatness of the promise given to us.  We need to manifest holy spirit, speak in tongues, fellowship and encourage one another as fellowheirs and partakers of the promise of holy spirit as we look toward a new promise - the promise of a spiritual body and eternal inheritance at the return of Christ.

Hebrews 10:23-25
   Let us hold fast the profession of our faith [hope] without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
   And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
   Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.


Cortright Fellowship
URL http://www.cortright.org/promise.htm
© Copyright January 2001 Michael Cortright