How Does The Promise Of God Work?

The strongest assurance many of us speak to our children is “I promise”. Think about how committed you feel when you make a promise. Promises, those declarations that something will or will not be done are spoken with great care. Promises communicate assurances by which the receiver is able to base their expectations. Promises speak to our future. 

Who among us today are holding some promises close to our heart? Have you been dating for several years, perhaps even with an engagement ring and a promise of marriage one day? Have you been with that company, seeing advancement opportunities come within grasp while being promised that you will be considered? Who among us today are holding some promises close to your heart? 

Today, allow me to speak to those people who are daring to believe a promise God has spoken to them. 

Scripture, the inspired written Word of God, is instructional and motivational. When it comes to the promises of God, scripture first teaches (instructs) and once we are taught, that then becomes motivation. From Genesis to Revelations, the Bible communicates the promises and assurances of God. 

Then in addition to the written promises of God recorded in the Bible, we also have the revelation promises given to us personally by the Holy Spirit. By this, I’m describing when the Holy Spirit reveals to your human spirit some that will be done in your future. When someone tells you what God is saying about your future, that is prophecy. And prophecy from God is a promise from God. But God, the Holy Spirit also shares His plans for your future when He announces what will happen. Prophecy and revelation are both promises of God. 

It’s a promise from God when He speaks but how does it work? You need to know how these promises work because you already believe that there are promises but you need to know how these promises work. 

How does the promise go from being spoken to you into something being completed for you? How does it work? 

I’m believing that some of you would like to know in order to take a proactive engagement with the promises of God. You need to know how to be engaged with the promises of God. If you are going to be engaged then you need to know how to be engaged with the promises of God. You don’t want to just read the promises or heart about the promises. How many of you want to actually engage with the promises of the Lord? 

Go with me to Romans 4:13 as Paul explains the promises of God as demonstrated in Abraham’s life. The bible says that we are supposed to follow those who with faith and confidence have obtained the promises of God. So when Paul points us to Abraham, it is because Abraham has obtained the promises of God. But not only do we have the people in the Bible who were able to obtain what God was promising, do you know that there are some people walking around today who have a long testimony about how the Lord promised and then He provided? 

There are people probably right in your own family, or neighborhood who have testimonies that God made a promise and God brought the promise to pass. There are people we can use as examples because the Bible says it is our responsibility to follow those who by faith and example have obtained the 

promise. 

To review the context of this situation that Paul is presenting, Abraham and Sarah are an elderly couple without children. Looking into the salvation plan for humanity, God promises Abraham that he will have children and will be the Father of many nations. That is the promise. Abraham only has God’s word, His promise on which to believe. Not the law under which he lived but something completely different, “the righteousness of faith”. It was an eventful journey from promise to fulfillment. Plenty of errors along the way, but the promise was fulfilled. 

Here in Romans 4, Paul is teaching the Christians in Rome about the revelation of faith, righteousness and promises. Verse 13, “For the promise that he would inherit the world, did not come to Abraham through the law but through the righteousness of faith”. How does the promise of God work? First in importance is that the the promises of God depend on the righteousness of faith. 

Verse 16 says, “For this reason “it” (the promise) depends on faith”. God has all size promises appointed to your life but its going to require your faith to receive them. Work on your faith. 

Second, the promises of God depend on rest on grace. There is a rest that must be attached to the promises of God. You and I must learn how to allow ourselves to rest on the grace the entire time we are in faith for the promises of God to manifest. 

Let me give you sidebar, the past couple of weeks God has been speaking to me about the authority and rest He has used chairs to explain his message. 1st, God showed me a tall back “throne” type seat (chair) to signify authority. 2nd, God showed me a wooden rocking chair to signify rest. God’s promises work when we sit in both chairs and speak what we’ve heard God say. 

How does the promises of God work? 3rd, they work by guarantee. God’s promises are not automatic but they are guaranteed. They are guaranteed because God is able to perform what He promised. In Verse 21, Abraham was convinced that God is able to perform what He promised. 

How does the promises of God work? 

They work by the righteousness of faith. 

They work by the rest in grace.

They work by guarantee. 

God is able. He says He is able and you need to come into agreement with it. 

How do you and I work with God’s promises? I need to turn your attention to see how do you and I work the promises of God. 

You need to understand how God is working.

Come into agreement with the promises. (Verse 18) 

Keep your faith strong (don’t legit get weak). (Verse 19) 

Repel distrust. (Verse 20)

Grow your faith stronger. (Verse 20)

Remain fully convinced that God is able. (Verse 21) 

God said to me, “Some receive the promise and others ride on the promise that they have received”. What do I mean? Abraham had to be fully convinced that go was able to do it but Sarah was not fully convinced even though she was riding on the promise. Because Sarah was not fully convinced, she came up with her own plan. 

I am saying to you now, be fully convinced. Even if those who are riding on the promise with you are not convinced, you stay convinced. As people begin to see that the Lord is not only able but He is one who keeps His Word.

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