The word promise is defined as “a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something”.
Millions of promises are made every day for one reason or another. Even when a promise is made to a person there is a nagging doubt about the promise being fulfilled. It is realized that people many times break their promises, whether they intended on doing it or not. As a father I realized and still do the importance of keeping promises, but as a human sometimes it does not happen.
With God it is different, God keeps all of His promises. He made a promise to Abraham in the long ago that of Abraham He would make a great nation and through him all families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). God also promised him a land for his descendants (Gen. 15:18-21). The land promise was fulfilled as the children of Israel conquered the land of Canaan. Of this we read, “And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass (Josh. 21: 43-45).
During the reign of Solomon, we read that he reigned over all the land God had promised Abraham (1 Kings 4:21).
The spiritual promise of all families being blessed through Abraham came in the form of Jesus Christ being born in this world, living among men, dying on the cross and being raised up on the third day (Gal. 3:6-29). By obedience to the gospel of Christ all men can be saved, that is a promise from God and God cannot lie.
Paul wrote, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; (Titus 1:2, 3).
Some misunderstand God’s promise of eternal life. They have fallen into the trap of thinking that they can do what they want in the name of religion, and it will be acceptable to God. Friends God has never allowed man to dictate what is to be done when it comes to obedience. Even when Christ was among men this false belief was held by many. Jesus told them this was not correct (Matt.7:21-23). Later while speaking with “religious people” of His day he said, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Matt. 15:9).
By the words of Christ we will be judged, “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 (Jno. 12:48).
Knowing God keeps His promises one must follow His word and obey it. For as sure as His promise of eternal life is true, so is His promise of eternal damnation to those who fail to follow Him. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (Jno. 5:28, 29). The Father keeps His promises