Promise

Monday, June 28, 2010: Romans 4:3–4 (New King James Version)

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

How was Abraham, a sinner, made perfectly right before God? He believed God’s word. This faith cleared his slate of sin.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010: Romans 4:13–14 (NKJV)

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect

If heritage in Abraham is not by keeping the law, what is his inheritance? His true inheritance is the result of faith in God’s word: getting your slate cleaned of sin by faith in God’s promise.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010: Romans 4:16 (NKJV)

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

The promise was made to Abraham’s descendants. Who are Abraham’s descendants? By law they are Israel, by promise, they are all those who believe in God’s word.

Thursday, July 1, 2010: Romans 4:19–22 (NKJV)

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Having lived to be 100 years, what did Abraham still believe? Abraham still believed God’s promise of giving him an heir in whom the whole world would be blest.

Friday, July 2, 2010: Romans 4:23–25 (NKJV)

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

What is the ‘clean slate’ promise? God raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, who took the punishment for our sins. All those who believe in Him have a clean slate.

The Knowledge of Jesus Christ

(I am going to be on vacation so I'm posting this blog ahead of time. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!)

Monday, December 28, 2009: 2 Peter 1:2–3

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

What does the knowledge of Jesus Christ become a channel for? Knowledge becomes a channel for divine power for our life to become godly.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009: 2 Peter 1:4

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

What do the promises given to us by the knowledge of Jesus Christ allow us to do? We partake of love’s divine nature and escape lust’s corruption.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009: 2 Peter 1:5–7

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

God’s arithmetic: Faith + virtue+ knowledge + self-control + perseverance + godliness + brotherly kindness + love.

Thursday, December 31, 2009: 2 Peter 1:8

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is knowledge of Jesus Christ enough? It leads to a life bearing fruit for God.

Friday, January 1, 2010: 2 Peter 1:9

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

What about those who lets the world get in the way? They are like the blind who have forgotten how they were cleansed from their sin.