Sermon Central
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That Terrible Promise
Contributed by Ron Hicks on Oct 11, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: There are some promises that you won’t find in those wonderful promise boxes, and this is one of them.
THAT TERRIBLE PROMISE
Neh 1:5
5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
Num 23:19-20
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
Rom 4:21
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised , he was able also to perform.
2 Cor 1:20
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea (true), and in him Amen (faithfully fulfilled to all who believe in Christ),
4 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.
TEXT 2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
He is not willing that any perish but promised that they would if they did not repent.
People are victims or byproducts of the choices that they make.
Some are victims of their own destruction and others choose the diciplines that creates a safer invironment.
God, gives each person a will of their own. If their will is to self- destruct, God can not stop them, though He will try to intervene.
He made an attempt to keep mankind from self destruction by sending His Son Jesus Christ to give His life so that they wouldn¡¦t destroy their own.
God went to extreems to provide you and I life, health, and peace.
Mankind refuses to take advantage of what He has to offer so, he self destructs.
Gal 6:8
8... he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
You live by the bottle, you die by the bottle. You live by the tobaco products, you die by the tobaco products. You live in unfaithfulness (infidelity) among the social circles, you die with the social disease, etc.
God has set two laws in motion, one which can be changed and another which can not be changed.
The laws, which can not be changed, are the effects and wages of sin that is not repented of.
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.(Notice the unchangable law)
Lets don’t blame God if someone dies of an over does of illegal drugs, cancer from smoking, sorosis of the liver from alcohol abuse, or a social disease from infidelity. That was a choice they chose. It wasn’t God choice for their life.
The laws, which can be changed, are the laws of life and death, and transformation, and that law is changed based souly upon repentance.
Rom 5:12
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
1 Cor 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
2 Cor 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.