When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, he swore by himself.-Hebrews 6:13

 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. Hebrews 6:17-18

 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4

 

Your Promises

At times when I feel used up and empty
And when I don’t know what to believe,
I remember Your promise that sustains me
That in You, Lord, I am complete.

Sometimes I’m afraid to draw near to You.
I feel so defiled by the enemy.
Until I remember Your promise
That You too will draw near to me.

When I’m in doubt of my place in the world
When I feel all alone in my life,
I remember Your words that promise me
That I am a joint heir with Christ.

Anytime I feel weak and afraid,
Or whenever my faith starts to falter,
I simply open the Bible to find
A promise in the words of the Father.

God gave us His promises to sustain us
Along with His Spirit that guides us to truth.
For it’s the strength and truth of His promises
That the father of lies can’t dispute

So, next time you think you can’t beat the enemy,
Because you fear you’re just not that strong,
God’s promises are there to remind you
Of who you are and to whom you belong.
Linda Troxell © 1/18/2020

 

What is your belief about a promise? Are you someone for whom a promise is merely hyperbole or just part of getting what you want? Or are you more like me and you think a promise is sacred, never to be broken?

I make every effort not to make a promise unless I am 100% sure I can keep it. I might promise to do my best, but even then, I don’t say it as a throw-away. I’m not comfortable promising to do my best unless I know I’m going to be able to do my best. As you can imagine, I don’t make many promises.

My promises are guaranteed by my honor and my reputation. It is more akin to giving my word than it is to vowing or swearing. My word is my bond for a promise.

But in my vows or oaths, which, as Paul tells us, are much weightier than a promise, I swear to or by God. And when I invoke God then the promise becomes a promise to Him. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, he swore something much weightier to engage in than a promise by himself.-Hebrews 6:13

In a few instances, such as His promise to Abraham, God took an oath, swearing by Himself because there was no one higher to whom He could swear. Although a promise would have been sufficient because God does not lie, He chose to swear an oath to underscore that what He was promising was far weightier then a simple promise would indicate. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. Hebrews 6:17-18

Other than those few instances, the Bible does not remark on the solemnity of a promise. It does not say or imply that a promise is attached in any way to God.

But in my personal moral code, a promise, a vow, and an oath carry the same weight. And the Bible does say that we are better off not swearing because to swear to something and then not do it is a sin. “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. –James 5:12

But there are no such warnings about a promise. The Bible doesn’t plainly say that to break a promise is a sin. So, does that then mean that breaking a promise is okay with God?

Of course not. The Bible is the indisputable word of God. If it is in the Bible then it came from God. However, the reverse is not true.

Just because something is not in the Bible, doesn’t mean it’s approved of by God. The Bible was never meant to be a step by step guide about how to live a Godly life.

I believe it was written to be more like a foundation on which we can build Godly lives. Yes, in the Bible there are some behaviors spelled out as dos and don’ts, and they are not to be disputed.

But primarily the Bible is a book to help us to know God and know who we are in relationship to Him.

And we hardly need everything spelled out for us. We can learn to understand that which isn’t written by that which is. Because the more time we spend reading the Bible the more we can learn about God’s character.

Knowing His character will inform us of that which He approves and that which He doesn’t. This, in turn, teaches us more about how God wants us to live our lives.

There are common expectations of everyone who professes to be a Christian. First and foremost, we are expected to believe that the Bible is the indisputable Word of God.

Beyond that, we are expected to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. We are expected to love our neighbors as ourselves including our enemies. We are expected not to lie or steal or covet. We are expected not to murder or to worship other gods. Most of it is spelled out in the Ten Commandants. (Deuteronomy 5:6-21).

However, there is more to being a Christian than that which is spelled out in the Bible. While God uses the Bible to tell us Christians collectively what He expects of us, it is through our personal relationship with Him that He speaks to us and plants in our hearts that which He wants from us individually.

As we grow in our walk with God, it is our responsibility to build on the foundation given to us through scripture. We need to read what’s in the Bible, of course.

But we also need to listen for God’s voice to hear what He is trying to convey to us personally while being careful to make sure what we are hearing lines up with what the Bible says. For God does speak, now one way, now another…[i]n a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, Job 33:14-15

As we spend more time reading and listening, our relationship with our creator will grow more intimate.

However, having a relationship with God is much more than reading the Bible and going to church. Any relationship requires time and nurturing, and our relationship with God demands no less. It is this relationship that becomes our blueprint for our personal moral code.

Using our knowledge of God’s character, what we read in the Bible, and what He has said to us personally, we begin to build our own character on the scaffolding and foundation of the Bible.

The decisions we make from our relationship with God will inform our personal moral codes and the way we live our lives.

Of course, our moral codes and lifestyles will have many things in common based on our Christianity and the word of God. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, Titus 2:12

However, we will make personal decisions that differ based on our interaction with God’s word, our interpretations of what God tells us, and our different personalities.

For example, one of those decision will be the importance of a promise and the meaning it will have in our lives. While the Bible doesn’t speak to whether or not breaking a promise is a sin. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a sin. Because how we handle promises speaks to our character.

It used to be that there was only one way in which a person’s promise was viewed. Giving their promise was giving their word, and their word was a sacred bond.

And whether or not one kept one’s word was the basis on which one’s reliability was determined and on which one’s reputation rested.

It was a time when there was no need for contracts. For one’s word was the contract. And if there should be a dispute someone would swear an oath or make a vow to something bigger then they, usually God, and that ended the dispute. People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.-Hebrews 6:16

However, as our society grows more and more secular, increasingly, people are not so concerned with their reputation.

In fact, some actually cultivate a reputation for making promises they don’t intend to keep. For them, being known as a hustler is a badge of honor.

So whereas, at one time a man’s or a woman’s word was their bond, in this day and age we need a signed contract to protect ourselves. For, a person’s word means little and a sworn oath or vow not much more.

But we, as Christians, need to be concerned about what God thinks about our character and how we guard it. What does He expects of us when we make a promise or when we give our word?  Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Titus 2:7-8 

Often, people want to look at sins narrowly. Like an adolescent who wants to argue that they didn’t tell a lie because they merely left our crucial information.

These people assert that for something to be a lie, it must be intentionally stating something false.

But we aren’t adolescents and God isn’t our parent. However, like most parents, I believe that God sees lying more broadly.

I believe that He considers it a lie when we make a promise and we don’t keep it. In fact, I don’t think we even have to make a promise.

I think that if we say we will do something and we don’t do it, God considers that lying, and lying a sin. I believe God cares about our character and in His eyes, anything less than 100% honesty is unacceptable and sinful.  A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. Proverbs 19:5

If we ask God how a promise compares to a vow or an oath, I believe He would say there is no difference. He would tell us that an oath or a vow usually invokes His name to underscore its gravity, and convince others that they can count on that which is being sworn too.

However, I think He would also say that our character and reputation, as a Christian, should be one of 100% honesty and reliability. So that a promise from us should hold as much weight as an oath or a vow in His name.

While writing this piece, it came into my awareness that if God can’t lie then everything He told us in scripture is a promise.

I know this is not earth-shaking information. And maybe all of you have already considered this fact fully. But for me, while it isn’t exactly new information, this is the first time I’ve considered it closely.

From this revelation, I have come to two conclusions. One of them is immensely comforting and has lifted a weight from my shoulders that I didn’t even know was there. The other adds a bit of weight on my shoulders. Maybe they cancel each other out making for no change at all. No, there’s no question that, for me, the comfort outweighs the debt.

Knowing that everything God has said and will say to me is a promise adds a whole new dimension to my gratitude and my comfort.

Knowing that when I need a promise from God to hang my faith on, all I have to do is open the Bible to any page and there will be a promise to empower me, gives me great comfort.

On the other hand, knowing that everything God says to me is a promise and knowing I can count on God to keep each and every promise that He makes to me, comes with an obligation.

That obligation is, and here is the weight, if everything He says to me is a promise then everything I say to Him has to be a promise too.

And if I can depend on Him, with not a hint of doubt, to keep each and every promise to me, then He has to be able to count on me to keep my promises to Him each every time in return.

So, you see what I mean when I say that one is very comforting while the other one puts a bit of weight on me?

But there is not a doubt in my mind that the gratitude is immensely more than the weight of the obligation. Because I already try to keep every promise I make to God.

And I know that if I honestly try and fail to live up to my obligation and I ask for His forgiveness with a pure and humble heart, He will always forgive me. So overall, I’d say it’s is not a bad trade-off.

Let’s pray:

Lord, we are always grateful to you for all that you do for us.  But right now especially for knowing that everything you have said to us, and everything you will say to us is a promise we can count on with no doubt. And Lord, we know that we owe you no less. And we will try to be faithful to that standard. But Lord, we are also grateful to know that when we fail, and yes it is when because we are only human, you will be right there to forgive us just as soon as we repent. We thank you, Lord, for helping us in all we do when we remember to ask you to. And we ask God that you help us in our efforts to be faithful to you in all ways.
We pray this in the holy name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

Points for Pondering or Prayer
Or
Perhaps for Putting Pen to Paper

How do you feel about lying? Are you one who believes that dishonesty in all forms is a lie?  Or do you believe in loopholes, for yourself?  How about others?

What are your thoughts about promises?  Do you strictly demand of yourself to keep all the promises you make?  How about promises made to you?   Do you have the same standard for a promise you make and those made to you?  Or do you expect more of those made to you?

Think back on the many promises you have made over your lifetime. Do you think you have kept more than you have broken, or broken more than you’ve kept? Write a paragraph about this.

Have you always been aware of the fact that everything God says is a promise because He cannot lie?

Does that knowledge bring you extra comfort? Why or why not? Write a paragraph about this.

Do you believe that you owe God the same standard of honesty, that what you say to God should always be a promise too?  Why or why not?