Promises Made, Promises Kept – How Christmas Calls us to Trust God and His Promises

 Making and keeping is essential to God’s character and to a life well lived.

 Promise → “a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.”

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

² Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, . . . .

¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.
(Matthew 1:1-2, 17-18, ESV)

The birth of Jesus is the of God’s promises . . .

(1) To David (made about B.C.): When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, ¹⁵ but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” (2 Samuel 7:12-16, ESV)

(2) To Abraham (made about B.C.): Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3, ESV)

 Speaking about “the Son of God, Jesus Christ,” the Apostle Paul wrote:
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.”
(2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV)

Some people refuse to have confidence in God and his promises

(1) because they don’t understand his .

. . . scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”…

⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  (2 Peter 3:3b-4, 8-10, ESV)

(2) because someone they trusted their promise to them.

We are called to have faith, which is or in God and his promises.

Of Abraham, the exemplar of faith, the Apostle Paul says: “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²² That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” ²³ But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ²⁵ who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:20-25, ESV)

 If I have repented of my sins and am trusting Jesus, . . .

1. God has promised that I will not perish, but I will have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

2. God has promised that I will never experience his wrath or condemnation.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1, ESV).

3. God has promised that all my sins have been forgiven.

the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7, ESV)

4. God has promised to give me the wisdom, the strength, and the grace I need to live for his glory now.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5, ESV)

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13, ESV)

My grace is sufficient for you, (2 Corinthians 9a, ESV)

5. God has promised that I am secure in his love.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39, ESV)

6. God has promised to prepare a place in heaven for me and to come again to take me there to be with him.

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:2-3, ESV)