My Sunday Skl

The Promise That Changes Everything

You’re likely familiar with the concept of eternal life – the promise of an existence beyond this mortal world, where you’ll live forever in the presence of God. But have you truly grasped the weight of that promise? Let us break it down for you.

In the book of Titus, the apostle Paul makes a bold declaration about God’s commitment to eternal life: “In the hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). Think about that for a moment – God, who cannot lie. That means when He makes a promise, it’s an ironclad guarantee, not just a hopeful wish or a well-intentioned plan.

And what was the promise? Eternal life. This wasn’t some vague, uncertain hope. No, God staked His entire reputation on delivering eternal life to you. He chose to hinge all of His faithfulness, all of His goodness, on fulfilling this one promise. If eternal life is not supplied, then God Himself would be a liar – something the Scriptures declare is utterly impossible.

You see, God didn’t just casually mention eternal life as an afterthought or a side benefit. No, He made it the centerpiece of His plan, the linchpin that holds everything together. Before the world even began, before a single human ever sinned or turned away from Him, God committed Himself to providing you with the gift of everlasting life. That’s how important this promise is to Him.

Can you fathom the gravity of that? The eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing God chose to stake His entire reputation, His very character and identity, on keeping this one promise to you. It’s not just a nice gesture or a well-intentioned offer – it’s the core purpose around which His entire plan for creation revolves.

Where can you find evidence of this promise? Look no further than the Gospel – the good news about God and His Son, Jesus Christ. In Romans 1:2, Paul writes that this Gospel is one that “He promised beforehand, through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.” The prophets of old documented God’s unwavering commitment to this promise of eternal life, and it is woven throughout the entire biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation.

If we took the time to look at the Bible From a Christocentric view, we’d discover that from the first whispers of a coming Savior in the Garden of Eden to the promised eternal reign of Christ in the book of Revelation, the Bible is a tapestry of God’s unfolding plan to deliver on His promise of eternal life for those who believe. The gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the climactic fulfillment of this ancient promise, the culmination of God’s grand design.

And who is this promise ultimately about? Jesus Christ, God’s own Son. The Gospel centers on Him – the one through whom God will fulfill His promise of eternal life. Everything hinges on Jesus and what He has accomplished through His sinless life, His atoning death on the cross, and His victorious resurrection from the grave.

We need to remember this. This truth should be at the core of each of our gatherings. When you hear the term “Gospel preacher,” you should understand that they are not just sharing some generic religious message or philosophical musings. There should be a greater expectation. They are to be proclaiming the fulfillment of God’s ancient promise – the promise that He made before time began, the promise that is the very foundation of your hope for eternal life. This is the heart of the Gospel, and what should he at the core of any gospel message. Why? Because it is a promise that God will undoubtedly keep.

The interesting thing about the Gospel, and how it is taught today, is that it’s often a setup to get people to come up to the altar and declare that they have given their life to christ. In many services, the only time the gospel is mentioned, is when we’re telling people to ask for forgiveness and turn away from their ways. Why do I say this is interesting? You see, when you hear the gospel preached, the focus should not be on what you need to do. Instead, the heart of the gospel is about what God has done and what He has promised to do. It’s about God obligating Himself, staking His very reputation on fulfilling His word.

Quick Recap. Who are the key players in the gospel? It’s the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. God the Father made certain promises, and those promises center on His Son.

Now, what is your role in all this? You’re the beautiful onlooker, the recipient of these divine promises. Your part is to believe – to trust that God will do exactly what He said He would do.

And what exactly is it that God said He would do? Or let’s say, what is the promise that the gospel focused on?

Well, it’s summarized in a single sentence: Did God lie or did He fulfill His word concerning His Son? In other words, can you trust that God will bring to pass what He has said He will do? 

The gospel message isn’t just that He gave His only son. It’s the fact that He said He would beforehand. It’s the fact that He promised His son. And that He delivered. 

It’s a question of whether He would deliver on His promise. The greatest promise of all humanity. 

Because if He cannot be trusted in this, then He is no different than us – weak and unworthy of worship.

The Bible’s Grand Narrative

We keep emphasing promises. Promises. Promises. Promises. But where can you find the promises of God concerning our salvation? In the holy Scriptures – not just the New Testament, but all the way back to the writings of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.

So often we are taught that the gospel is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. No. Some have progressed that and said it’s actually the new testament that we find the gospel. No. Let’s understand this truth, when you read the epistles of Paul, understand that he is not introducing something new. We do not find the gospel in the New Testament. That is not it’s origin. Paul did not create the gospel anndnot was he the discoverer. No, he is simply explaining and expounding on the promises that God made long ago, the ones documented in the Scriptures from Genesis to Malachi. The epistles are commentary on the text, not a replacement for it. This is very key.

In fact, if you had been there the day Paul came to Corinth, the “Bible” he would have opened would have been the writings of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. That’s the foundation, the text that the epistles are built upon. The epistles are not a separate set of instructions, but rather an unpacking of the promises contained in the Old Testament.

This is vital to grasp. The entire Bible is the record of whether He will be found faithful or a liar. And at the heart of it all is the promise concerning His Son, Jesus Christ.

So when you hear the gospel preached, don’t just listen for commands and rules. Listen for the unbreakable promises of God. Listen for the declaration that He will do exactly what He said He would do regarding His Son. This is the true gospel – not a burden for you to bear, but a guarantee from the Almighty that you can rest your eternal hope upon.

The Wilderness Test

Think about it – who was really being tested in the wilderness? It wasn’t just the Israelites, but God Himself. They were the ones tempting and provoking Him, yet He remained faithful. Why? So that He could bring His promised word to pass.

This is the essence of the gospel that was preached to the people in the wilderness, just as it is the gospel we preach today. It’s not a new message, but rather the fulfillment of God’s ancient promises, as documented by the prophets of old.

The Prophetic Promise

Let’s go back to Romans 1 for a moment. There, Paul makes it clear that the gospel he preaches is not something he invented. No, it “was promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures” (Romans 1:2). The gospel pre-existed the apostles; it was given to the prophets, who then wrote it down.

So when we preach the gospel, we are not free to be creative or to introduce something novel. Our message is the same one that the prophets declared and the apostles explained. It is the announcement of God’s promises, the very ones He made known long ago.

And what was the central promise? It was the promise concerning God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. The Scriptures foretold His coming, and the gospel proclaims that God has kept His word. Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

You see, the resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate proof that God is faithful, that He is not a liar. When Moses wrote that God “cannot lie,” the resurrection of Christ is the demonstration of that truth. God has put His own reputation on the line, and He has come through.

This is the heart of the gospel – not rules for you to follow, but the fulfillment of God’s eternal promises. Before the world began, before a single human ever sinned, God had a plan. He purposed to bring about eternal life, and He obligated Himself to make it happen.

The Scriptures, from Genesis to Malachi, are the record of this plan unfolding. God found men, like Moses, to write down His words, His promises. But those promises pre-existed the men who documented them. God’s eternal purpose was in place long before any human pen touched paper.

And now, in the fullness of time, God has manifested, or made plain, what He had purposed from the beginning. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of His ancient promises has been revealed. The gospel is the announcement of this great work.

So when you open your Bible, do not see it not as a collection of commands for you to obey, but rather as the testimony of God’s unwavering commitment to His own promises. He is the one who is obligated, the one who has staked His very reputation on bringing eternal life to pass.

This is the gospel that was preached in the wilderness, and it is the same gospel we proclaim today. God’s eternal purpose, His unbreakable promises, are the foundation upon which our hope is built. 

And how does God choose to make these ancient promises manifest and known to you today? The answer lies in the power of preaching.

In Titus 1:3, we read that God has “manifested His word through preaching.” This is a crucial distinction to grasp. The word “manifest” here doesn’t mean God created something new, but rather that He has made plain, or brought to light, what was already there.

God has entrusted His preachers with a sacred responsibility – to faithfully communicate the content of His eternal promises. It is not their own words or ideas they are to bring forth, but the very words and plan of God Himself. They are simply the vessels through whom God manifests His timeless truth.

When you hear a sermon, do not simply sit back and passively listen. Engage your mind and heart. Ask yourself, “What is the specific promise of God that is being proclaimed here? How is the preacher making manifest the eternal word of the Almighty?”

Remember, the gospel is not about commands for you to follow, but rather the unbreakable guarantees of a God who cannot lie. It’s not about 7 keys to success. Or 8 lanes to victory. Or 9 paths to peace. It’s contained in the promises of God.

So approach every sermon with an eager expectation to hear the timeless promises of God, to have His eternal purpose made plain and clear. It might not always be explicitly communicated, but set it as a goal for yourself to seek out the gospel in every sermon. Ask yourself how it relates to the promises of God. Engage your mind. In doing this, you will find the patience and comfort that can only come from resting in the faithful, unshakable word of the Lord.

The Patient Pursuit of True Conversion

I want you to think about this. Is the preacher’s role is not to simply extract quick decisions or force people to profess faith? Is their job to get people to agree as quickly as possible and shout out that they believe in God? No matter the methods, they just need to get a confession. Is that right? No, their job is to faithfully declare the timeless truths of the gospel, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts and minds of the hearers.

You see, when the apostle Paul went into a new city, he didn’t just stand up and demand that everyone immediately believe and be saved. No, he took a more patient, deliberate approach. As we read in Acts 19:8, Paul would spend three months “disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.”

This is a crucial distinction, dear reader. The gospel does not come to people’s lives through some kind of spiritual shortcut or emotional manipulation. No, it must come through their minds – through arguments that are explained, contradictions that are resolved, and truths that are clarified.

Paul understood that true conversion is not a sprint, but a marathon. It can take time for the Holy Spirit to work in a person’s heart and mind, breaking down their preconceptions and leading them to faith in Christ. This is why Paul would patiently dispute and persuade, rather than simply demanding quick decisions.

Let’s remember, the gospel is not about extracting superficial professions of faith, but about transforming lives through the power of God’s word. And that transformation happens gradually, as the mind is renewed and the heart is softened to receive the truth.

So when you find yourself under the teaching of a preacher, do not expect them to simply give you a list of commands to follow or to pressure you into an emotional response. No, their job is to faithfully declare the timeless gospel – the truth about Christ’s death for our sins and His resurrection from the dead.

The Heart of the Gospel

There is a reason why this was the first series we are speaking about. This is also the “first of all” message that Paul proclaimed, the foundational truth that must be firmly established in the minds and hearts of the hearers. For the gospel is not about better living or personal fulfillment. It is about the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s ancient promises.

And make no mistake, this gospel message is for everyone – both the lost and the saints. Whether someone is a hardened unbeliever or a lifelong Christian, the preaching of the gospel is essential. For it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), the means by which hearts and minds are transformed.

This might be counter to what we are often taught, but the gospel is not about you and your needs. It is about the unbreakable promises of God, the timeless realities that were foretold by the prophets and have now been fulfilled in Christ. And the preacher’s job is to faithfully declare those truths, to dispute and persuade until the hearers are fully convinced.

So approach every sermon with patience and expectation. Allow the preacher to carefully unpack the Scriptures, to explain the gospel in its fullness. For in doing so, you will find the power of God unto salvation, the transformative truth that can renew your mind and strengthen your faith.

This is the true power of the gospel – not a quick fix or an emotional high, but a deep, lasting change that can only come through patient teaching and persuasion. And it is the preacher’s sacred duty to facilitate this process, guiding you along the path of true conversion with care and wisdom.

Continuing the Conversation

Remember, this isn’t just ancient history; it’s a living, breathing reality that influences everything we are and all we do. Let’s continue this conversation, diving deeper into the truths of God’s word, and embracing our role in this divine narrative.