by Greg Koukl
The promises of God are both “precious and magnificent” (2 Peter 1:4). But I think twice when people claim them.
Promises are frequently abused. A promise not carefully tethered to the details of the text becomes an empty exercise of relativistic wishful thinking.
A biblical promise is a binding pledge from God to do—or not do—something specific. If the promise is made to you, you have a right to expect God to keep His word. If you are not the rightful owner, though, you may not lay claim to it. Those promises made to another can lead to disappointment and discouragement if unintended for you.
But how do you know if you are the fortunate beneficiary? You find out by looking closely at the details of the promise itself and asking the critical Who? What? Why? and When? questions.*
Who? Identify the particular person or people the promise is made to. The promise may be for a specific individual, for a group, or for anyone. Ask, Am I that person? If the promise is to a group (e.g. Jews, Christians) ask, Am I part of the group?
What? Zero in on the particulars of the promise. Specify what the promise actually commits to. Ask, What will happen (or not happen) when the promise is fulfilled?
Why? Why will the promise be fulfilled, that is, what must happen first? Note the conditions or requirements the promise hinges on, often signaled by an if/then clause. Ask, Do I meet the requirements?
When? This is the promise time. The promise may be for a particular time (“…at this time next year …“) or for an unspecified time. Ask the question, What is the time of the promise, if any?
Consider taking a verse like Romans 8:28 and applying the four questions to see what you come up with. Look carefully at the words of the promise itself in light of the larger context of the passage. You may have to read an entire chapter or more to gather enough information to answer your questions. This will be fun or painful, depending on how you’ve read these promises in the past.
Three promises meant for you from STR are that we deal faithfully with the truth, provide useful resources to help you grow as an ambassador for Christ, and wisely use the financial gifts entrusted to us.
The promises of God are both “precious and magnificent” (2 Peter 1:4). But I think twice when people claim them.
Promises are frequently abused. A promise not carefully tethered to the details of the text becomes an empty exercise of relativistic wishful thinking.
A biblical promise is a binding pledge from God to do—or not do—something specific. If the promise is made to you, you have a right to expect God to keep His word. If you are not the rightful owner, though, you may not lay claim to it. Those promises made to another can lead to disappointment and discouragement if unintended for you.
But how do you know if you are the fortunate beneficiary? You find out by looking closely at the details of the promise itself and asking the critical Who? What? Why? and When? questions.*
Who? Identify the particular person or people the promise is made to. The promise may be for a specific individual, for a group, or for anyone. Ask, Am I that person? If the promise is to a group (e.g. Jews, Christians) ask, Am I part of the group?
What? Zero in on the particulars of the promise. Specify what the promise actually commits to. Ask, What will happen (or not happen) when the promise is fulfilled?
Why? Why will the promise be fulfilled, that is, what must happen first? Note the conditions or requirements the promise hinges on, often signaled by an if/then clause. Ask, Do I meet the requirements?
When? This is the promise time. The promise may be for a particular time (“…at this time next year …“) or for an unspecified time. Ask the question, What is the time of the promise, if any?
Consider taking a verse like Romans 8:28 and applying the four questions to see what you come up with. Look carefully at the words of the promise itself in light of the larger context of the passage. You may have to read an entire chapter or more to gather enough information to answer your questions. This will be fun or painful, depending on how you’ve read these promises in the past.
Three promises meant for you from STR are that we deal faithfully with the truth, provide useful resources to help you grow as an ambassador for Christ, and wisely use the financial gifts entrusted to us.
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