Claiming God’s Promises
When it comes to those of us who are in Christ, the Bible declares our lives no longer belong to us. Paul says, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV). Paul’s saying our lives are not our own. We belong to the Lord, for He is our Master. We have been bought with a price, and it came with a huge cost attached: the death of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. So, it’s incumbent upon us to take care of what rightfully belongs to Him.
When giving the first gospel sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38-39 [NIV]) So by these words we can see that there’s no way we can experience God’s salvation without standing upon His promises. Whenever we are tempted to doubt this, we must go back to God’s word and ask, "What does God say?" Some may respond by saying, "But we’re saved by faith and not by works." That’s true, but James would answer this statement by saying, "Of what good is faith without works?" (James 1:14-26) Paul would agree, for he said in 1 Corinthians 13:3 (RSV), "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." The Bible goes to great lengths to teach that we aren’t saved by our own works, but it also goes to even greater extremes to teach us that our works are the result of a saving faith.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV) Paul wanted the Ephesians to understand that no matter how hard they worked they were still saved by their faith and not by their works. Salvation is through God’s power. When we begin to depend upon our works we displace the power of God. Only God’s power can salvage our lives. Works without dependency on God’s promises through faith will only lead to further incompetence.
Give yourself to the Lord and claim His promises for yourself today! Your sins will be washed away clean in that watery grave of baptism, and you will be able to have a direct line of communication with the Father through prayer as your spiritual life with Him grows and matures.
May the Lord bless you and your family today!