Precious and Magnificent Promises

by Chris Simmons

As Peter exhorts us to become “partakers of the divine nature” in II Peter 1:4, he teaches us that our ability to “partake” is due to some “precious and magnificent promises” that God has extended to us.

They are precious, or of great value, because of who made them. These are the promises of God who cannot lie. Paul wrote to Titus regarding the promise of eternal life, “…which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago” (Titus 1:2). They are “precious” because these promises are certain and true. They are certain and true because all that God has ever promised has come to pass. “Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45). Nor do we have to worry that because significant time has passed that perhaps they will not come to pass. We are to be reminded that “the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). They are “precious” because these promises are eternal in nature as just noted in Titus 1:2. They are “precious” for what these promises offer. Among these “precious and magnificent” promises that are mentioned in the scriptures are these that we will consider today.

We have the promise of eternal life. John states in I John 2:25, “And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.” But as you study the letter that John wrote, we understand that this “magnificent” promise is conditional upon our willingness to “walk in the light” (1:7), “keep His commandments” (2:3) and “abide in the Son and in the Father” through our continuance in what He taught (2:24).

We have the promise of being adopted into God’s spiritual family and made joint heirs with Christ. Paul stated in Romans 8:15-17, “…but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” This passage also points out the conditions upon which this promise will be fulfilled – that is if we are willing to suffer with Him.

We also have the promise that God will hear our prayers and grant our requests. John wrote in I John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” Again, this promise is conditional upon our prayers and petitions being “according to His will.” We learn of another key condition to the promise of our prayers being heard in I John 3:22 where he writes, “whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” We can not live lives contrary to God’s will and expect that God will hear our prayers. “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).

We have the promise that God will not forsake us. Such is promised in Hebrews 13:5. The point is similarly made in Romans 8:35 where Paul asks. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” The redundant answer is “no one” – unless we choose to forsake God and turn our back on Him. If we do, the words of the prophet Jeremiah hold true for us as well. “O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake Thee will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:13).

We have the promise that we do not need to worry and that God will take care of the necessities of life. We read the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” A “magnificent” promise that is afforded only to those who are willing to put God first in their lives.

We have the promise that we will not be tempted “beyond what you are able” and that God will provide a “way of escape.” Such is stated in I Corinthians 10:13 but we must realize that we bear the responsibility to “flee” from sin (cf. I Corinthians 10:14; 6:18; I Timothy 6:11; II Timothy 2:22) and to not put ourselves into situations that provide for the lusts of the flesh (Romans 13:14).

We also have been given the promise that God has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3). But we must be willing to diligently search the scriptures that have been promised to “thoroughly furnish (us) unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17).

God has certainly made some “precious and magnificent” promises that will not fail. We must simply remember that we can only be recipients of these promises if we meet the conditions that God has set forth in His word.