March 2021

When my boys were young they liked the Disney movie “Beauty and the Beast.” At one point in the movie the beast realized he had feelings for Belle and he wanted to do something for her. The character Cogsworth told him to give the usual; flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep.

           God gives us promises, but as a Holy and perfect God he can do nothing but keep his promises. “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.” (Numbers 23:19)

           God promises us salvation. Men do things against God’s commandments and as a just God he has to exact punishment. As a loving God who desires us to be in relationship with him he takes our punishment on himself; on the person of Jesus at the cross. And as a perfect God, our sins; having been punished once, can never be punished a second time. And as believers in Christ we are given salvation. “I am the way and the truth and the light.” (John 14:6)

           God promises to deliver us from bondage, the bondage of sin. The nation of Israel in bondage in Egypt is a shadow of mankind being in bondage to our sin. As God led Israel out of bondage with Moses leading the way, he delivers us out of bondage with Christ leading the way. “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm34:4) “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” (Psalm 107:6)

           God promises to adopt us as his own sons and daughters. “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ.” (Eph 1:5)

           God promises to give direction to our lives, to fill us with a purpose. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)

           God promises all this and more through a savior, his Son our Lord Christ Jesus. He does this right in the Garden of Eden, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heal.” (Gen 3:15).

           Have peace, for once you believe and accept Christ; you are glorified, redeemed and saved for all eternity. By shedding his own blood God seals the new covenant forever. “with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, his steadfast love endures forever;” (Psalm 136:12).

Pastor Jim