Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. That's 2 Peter 1-3, and part of the text for today's message. God has packed in around the believer rich promises and resources that enable us to live meaningful lives that magnify our Lord.
We have but to remember, keeping our eyes fixed on our provider. Let's listen in. This is part 3 of a message titled An Awesome Grant. It was first preached on May 7, 2023 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem.
It's part of a series through 2 Peter titled Live as People Who Remember. This being true, that God has done this in Jesus Christ, and that I by faith, having surrendered myself in faith to Jesus Christ, I now have His righteousness and I am reconciled to infinite holy God and therefore can know Him and walk with Him and enjoy Him and find my satisfaction in Him. So what? Does this make any difference in your day to day? Well the intent is that it does, right? What is the means, what is the means of this reality making a difference in your life and mine? Look at verse 4 with me. By which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
That sounds like a difference to me. That's what it is. The means are His precious and very great promises. The word precious there is a word that means very high value.
We know what that word means. Our granddaughter was born, she's finally home now, they send pictures, just absolutely adorable. You know what she is? She is precious. She is a very high value.
Fifteen days in NICU. She is a very high value. A lot of investment is put into a tiny, helpless little child.
Why? Because she is of such high value. That's the meaning of precious. Not only are His promises precious, of very high value, but also very great promises. And that word is mega.
We know what that means, right? So God is one who has given us what? Mega promises. Do you know the promises of God?
Hang on to that for just a minute. So what He has granted to us, the means that He has granted us, these very great, precious and very great promises are the resources, the wealth, the wealth, the promised wealth that He has lavished on us to live well. What do I mean by live well?
Let's review that for a minute. What do I mean by live well? To live well.
Because we're not just talking about turning over a new leaf or just trying harder to be better. I'm talking about living up to what God has designed you and redeemed you and empowered you to be. To live well. In other words, not just hanging on to make it through another day, but to live well.
To live meaningfully and purposefully, aware and active, and to finish well because we're living with the end, we're persevering with the end in view. These promises, let's talk about that for just a moment. When I ask you, what are the promises of God? There's probably one that comes to mind before any other.
And it's not that one. God speaks to us, but He most likely will not call you by His phone, by your phone. I'm just yanking at you, that's no problem. What are the promises of God? More often than not, when I ask somebody, do you know what the promises of God are, the first one they mention, about the only one they know is, He will never leave me or forsake me.
Some of you might be a little unhappy with, I need some water please. If that's the only promise you know, you're probably frustrated. Because there are a lot, thank you, there are a lot more promises in Scripture than that one.
I'm not knocking it, it's a good promise. It's in the Old Testament, it's also in the New Testament. But do you realize that when Jesus was talking to His disciples, He said, I will not leave you as orphans, I will send who?
The Helper, the Holy Spirit, and He will be with you. Do you understand that? God does not leave His children, ever.
Are you aware of that? So it's time to graduate, it's time to move beyond that one, because we can use that promise almost like an emotional support creature. Bear with me on this, okay? It is a promise, it's a good promise, we have the promise of God. And we need to continually be banking on that promise. But there are a whole lot more promises than that in Scripture. Ignorance of God's promises is a colossal disadvantage for the Christian. And if I ask you, what are the promises of God, and the only one you can come up with is, I will never leave you or forsake you, I will pretty much guarantee you're probably a frustrated Christian.
What are the promises of God? In Christ, you are what? Forgiven.
Do you understand that? You are forgiven in Christ. He has promised that He will not remember your sins anymore, meaning there's no more action to take about your sin.
Done. Are you aware of that promise? It's a reality. Are you aware of it? Not only are you forgiven, but you are justified. You are justified before a holy God.
Are you aware of that promise? Are you aware of the fact that you are accepted before a holy God because He has justified you? Are you aware that you have been reconciled to God in Jesus? Reconciled. If God seems distant, He's not the one that's moved.
You've been reconciled for the purposes of being able to actually relate to Him, commune with Him, interact with Him, be at home in His presence. That is a promise of God. Are you aware of that? Are you aware of the promise of God that in Christ you are not just a forgiven sinner, you are what? New creation. Are you aware of that promise? Not only are you new creation, but here it is.
He has promised His continual, never-ending presence by taking up residence in you and me. Are you aware of that? This is why Jesus said His disciples, it's to your advantage that I go away so that the Helper can come. You are at a greater advantage than the disciples of Jesus were when He was walking with them on this earth. You're at a greater advantage. Why?
Because you have the Holy Spirit in you. Are you aware of that? And Jesus has promised that He will not leave. But there's more.
This is not a commercial. But wait, there's more. He has promised that He will return for us. He died, He was buried, He resurrected, He ascended to the Father, and He's coming back. He says, I will return for you.
I will come back. Do you keep that on the front of your mind, that Jesus is coming back for me? Do you keep it on the front of your mind, like John says, that when He appears, we shall be what?
Like Him. That's a promise. For we shall see Him as He is. Do you know what your glory is? His promise to you is not only His return for you, but your glory.
And what is your glory? That you will be like Him, and you will be with Him forever. Are you aware of these promises? This is what Peter is reminding his readers about, these promises of God. Because as we are like Christ and we are forever with Him, what does Psalm 16 say? In your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures evermore. That is a messianic Psalm, and if it is true of Christ, and I am in Christ, then it's true of me. That God is my highest good and my deepest satisfaction, and God has done everything. He has done everything. He has granted us everything we need to make that a reality. Are you aware of that?
Do you keep that on the forefront of your mind? I was a choir director back in the early 90's. I was a choir of about 45-50 people.
We had a lot of fun. It was a country church. We would sing gospel music. One of the songs that we sang was, you can't stand on the promises if you don't know what they are. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in Him, the One who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on Weekdays at 10am.
