We are promised by God some very foundational things that we could not live without. They are essential to our existence and give us hope for the future. We are promised: salvation from judgement, a place in the world to come to share in spiritual blessings with the Messiah in Heaven, we will have a new name (Revelation 2:17) we can never be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39) there will be no more suffering and pain in the world to come (Revelation 21:4). These promises are at the core of our faith. God has so loved the world that He made it clear how we can regain access to His presence. He gave His Son to unite us with Himself and to invite us to His Kingdom. That is the Good News of the Gospel and the great promise that will not be broken. When we talk about the promises of God, we have to acknowledge an important fact. Before any of His promises can be applied to the Body of Messiah, God’s promises were first given to His people Israel. And it is impressive how often God stresses the fact that His promises are eternal and last forever. The whole story of salvation centers around the history of Israel, her creation, redemption and restoration. God’s might and power is evident in His everlasting promise to Israel (first laid out in Genesis 12:1-3). There, the Lord promises He will make Abram into a great nation and will bless him. Throughout the books of Moses, we can read promises that the Lord will be Israel’s God, and they will be His special treasure in all of the earth. Israel is God’s very own possession. God also promises that the Messiah would come out of Israel, out of the kingly Davidic line. (Isai11:1, Gen3:5, Isai7:14) The Apostle Paul promises that the future hope for Israel’s salvation is sure and that God will make good on His promises (Romans 9-11). We see a revolution after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is when the gentiles are invited to the table, so to speak. A revelation comes over the first church that many of God’s promises are for the whole world, all are welcomed into the family of God through faith in Jesus. He grants them full access to the throne of grace, just like to the Jewish people (Matthew 8:5-13).
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What is the Logos in the Bible? Meaning and Significance
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