Dr. Stanley explains why we know God will keep His promises—because He is truthful, faithful, immutable, and loving. We can trust in His ability to keep those promises because our Lord is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
Sermon Outline
To trust the Lord fully, we need to understand who He is and why we can have confidence in everything He says. In this week’s sermon, Dr. Stanley explores God’s character as well as the types of promises He makes.
Key Passage: Hebrews 10:23
Supporting Passages: Genesis 12:1-3; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 103:19; Psalm 139:1-4; Malachi 3:6; John 14:6; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 4:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:9; 1 John 4:16
Our lives as believers are shaped by the reliable promises God makes in His Word.
We can trust the promises of God because …
He is faithful (Heb. 10:23).
Despite what we may sometimes think, He does not break His word.
He does not forget what He’s pledged.
► “When it comes to God’s conditional promises, if you violate His will or purpose in some way, He will not grant that promise.”
God makes two kinds of promises …
1. Unconditional
Whatever He says He’ll do, He will do; there are no exceptions.
The promises He made to Abraham are this type (Gen. 12:1-3).
Only God can be counted on to keep all unconditional promises; we are subject to unknown obstacles.
2. Conditional
He will do what He’s pledged if certain criteria are met.
For example, the promise of salvation is fulfilled if we make a true profession of faith (Rom. 10:9). And the promise of forgiveness is ours when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9).
► “At no point in your life has God ever proven to be unfaithful.”
There are four aspects of God’s character that help us understand why we can trust His promises. He is …
Truthful (Num. 23:19; John 14:6; Titus 1:2).
Faithful (1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13).
Immutable (Mal. 3:6).
Loving (1 John 4:16).
► “God doesn’t make promises by flipping a coin. He makes them based on His perfect knowledge.”
There are three attributes of God that help us understand why we can trust His promises. He is …
Omniscient. He knows everything (Heb. 4:12-13).
Omnipresent. He is everywhere at all times (Ps. 139:1-4).
Omnipotent. He is all-powerful and able to do whatever He chooses (Ps. 103:19).
To receive the blessings of God’s promises, we must fulfill three requirements:
Be obedient.
Have faith.
Claim His promises.
After Watching
Has your understanding of God’s promises and why you can trust them changed after watching today’s sermon? How so?
Which of the Lord’s attributes or abilities gives you the greatest comfort? Which one do you find the most challenging to accept?
