From the Pen of Paul

God's Precious Promises

"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (II Peter 1:3-4).

These verses speak of a number of things which God has done for us, but in this article we want to concentrate on his "exceeding great and precious promises." God's promises are reliable. In the third chapter of this same epistle Peter reminds us of this important fact about God's promises. He is discussing scoffers that "shall come in the last days, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (II Peter 3:3-4). In answer to their scoffing Peter tells them that what they have said is not true and reminds them of the creation and the flood; in each of these examples God had miraculously intervened, and if He had done it once he could do it again (vs. 5-7). Secondly, he informs them that God's promises are reliable and sure. Time does not affect them; a thousand years or one day, his promises are still true and can be depended on (v. 8). He also informs them that what they are claiming as slackness is really God's "longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (v. 9).

In Hebrews 6 the writer also speaks of the promise of God to Abraham. He writes, "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:17-19). When the writer tells us that God's counsel is immutable, he is telling us that it is permanent and unchangeable. The reason that we can rely upon God's promises is that he does not lie—and even more—it is impossible for Him to lie!

God has given us a number of "exceeding great and precious promises." He has promised continual cleansing of sins to the Christian who "walks in the light" (I John 1:7). He has promised that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). He has promised to "not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10:13). He has promised that "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). He has promised "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). He has promised, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3). These are in no wise all of his "exceeding great and precious promises." But the thing that makes them so great is that they come from God and that they are completely reliable and dependable because He cannot lie. We can depend upon each and every promise to be true.

But, this works in the other direction as well. God has promised that "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). One who refuses to be baptized "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38) will be damned for eternity. This promise is also sure and reliable. Someone has said, "We don't know that in the day of judgment God will not excuse some who have not obeyed this command." You might as well call God a liar as to suggest that He will not do exactly as He has promised. Folks want to believe that God's promises are sure and reliable when they are promising us great blessings, but tend to try to find some way around them when they are promising punishment or condemnation. That just will not work. It works both ways. God's promises—all of them—are sure and reliable. Trust them, accept them, and live your life so that you may receive the blessings promised and escape the condemnation.
—Paul Wilmoth

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

America

America is like a drunk man weaving from side to side. She has lost her direction and her moorings. When the nation was young she had a standard to follow as her constitution clearly shows. But America has been adrift so long and she has long since cast aside her perfect guide; the citizens are like sheep without a shepherd or a ship at sea without a compass. The citizens of America are like a boat tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.

The children of the United States dare not travel or play without a chaperone. Sex offenders and wicked men and women are seeking them like a lion searching for his prey. Men and women are like animals in the field satisfying their instinct. Some are like dogs in a pack mating as they wish.

Killing and robbery are an everyday affair. Lying and cheating are expected things any more. Human life is no longer sacred as can be seen in killing one and a half million unborn babies annually. Immorality abounds and without blushing as men want to live together as man and wife and this includes male and female.

Moral purity is out of date and has been replaced by sexual freedom. Both male and female expose their bodies by nudity while seeking new ways to attract sexual attention.

What has happened to the nation which sings "God Bless America?" It has laid God and His Word aside. America no longer has a divine standard to guide in morals and life and she is beginning to pay the price. Prisons are full and millions are paid each day to provide for criminals. Children no longer know who their parents are and juvenile delinquency is at an all-time high. One great problem today is parental delinquency.

Men may continue to reject God and His Word thinking they know how to direct their way. So long as they do this they shall suffer the consequences. All men must know we will reap what they sow.

The good people of the U.S.A. need to chant on the street and in every place, "We need God, we need God, we need God. We need Jesus, we need Jesus, we need Jesus. We need the Bible, we need the Bible, we need the Bible." If the people of this great nation would return to the God of their fathers by true repentance, then He would heal this nation. There is a balm in Gilead (Jer. 8:22).
—Malcolm L. Hill