Great Promises
CHAPTER XIII Great Promises
Jn the last chapter, we see another aspect of the great Salvation. In verse five, there is a promise for is: “) will never leave thee. nor forsake thee.” This promise will be fulfilled in our lives when we live a contended life and not be greedy. We have to keep our hearts I free from every kind of covetousness, Then according to verse 6, we will be able to say boldly, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
In verse 13, the apostle exhorts us to “go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” We should be willing to suffer reproach for the Lord’s sake by living a life of separation. We should not be defiled by worldly friends and worldly contacts. Then we will be given a glimpse of the heavenly city,
The Lord has made full provision to bring us to perfection by teaching us to do His perfect will. In verses 20 and 21 we see seven proofs of finding God's perfect will. We can divide these verses into seven parts: (1) The God of peace (2) that brought again from the dead (3) our Lord Jesus (4) that great shepherd of the sheep (5) through the blood of the everlasting covenant (6) make you perfect in every good work, to do His will (7) through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever. By finding and doing God’s perfect will for our lives, we can attain perfection for which we are called. Let us see something about these aspects: (1) Our God ts a God of peace. Whenever Grad speaks concerning any matter there will be increasing. multiplying, eternal and heavenly peace Isa. 32: 17), When the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, His first words were “Peace be unto you.” He said the same words twice in John 20;19,21. In Mark 4:39 He rebuked the wind and the sea with similar words, “Peace, be still.” When the Lord does speak, there will be peace; every storm will be made calm.
2. The words ‘Brought again from the dead,” refer to the power of resurrection. We cannot do God’s will in our own strength. The apostles experienced the power of resurrection in their ministry (Acts 2:24; 3:26; 4:10.33; 5:30). They could declare very boldly the resurrection of the Lord - Jesus. When we are in God's perfect will, we receive His power of resurrection to obey Him.
3. We will be brought under the Lordship of our Lord Jesus by doing His will. We will be kept constantly under His Lordship and Kingship and we will be ready to do His will. We will be governed and controlled by Him as our Lord and King.
4. The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd of the i sheep. Being our great Shepherd He will lead us to many a Scripture portions to confirm His will (Psa. 23:1,2). The; Good Shepherd leads us to places where we can he blessed z spiritually. When we are in God’s will, spiritually we are 4 satisfied. He leads us to green pastures and still waters, and I He Himself becomes our satisfaction.
4 5. We can claim the Lord’s precious blood of the: everlasting covenant to keep us clean and give us boldness I into the most holy place.
6. When we are in the Lord’s will, we are made perfect in doing every good work. The sixth proof of being in God’s will is that we get a desire to do His will in every small matter. We desire to be governed by the Lord at every step “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD” (Psa.37:23). All our steps will be controlled and governed by the Lord. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Prov. 3:3). In all our ways we want to be governed by Him and thus become perfect in every good work to do His will.
7. Finally, by doing God’s will Hts Name must be highly magnified. When we do His will our desire should be to bring glory to our Lord. These are the seven proofs given to us to know the Lord’s will.
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that ts unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). We have the privilege to be under the subjection of those who teach us and guide us. For our safety and protection God has ordained that we should submit to those who shepherd us, lead us and teach us. That requires submission and obedience. By obeying God’s servants we will be protected from the attacks of the enemy.
May the Lord open our eyes to see the greatness of our salvation, and enable us to enjoy all its benefits day by day, and lead us to perfection,