ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD

ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD

2 Corinthians 1:17-22 (KJV)

When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?

But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Paul spent a considerable amount of time in verses 8-16 explaining that he had been honest with his intention to visit the church in Corinth.

It was important to him that they understood him to be a man of his word.

·   His yea meant yea and

·   His nay indeed meant nay

But circumstances beyond his control had kept him from his intended purpose.

I think it is important that we are gracious one with another. 

Having said that, though, Paul’s desire in this passage was to let them know he really did want to keep his word.

But it wasn’t so they would think better of him.

He did it so they would think better of the One he served – Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:17-19 (KJV)

When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

Now notice the next verse,

2 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV)

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

He wanted the people to trust the promises of God.[1]

The passage then transitions to four important promises.

*I. HE STABLISHETH US WITH YOU

2 Corinthians 1:21 (KJV)

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

Notice that the word is “stablish” not “establish.”

The translators knew the difference between the two and used them intentionally.

For instance, in 1 Thessalonians 3:2 (KJV)

And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

1 Thessalonians 3:13 (KJV)

To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Same book, same chapter, same writer, same Greek word. But the translators of the King James Version of the Bible used these two variations of the word.

Both mean to build up or to strengthen but: 

·   Establish has to do with beginning the strengthening work

·   Stablish has to do with continuing the strengthening work[2]

What God had begun in Paul, and the Corinthians, He would continue.

Aren’t you glad to know that God is not through with you?

I think one of the lessons in this promise, so far as Paul was concerned was that God was not through with the relationship between Paul and the church at Corinth.

It had been threatened. Paul’s first epistle was a strong one, and then he had not been able to keep his “appointment” to come to them.

Would they never be willing to speak to him again?

Praise the Lord, they had received his word as from the Lord and he would continue to minister among them.

I’ve had sometimes when I wondered if my relationship with someone was over, severed never to be repaired.

I thank the Lord for those times when my concerns were proven unfounded.

And I believe that, in the case of those who haven’t yet been restored, that the final chapter isn’t yet written.

Promise number two

*II. HE HATH ANOINTED US

2 Corinthians 1:21 (KJV)

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

The word anoint is found 20 times in 18 verses.

There are, as far as I could find, four words translated anointed in the New Testament, each of them meaning something like, to touch, to smear, to rub.

In almost every case the word is used as a common act like, Matthew 6:17 (KJV)

But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

Or even, John 9:6 (KJV)

When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

Which isn’t a common act, but it is a physical one.

However, the word translated anoint, here is used only four times in the New Testament and it is used of something spiritual.

Luke 4:18 (KJV)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

This is a spiritual touch from heaven.

It is used only of Jesus and this one time of Apostle Paul.

And it is the heart’s prayer of every man of God.

I never enter the pulpit without asking for this anointing.

And personally, I would never enter the pulpit again if I thought such anointing was not possible.

Promise three

*III. HE HATH ALSO SEALED US

2 Corinthians 1:22 (KJV)

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Before the days of that glue strip on envelops, a letter was sealed closed with a drop of hot wax and a stamp pressed into it.

Anita used one for our wedding invitations.

Pilate used a similar thing when he set a seal on Jesus’ grave, guaranteeing with his seal, his authority, that no one would steal His body.

The Bible says that during the Tribulation period 144,000 Jews will be sealed[3] and thus protected by God while they witnessed on the earth in this time of trouble.

And in the book of Ephesians the Bible says, Ephesians 1:13 (KJV)

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Notice the similarity between 2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 1:13.

This seal 

·   Is a promise of God’s protection

·   It is a promise that holds true until the day we are redeemed in heaven[4] and

·   It is a promise that is kept through the Holy Spirit of God in us

Promise four

*IV. HE HATH GIVEN THE EARNEST OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR HEARTS

2 Corinthians 1:22 (KJV)

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

I try to stress this doctrine but doubt that I could ever stress it enough.

The only sure evidence of salvation is the presence of the Holy Spirit of God in our hearts.

No one else can ever prove or disprove He dwells in our heart.

But the Bible says, Romans 8:13-17 (KJV)

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The book of Romans, a book focused on the doctrine of salvation, constantly contrasts the flesh versus the Spirit.

You should study the book of Romans searching out those contrasts someday.

Notice now:

·   The Spirit is how we mortify the deeds of the body

·   The Spirit leads the sons of God

·   The Spirit draws us to God our Father and

·   The Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are the children of God

It is no small thing to KNOW that the Spirit of the Living God is in your heart.

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[1] Fact is, we can trust the promises of God even if every representative of Jesus is false. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV)

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

But a good reputation strengthens our ministry and our word concerning Christ.

[2] I understand this distinction from Dr. Randy White’s material on 2 Corinthians. www.RandyWhiteMinistries.org I have come to appreciate Randy White’s work, though I do not agree with everything he says. I am a dispensationalist, but Dr. White tends to divide until there is no application. He seems to be growing though and I have prayerful hope that this changes.

[3] Revelation 7:2 (KJV)

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

[4] Ephesians 4:30 (KJV)

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.