What God Has Promised, He Is Able To Perform

Rom. 4:21

 

     When Abraham was an old man and his wife Sarah was well passed the age of bearing children, God made him a promise. He promised Abraham a son by his wife Sarah, through whom his Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, would come, who would bring upon all the nations of the earth the blessing of God's eternal salvation. And Abraham believed it, because he believed that God was able to perform what he promised. Many years passed. But Abraham still believed God. Many trials had to be endured. But Abraham continued to believe God. The older he and Sarah got, the less likely it appeared that they would have a son. The promise was contradicted by all past history, all human reason, and all the apparent circumstances of providence. It was "biologically" impossible for such an old couple to have a son. And it was even more insane, (according to all human reason), to expect that one of Abraham's descendants would be God in human flesh, the Savior of the world. But Abraham "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform." Abraham acted according to his faith. He believed that God Almighty was able to give him a son, that with him nothing is impossible. His faith had the omnipotent God for its Object. And when he was a hundred years old God gave him a son through the womb of Sarah, his ninety year old wife, according to his promise!

     This great work of God, and Abraham's faith in him, is not recorded for Abraham's sake alone, but for ours, that we might also believe God. All the promises of God to his people in Christ Jesus are yea and amen (II Cor. 1:20). Because God is almighty, omnipotent, we can confidently trust him to do all that he has promised. Let us ever believe him, and act according to faith. All that he has promised of temporal good, providential good, spiritual good and eternal good, he will do for all who believe him. And by believing him we glorify him.

GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TOWARD YOU

II Corinthians 9:8

     God makes his grace abound toward his elect when he gives us any fresh discovery, enlarged knowledge, or personal application of his eternal love and covenant mercy toward us in Christ. And he is able to make all his grace abound toward you, no matter who you are, where you are, or what you are. God can make his eternal love and favor in Christ abound toward you. He can bring you into the bond of his covenant (Ezek. 20:37). And that covenant is the source of all grace. God can make every blessing of grace, election, redemption, justification, peace, pardon, adoption and eternal life to abound toward you. These blessings are the fruit of his everlasting grace (Eph. 1:3-7). God can make all the gifts and graces of his Spirit, faith, hope, love, and joy abound toward you. This is the fruit of the Spirit, implanted in all believers in regeneration (Gal. 5:22-23f). Grace within is always full of life and growing. God is able to make all grace abound toward sinners, because his grace cannot be resisted and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is an all sufficient Mediator for sinners.

     "Grace" is an unlimited word. Like God himself, his grace is infinite and eternal. But in the context Paul is dealing with believers in the area of giving, encouraging us to be generous and cheerful in supplying the needs of our poor brethren and in supporting those who preach the gospel. He is telling us that we will never impoverish ourselves by being generous, even sacrificial, in giving. We must never give hoping for or desiring reward. If selfishness and greed have any part in motivating us to give, our gifts are an abomination rather than a blessing. However, these two things are certain: (l.) God will always cause what we give in faith to return to us with increase (Mal. 3:10; Lk. 6:38; II Cor. 9:5-6; Gal. 5:6-8; Phil. 4:19). And (2.) if we use what God puts in our hands for the good of his people and the furtherance of the gospel, He will see to it that our hands are constantly supplied for every good work.

 

Don Fortner