Word of Encouragement (8/24/2020)

Today, we would like to reflect on to what kind of people God’s promises belong.

We already learned that God’s promises belong first and foremost to Christ as the only begotten Son of God: “You are my Son…. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession” (Ps. 2:7-8). What does this have to do with us? “These promises belong to Christ not merely as the Son of God, but also as the appointed Mediator and Head of the church." So, here comes the good news: “As much as the promises of God properly and rightly belong to Christ, they also properly and rightly belong to the church, which is His body (Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27).

We can see why and how we are able to share in Christ’s promises: “all the good of the promises comes to us as believers because we belong to Christ and upon no other ground.” It is not that Christ has His promises and we have a different set of promises: we are allowed to share in His promises as His people. What is so amazing about this arrangement is that we do not share in Christ’s promises as beggars; we share in them as co-heirs with Christ, as God’s adopted children. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). Do you see the Grand Exchange? Jesus took our place so that we can share in His Sonship. We enter into this exchange by faith, not by works. Is there anything we can do to earn this great privilege and blessing? Absolutely none because it is too precious and valuable for any of us to earn. It is only by God’s grace, which we receive by faith!

This fundamental gospel truth is worth repeating: “Therefore, God’s promises belong to us, not because we are by nature related to God, but because we have been named and brought into relation with Him by the grace of adoption.” By this adoption, “That heavenly store, to which we had no access because of our sins, has become ours because God has adopted us in Jesus Christ as His children.”

This goes without saying that “those who are outside of Christ are excluded from His promises.” But, “whatever the promises are, they cannot fail to be accomplished upon us who belong to Christ, because they have been given to Him as our Mediator, not as conditional promises, but as absolute promises and sure words….”

One of the greatest longings we have is that of belonging to someone special and significant. What a blessing it is to belong to Christ, the most powerful and wise and loving Savior, who is willing to share His abundant and magnificent blessings! May this thought bless you richly today!