The Promises of God
A Sermon on 2 Peter 1:4
Originally preached Sept. 27, 1964
Scripture
4Whereby 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.
Sermon Description
All of Scripture is about the promises of God. What does this mean? In this sermon on 2 Peter 1:4 titled “The Promises of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the great truth of God’s promises given to His people. It is these divine promises from Genesis to Revelation wherein God tells that He will grant peace and blessings. How does God give Christians all these things? The answer is in the person of Christ Jesus. It is Jesus that gives all peace and happiness because it is He who saves from all sin. Sadly, many have mistaken the law of God for the promise itself, for the law looks forward to Jesus, but it is not the promise. The law brings condemnation on all because they are sinners. Jesus, however, delivers His people from sin and fulfills the entire law for them. The only question to ask is, “do you hope in the promise of God, namely Jesus Christ?” Those who die apart from Christ will never know the peace of God. There is no more pressing matter than belief in the great Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on 2 Peter 1:4 which speaks of the "exceeding great and precious promises" that God has given to believers.
- The promises were central to the lives of Old Testament saints like Abraham, Moses, and David. They endured trials because they believed the promises.
- The promises refer to God's purpose of salvation and redemption as revealed in Scripture. They point to paradise regained.
- Faith leads us to believe the promises. Faith gives us assurance of the promises and makes them real to us.
- The promises can be divided into ultimate promises (e.g. Christ's second coming, deliverance from corruption, partaking in the divine nature) and immediate promises (e.g. the Holy Spirit, God's provision, forgiveness of sins).
- The ultimate promises refer to Christ's second coming, deliverance from sin and corruption, and sharing in God's holiness and glory. They give us hope for the future.
- The immediate promises refer to God's presence, provision, and forgiveness in the present. They give us comfort and help us persevere.
- We should rejoice in the promises, be certain of them, and long for their fulfillment. They are meant to thrill our souls.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.