Because holiness is God’s being, He cannot lie. Because He is God, He cannot violate the holy nature of His being. God does not will to lie. He does not will to cheat. He does not will to deceive. He does not will to be false to His own dear people.
Or to put it positively, in the very perfection of His character, God wills to be true to His children. Because He is perfect and because He is holy, His believing children are safe. Confidently knowing that the Lord God omnipotent reigns, and knowing that He is able to do all that He wills to do, I have no more doubts. I am safely held in the arms of the all-powerful God.
There is no better way to conclude a discussion like this than with the definition of this omnipotent God given in Hebrews:----
Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:17–20).
by A.W. Tozer
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
OUR GOD IS HOLY
I must confess in behalf of all of us that we humans are not as wise as God is. For example, there are men and women forever wishing they might find someone able to predict the future for them. No one can do so with accuracy. Also, we frequently fail to live up to our promises.
But there is no such failure with God. He knows everything that can be known. He is perfect in wisdom. God never has to excuse Himself with a "Well, my intentions were good, but I failed." His ability to deliver on His promises is tied directly to His omnipotence. If God was not omnipotent, He would be unable to keep His promises. He could not give any of us assurance of salvation.
This attribute of God we call omnipotence does not really mean that God can do anything. It means that He is the only Being who can do anything He wills to do. We understand up to a point that God is perfect in love and wisdom, in holiness and strength. Still, it is impossible for us to comprehend what the Lord God means when He says, "I am the holy God." We may, however, come to the understanding that "holy" is the way God is, and that He has made holiness the moral condition necessary to the health of His entire universe.
By A.W. Tozer
But there is no such failure with God. He knows everything that can be known. He is perfect in wisdom. God never has to excuse Himself with a "Well, my intentions were good, but I failed." His ability to deliver on His promises is tied directly to His omnipotence. If God was not omnipotent, He would be unable to keep His promises. He could not give any of us assurance of salvation.
This attribute of God we call omnipotence does not really mean that God can do anything. It means that He is the only Being who can do anything He wills to do. We understand up to a point that God is perfect in love and wisdom, in holiness and strength. Still, it is impossible for us to comprehend what the Lord God means when He says, "I am the holy God." We may, however, come to the understanding that "holy" is the way God is, and that He has made holiness the moral condition necessary to the health of His entire universe.
By A.W. Tozer
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS
I have always considered it a little humorous that sinful men who cannot trust each other call on God or the Holy Bible to witness that a sinful being is not going to tell a lie. I suspect there is a chuckle in hell whenever a person in one of our courts promises before God that he or she will "tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
With all of that by way of background, let me tell you my theory. I believe God made an accommodation and went along with our way of doing things. When during Abraham's time He made a promise to save His people, God took an oath to confirm the covenant. And because He could call on no one greater, He swore by Himself! Our faithful God has so sworn for all who will be heirs of the promise.
Are we going to trust God? Are we going to commit our entire future to Him? What more assurance do we need than the character of God Himself? It is God's own eternal Person and His faithful character that tell us our salvation is secured through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is because God is who He is that we can trust Him and be assured that His covenant will never change.
How rewarding it is to be able to make a proclamation like this! Our forgiveness, our hope for salvation, our confidence in the life to come rest upon God’s unchanging love and faithfulness.
With all of that by way of background, let me tell you my theory. I believe God made an accommodation and went along with our way of doing things. When during Abraham's time He made a promise to save His people, God took an oath to confirm the covenant. And because He could call on no one greater, He swore by Himself! Our faithful God has so sworn for all who will be heirs of the promise.
Are we going to trust God? Are we going to commit our entire future to Him? What more assurance do we need than the character of God Himself? It is God's own eternal Person and His faithful character that tell us our salvation is secured through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is because God is who He is that we can trust Him and be assured that His covenant will never change.
How rewarding it is to be able to make a proclamation like this! Our forgiveness, our hope for salvation, our confidence in the life to come rest upon God’s unchanging love and faithfulness.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
FULFILLMENT OF THE DAVIDIC COVENANT
Note this theme in Psalm 89. In that psalm, the Holy Spirit has dictated a plain message. He goes far beyond the reference to King David. Rather, he is describing David's greater Son, even Jesus, the eternal Son and Lord of all.
The Holy Spirit is not speaking concerning the earthly David who would die. He is speaking of a Son, of whom He says:
He will call out to me, "You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior."
I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail (89:26–28).
This Son could be none other than Jesus. And the unfailing covenant God makes with Him is ours. It will never fail because it is God who has promised, and God can be counted on.
I hope what I have been reviewing here is plain. A promise—any promises—nothing in and of itself. The value of the promise depends on the character of the one who makes it. We know only too well the history of men and women. They make promises and covenants, but often those promises and covenants are broken. They are not kept.
The Holy Spirit is not speaking concerning the earthly David who would die. He is speaking of a Son, of whom He says:
He will call out to me, "You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior."
I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail (89:26–28).
This Son could be none other than Jesus. And the unfailing covenant God makes with Him is ours. It will never fail because it is God who has promised, and God can be counted on.
I hope what I have been reviewing here is plain. A promise—any promises—nothing in and of itself. The value of the promise depends on the character of the one who makes it. We know only too well the history of men and women. They make promises and covenants, but often those promises and covenants are broken. They are not kept.
Monday, August 17, 2009
THE COVENANTS OF GOD
Because of His love for us, God already has taken the initiative. He has left us without room for human excuse. If God cannot get us concerned about His own things and our shortcomings, He cannot do anything at all for us. If His grace and mercy cannot move us, He cannot save us.
This brings us right back to our starting point. Our Christian hope and the promises of God all rest upon the very character of the triune God. We are New Testament believers. We are saved through the terms of a new covenant. That new covenant is based in the love and grace of the
One who created us and then gave His life for our redemption.
Of His own free will God has made a pledge and given us a covenant. A Christian is a Christian and remains a Christian because of the bond between the persons of the Godhead and himself or herself.
Note this theme in Psalm 89. In that psalm, the Holy Spirit has dictated a plain message. He goes far beyond the reference to King David. Rather, he is describing David's greater Son, even Jesus, the eternal Son and Lord of all.
The reference is to the kind of covenant a faithful God has made with the people of His choice. The statements made by God to David's progeny and David's people are almost unconditional. God does not make unconditional promises to our race, but these in Psalm 89 are as nearly unconditional as any we will ever find.
This brings us right back to our starting point. Our Christian hope and the promises of God all rest upon the very character of the triune God. We are New Testament believers. We are saved through the terms of a new covenant. That new covenant is based in the love and grace of the
One who created us and then gave His life for our redemption.
Of His own free will God has made a pledge and given us a covenant. A Christian is a Christian and remains a Christian because of the bond between the persons of the Godhead and himself or herself.
Note this theme in Psalm 89. In that psalm, the Holy Spirit has dictated a plain message. He goes far beyond the reference to King David. Rather, he is describing David's greater Son, even Jesus, the eternal Son and Lord of all.
The reference is to the kind of covenant a faithful God has made with the people of His choice. The statements made by God to David's progeny and David's people are almost unconditional. God does not make unconditional promises to our race, but these in Psalm 89 are as nearly unconditional as any we will ever find.
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