December 10, 2005

His Word is His Bond
Gen.22:15 ; -19

I was sitting after work one night with Cy at Gilmans in Newport and we were talking about older times. A man had contested his bill in court and even though it was a signed slip, he refused to pay on a technicality. Cy pulled a sheaf of old yellowed charge slips out of his desk and said." Look at these”. there they were, several old paid up slips and NOT A SIGNATURE on one of them. “It wasn’t necessary in those older days,” he said, to have signatures. A man’s word was his bond . If he said he’d pay, he’d pay.

Here in Genesis we see A Special Blessing, Not a covenant between God and Abraham, A “BY MYSELF” Blessing from God.God made a Promise BY himself His word is sufficient. His word is His bond.

Many times God makes Joint covenants, to people agree to something, But here it is another of the “By Myself” covenants or promises. Times when God says “I will do it. Period.”

Lets look at this “By Myself” stuff a moment together. First we’ll look at: Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

If God made the worlds BY HIMSELF then who does he have to answer to in the ordering of those worlds? NO ONE! He alone is the master of creation. There is more to that story though and we will revisit that section a bit further in this message.

Now Look at: Jer 22:5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

When God levels discipline and HE does it BY HIMSELF who can stop it? No one can stop it because God is sovereign and when he speaks even E.F. Hutton ought to listen.

So here in Genesis when God makes a promise to Abraham By Himself, who can break it? NO ONE!

Lets look at some more “BY MYSELF” stuff: Times when God makes a commitment to us and as we see each one then we ask “Who then can change God’s options?” When God promises or says something it will happen.

Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.

If God says His word will accomplish a purpose, who can change that purpose? NO ONE! God’s word is sufficient and authoritative.

Listen: Nu 23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

You see here that the promises that God makes are secure and HIS word is sufficient. He keeps his promises.

Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me [there is] no God.

You see the reason for this is that God is not accountable to anyone but himself and His perfection makes that the highest accountability. Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself.

Perfect accountability. IT WILL HAPPEN and nothing can stop it. The highest power swearing by the highest power = total security.

Now NOTICE if you will with me what this “By myself promise to Abraham means to you and I.

.Ga 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Here we see the ultimate fulfillment of this promise in The seed of the woman, that is Jesus Christ. Here we see the “all nations” being blessed beyond belief. Now you want a “By Myself” promise Look a this: Speaking of Jesus:Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Who did the purchase of our sins? Who is responsible to save us? Who is the one responsible to keep us? 2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Whose power keeps us? Is this clear? The power is of God and not of us. By Himself he saved us. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy he saved us. says Paul in Titus. He is a perfect Priest and a perfect intercessor.

Listen:

Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].

Heb 9:16 For where a testament [is], there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
1Jo 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Are you getting this?

Look at Romans 5: 1-10 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

You see, This sweet great salvation was “BY HIMSELF” By Himself he purged our sins.
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By Himself He saved us, by himself he keeps us. It is for keeps.

Now I want you to know more. While God can say “By Myself" here is what our “By Myself” boils down to.

CONFESSION:1Co 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

Confessing that we cannot do it by ourselves opens the doors to appropriation of God's “By Myself”. The Apostle John said it best “If we admit , agree with God’s assessment of things, or confess that we are sinners, then God is faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Ac 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1Ti 2:5 -6For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1Jo 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

It is God who does it:

Ac 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen to Titus 3:4 -7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

It is Granted By GOD Himself.

So who is the Author of salvation?

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

Heb 13:20 -21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ps 138:8 The LORD will perfect [that which] concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, [endureth] for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
1Co 1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is the perfecter or finisher of it? God BY HIMSELF.

Author:Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Perfecter:Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

CONCLUSION:Isa 48:17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way [that] thou shouldest go.

Isa 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth [in] righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Phil 2:5 -11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do you see? You cannot have salvation unless it is eternal salvation. This thing is sourced in God and completed in God. It is Gained only by fiat, By God's power and grace and is maintained ONLY by God’s grace.

Paul told the Galatians “Ga 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” It is God’s salvation and He will keep us til the last Gun is fired.

Romans 8:31- 39 ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that justifieth.

Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

CLOSING BLESSING1Ch 29:11 Thine, O LORD, [is] the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all [that is] in the heaven and in the earth [is thine]; thine [is] the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

That can only bring one response in your life. That is if you get it, if you are drawn by God to a relationship with him then your response will be “I love him because he loved me first.

And: 1Jo 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1Jo 3:16 -17Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

1Jo 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh 15:12-13 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted forgiving one another EVEN AS God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.

I leave you to think on these things. Amen