Exceeding Great and Precious Promises regarding God's word

Note, this is part of a series on the Importance of the Word.
“So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly,
and gave the sense,
and caused them to understand the reading.”
Nehemiah 8:8

Our goal should be to understand the plain sense of the Scripture.

Six paraphrases.

Paraphrasing Scripture, or writing the Scripture in one's own words, is an effective way to discover the plain sense of the scripture. The idea is to take a verse, or passage of Scripture, and write it in such a way that it would make sense to five-year old. The time that it takes to ponder the plain sense of the verse or passage and to wrestle with the simplest way of rewriting it, is essential in allowing God to "teach you all things," "guide you into all truth," and to "take the things of mine (Christ) and shown them unto you."

After determining the plain sense of the scripture, it is then very helpful to search for sins to avoid or confess (1Timothy 3:16-17), Promises to claim (2 Peter 1:3-4), Examples to follow (1 Corinthians 11:1), Commands to heed (John 14:21), and the Knowledge of God (2 Peter 1:2-3).

As you find promises to claim, you will notice that some of these promises are unconditional and some of them will be conditional. The following verses contain, among other things, some very clear conditional promises. We highly recommend that you take each of the following six verses and examine them using the following method:

  1. Paraphrase them or put them in your own words
  2. Prayerfully examine each verse looking for any Sins, Promises, Examples, Commands, and Knowledge of God
  3. Clearly identify the conditions for each promise
  4. Write down what you see to Do

There are two types of promises given in the Bible: conditional and unconditional. The following verses contain conditional promises. Please take time to write them in your own words, and find the promise and condition. Also, you might look up any words you might not understand in a concordance.

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
John 14:21

Read a sample paraphrase of John 14:21.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby 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.”
2 Peter 1:3-4

Read a sample paraphrase of 2 Peter 1:3-4.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18

Read a sample paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 3:18.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
Joshua 1:8

Read a sample paraphrase of Joshua 1:8.

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Psalm 1:2-3

Read a sample paraphrase of Psalm 1:2-3.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
James 1:22-25

Read a sample paraphrase of James 1:22-25.


Promises:

  1. prosperity and good success.
  2. like a well-watered fruitful tree.
  3. "I will manifest myself to him."
  4. be blessed in your deeds.
  5. be a partaker of the divine nature.
  6. be gradually changed into Christ-likeness.

Conditions:

  1. meditate day and night "to do".
  2. meditate day and night.
  3. hear the word and keep it.
  4. look and continue in the word and do.
  5. believing and claiming what God has promised.
  6. see His goodness in the word.

Conclusion

If this is true, what are you going to do in your life in an attempt to meet those conditions so that you may receive those promises?

See Word Intake for some practical suggestions.

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