“By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4, NKJV)
They show us:
- God’s character
- God’s power to fulfill
- God’s knowledge of the future
- Our joy and His glory
- Our hope and His readiness to fulfill
God’s character:
- His love and care
- His power to fulfill
- His kindness and compassion
- His evidence of reliability
- His authority
God’s power to fulfill:
- Many promises are already fulfilled
- No one can thwart
God’s knowledge of the future:
- Usually we don’t know when
- Is complete and proof of deity
- God actually knows the future, not just decree it and have a perfect memory
Our joy and His glory:
- God’s blessings to enjoy
- This includes temporal (in this life) and eternal (in heaven)
Our hope and His readiness to fulfill:
- Gives us hope (expectancy)
- Some promises are conditional (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 28:1, John 11:40, and 2 Chronicles 7:14) and some unconditional (Genesis 12:3, Jeremiah 33:25-26, and John 14:3).