1. God works good out of evil.
2. God knows His own (“predestined”).
3. God responds to those who love Him.
4. God calls people to accomplish His plans (2x).
5. God justified us.
6. God established His priority for His children—to become conformed to Jesus! We call this Christlikeness and it is internal transformation that leads to visible fruitfulness.
7. God glorified us. [side note: check out Ephesians 2:1-10]

So rich! I could easily spend a year or more teaching you about God from each of these, there is significant depth of biblical and theological thought around these amazing promises, found in 3 verses. But this not a series to give you more head knowledge about the promises, though many of you will learn a lot. I want everyone who believes the promises of God, to walk in the promises of God as a way of life (a praxis). For your stated faith to lead your everyday life!  

This sermon series is intentionally called, “Responding to the Promises of Jesus!” Over the next 7 sermons, I will be teaching you how to work thee promises of God from your head as doctrine to your heart as attitudes and then into your everyday life as behaviors.

Yes, you heard me right: to work the promises! We are not saved by works, it’s all grace. But don’t be misled in a cliché view of grace, because while grace is opposed to us earning favor with God, grace is not opposed to us exerting effort in a real relationship with God. And every relationship takes both sides investing time and energy to get to know the other person.

This series is designed to teach you how to live in an intentional rhythm of life that forms you in Christ, from the inside out. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will help you develop a lifestyle of personal practices to strengthen your living faith. For you to live a grace-paced life!

My ultimate goal is two-fold: (1) to those of you who already believe, for you to have a living faith and to persevere in the promises of God, no matter your circumstances; and (2) to demonstrate to those who do not yet believe, that Christianity is true to its every promise, that Jesus is the Son of the Living God who has invited you to find rest and peace and love and hope and eternal life in Him alone. Jesus keeps His promises so I plead with you to give Jesus your heart for He alone is worthy of your most sacred possession—your very life, now and forever.

Let’s get into today’s specific learning objective: we are invited to seek first God in our lives by making His promises our priorities! [say that again] We can only fulfill God’s plan for our lives when our heart’s priority is God’s priority for us. As already stated from Romans 8:29, God’s priority for us is Christlikeness from the inside out! Transformation into a new creation!

In other words, we are to choose to live according to His promises and that ultimately, is what it means to “claim the promises of God.” It’s not lip service. It’s a complete revolution for rightful authority of your soul.

We are to live our lives not with a head-faith alone for head knowledge does not demonstrate maturity in Christ. That is a mistake many pastors and churches has made; the assumption that a seminary degree qualifies a person to lead the church has led them and many churches to great heartbreak. Maturity in Christ is when your whole-life embraces the promises of God. It is resting in the easy yoke of Jesus because He alone sets your pace and direction.

Let’s listen to Romans 8:28-30 for the second time, but this time, instead of hearing the promises of God as doctrines to believe and debate, let’s look at the promises of God as invitations to make lifestyle choices that build our lives on the promises of God. Listen to Paul’s words again:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Here are seven ways we must choose to walk in the promises of God:

1.  I have to choose to believe that God can work good out of evil days and painful circumstances. I must daily form a new way of looking at the world and learn how to trust God even in the darkest of times. To hand on to faith and trust Him.
2.  I must remember that God knows me and wants a real relationship with me. I don’t need to hide from God when I make mistakes. God knows me through and through and loves me anyways.
3.  I make the choice every day to build my life and identity on the truth that God loves me. There is nothing more important about me than the way I think about God in my most private thoughts. This shapes my response to people and situations and determines if I live in peace.
4.  I have a life purpose that has been established by God. I build my life on these priorities so that I can have integrity in all my decision making. I am a part of God’s rescue mission to reflect my God and His glory through the way I love, care, and steward His creation.
5.  I choose to rest in Jesus’ finished work on the Cross, and not strain for acceptance in my anxious works. I am saved by grace and there is nothing I can do to cause God to love me more or love me less. I don’t have to perform for you and you don’t have to perform for me.
6.  God is conforming me to the image of His Son so I choose to partner with this promise by spending time with Jesus every day to think and act like him until all day every day is experienced in His presence. I make time for to be still and know that He is God. I make time to read me Bible, pray my prayers and listen for His voice. I listen to worship music throughout the day to keep my heart centered on Him. I make time for spiritual friendships that keep me accountable and graceful in how I think about and treat others. I practice loving my wife as Christ loved the church and we invest time in teaching our children about Jesus.
7.  My life is secure in God’s eternal glory so I can live for God’s glory alone. God has already made me His ambassador by giving me His glory, so I choose today to learn an eternal perspective on situations and people. I represent Him and His sovereign rule, not me and my self-interest. I don’t stand up here to tell you what I think, but to communicate His Word.