A promise is a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. That thing hasn’t happened yet but it is asssured that it will happen sometime.
If a dad makes a promise to his children that they are going to go to an amusement park later in the summer, it means that they WILL go sometime. They aren’t going right now, but it is going to happen, because the dad told his kids that they would go. It gives the children something to look forward to, and be happy knowing that they have that promise.
A few years ago, we saw a piece of property that was being developed. On the sign right in the front of the property it stated that this would be the future site of a new hotel. This was basically a promise that a hotel would sometime sit on that piece of property in the future. It is not there yet, but we have the promise and can see the work that is being done. And now a few years later, do you know what now stands where that sign once stood? A brand new hotel.
Well, we have a promise from Jesus. His promise to His believers is that He is preparing a place for them in Heaven. We are not in Heaven right now, and cannot see what is being prepared for us, but we have the promise from Jesus that He is preparing a place for us.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2-3
This promise is available to all. But there is something that is required: belief in Jesus and what He did for the world on the cross. We have the promise of eternal life, but if someone doesn’t believe in Jesus, they won’t receive what has been promised.
A person might be told that when they work for two weeks at their job that they will get a paycheck. But if they don’t show up for work, do you really think that they will get paid? Just as someone needs to show up for work to be paid at a job, a person needs to believe in Jesus if they are going to receive the promise of eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
We don’t need to worry about God forgetting about His promises. When God says that He is going to do something, He will keep His promise.
Jesus is coming again. He is coming to receive His followers and take them up to be with the Father. Peter taught that in the last days people will not believe the promise that Jesus is coming again, and will fall into sin.
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4
Don’t be like these people. Believe the word of God and His promise of eternal life. We just need to believe His promise and patiently wait for the Kingdom.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 