January 29: Every promise of God is yours in Christ

For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God. But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.  (2 Corinthians 1:20-22)

The Bible is a book of promises—throughout the Holy Scriptures God and Jesus Christ are continually telling us what They want to do for us. In the verses above, we are assured that every promise in the Bible belongs to those who are in the Lord Jesus. Old Testament promises, New Testament promises, promises about health, prosperity, victory, power to overcome our enemies, promises about long life, spiritual power, and fruitfulness—no matter how many promises there are—all of them belong to us through Jesus. Because of Him, God says "Yes” to us and we can say "Amen" after every prayer.

For God's promises to come true in our lives, four things have to happen. First, we have to know what God is willing to do for us; many Christians do not have any real idea about all the riches that are available to them in Jesus. After we know what God promises, we must believe that those promises are true. The third step is that we need to fulfill any conditions, or do whatever we are supposed to do in order to receive what has been promised. The fourth step is to say, "Yes, God, I know what You’ve promised and believe You will do it. I’ve done my part, now I need You to do Yours!"

One of the greatest promises of God, is the Holy Spirit. The Bible uses the word “down payment” for the Spirit on a number of occasions. This word usually communicates the first payment of an object, that guarantees that the remainder will be paid at a later date, and that the object will be held for the purchaser. In the case of the Holy Spirit, He is God’s way of guaranteeing our salvation, and the many other blessings that come along with a life of faith. Not only does the Holy Spirit transform us into His temple, He is God’s tender way of guaranteeing our spot in heaven.