Gods plan of Salvation throughout the Bible:

The Promise

Reading Heb 10:11-25

God seems to respond to man's failure to do His will through adapting His plans accordingly.

God's very nature, are as His plans are, unchanging and His plan of Salvation was sealed in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1: 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

He is a 'Covenant God' It is one of the attributes of His nature that made the relationship with His people different from other nations and Gods. (ex on covenant relationships).

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?

Joshua 23: 14 "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

I want us then to look at the 'promise' or 'covenant' of salvation that runs throughout the Old and into the new Testament, binding the whole together in one unbreakable Promise of eternal life.

2 Peter 3:13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

As we look at these covenants of the Old Testament you might be led to think, "Well that was then, but now we have Jesus, what are these covenants, made with such a diverse group of Hebrew characters over the centuries, got to do with me?"

Galatians 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3: 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel , members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

So the blessing of Abraham, that is, justification or the pardon of sin, with all the other blessings that come from it, such as peace with God, spiritual life, and eternal glory, might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ So we find that He was made a curse for us, that the blessings promised to Abraham might be given to them who believe on him, So, from the beginning God had planned that salvation should be through faith, and never expected that any soul of man should be justified by the works of the law; and only gave that law that the horrible nature of our sin might made plain, and that we might be prepared to welcome the Gospel, which proclaimed salvation to a lost world through the atoning death of Christ.

The promise or covenant between God and His people is fulfilled in Jesus.

The covenant or promise with God is binding.

Romans 9:5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all.

Not only a spiritual ancestry, but also a human ancestry.

There are four main covenants in the Old Testament which relate to Jesus and God's plan of salvation.

The Promise with Noah: Genesis 9:8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:

11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

God stays His hand from final condemnation of man's sin and confirms the path towards restoration.

The Promise with Abraham Genesis 15; 2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

God confirms His will to establish His people, from whom, one day would come the Messiah.

The Promise with Moses Exodus 24:7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."

8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."

This was a covenant that called God's people to live a holy life. It required sacrifice for sin, it was the shadow of things to come.

The Promise with David 2 Samuel 7: 25 "And now, LORD God, keep for ever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great for ever. Then men will say, `The LORD Almighty is God over Israel !' And the house of your servant David will be established before you.

1 Kings 2:4 that the LORD may keep his promise to me: `If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel .'

From the line of David, would come Jesus of Nazareth

The covenant with God is a disposition of good things, which are God's to bestow. I can bring nothing to the bargaining table, it's all from God. The covenant arises from his grace. His part of the covenant is pure and unchanging.

Heb 6:16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.

If I promise something, it may or may not happen - with God that is not even an issue!

The promise of a Saviour runs throughout he Old Testament the prophets hold on to what the world cannot see.

Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The prophets resound with news of the Messiah, news confirmed by the Gospel writers.

What will be the result of the Messiah coming? A new covenant will be formed.

Jeremiah 31:33 "This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

As the promised Spirit came at Pentecost, Peter speaks of the fulfilment of this promise.

Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

The final fulfilment of the covenant came with Jesus affirming that the shedding of His blood would complete the promise of Redemption, Restoration and Renewal.

Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

"For this is my blood of the New Covenant". That is, the red wine in the cup, was an emblem and representation of his precious blood, which was a new dispensation, or administration of the covenant of grace; and by which it was ratified and confirmed; and all it's blessings of peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life, come to the people of God: The allusion is to the first covenant, and the book of it being sprinkled with the blood of bulls, that is why it is called 'the blood of the covenant'.

God's glorious plan of salvation, promised, covenanted from the beginning of time to you and me, delivered in it's entirety through the death of His dear Son, Jesus.

What does the promise, the covenant mean to me and to you?

That we can trust God implicitly.

His promises like Him are the same yesterday and today and for ever.'

The question then is, have you believed this promise? (ex on covenant or promise needs to ratified by two parties)

Heb 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Mike Read