Promises are often made but how much harder it is to keep them! Although a promise may be made in good faith, it might be forgotten or overruled by a change of circumstance, and then it is simply broken. However, the many promises that God has given in His Word, the Bible, cannot and will not fail. For example, many centuries ago God promised that seedtime and harvest, summer and winter, day and night would continue. These events and seasons have never ended. God has kept His promise.
‘While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease’ (Genesis 8.22).
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus again this Christmas, it reminds us of the fulfilment of God’s wonderful promise that He would send a Saviour into the world.
‘The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world’ (1 John 4.14).
So why did our world need a Saviour? It was because sin (wickedness) entered the world. The first people God made – Adam and Eve, were living in the Garden of Eden enjoying a peaceful relationship with Him. God had given them a serious warning that they were not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for if they did they would surely die. Tempted by the devil, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the fruit. At that moment sin and death entered the world. Their sin separated them from God and in due course they would die. Since that time all the descendants of Adam and Eve are born with a sinful nature. We are all sinners and have done wrong in thought, word and deed. Sin is serious and condemns us before a just and Holy God.
‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3.23).
But God in His great love and mercy sent His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the Saviour of sinners. Prophets foretold His coming and angels announced His birth. Shepherds and wise men came and worshipped Him. God kept His promise.
‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2.11). Jesus lived a sinless life and willingly suffered the punishment that our sin deserves when He died on the cross. God accepted His Son’s atoning death by raising Him to life again. All who repent and ask for their sin to be forgiven and believe on Him, will no longer be condemned to everlasting punishment but have the promise of eternal life in heaven.
‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Romans 6.23).
We may not always be able to keep our promises but it is certain that God will keep His. ‘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).
