Promises

The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay”, but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
– 2 Peter 3:7

All throughout the Old Testament the Lord makes promises. He promised Abraham decedents as numerous as the stars. To Moses the Lord promised to be with him as he spoke to Pharaoh. Through Moses, God inflicted the 10 plagues of Egypt. God does not lie and as a result we can rest assured that His promise of salvation will be fulfilled as well.

As humans we have the freewill to do as we please. Of course, there are consequences as well as rewards depending on the action taken. God does not force humans to do His will or to believe in Jesus for salvation. It is up to each individual, and one day we will all be accountable for our actions (Revelations 2:23). God gave us His only Son, so that our sins will no keep us from approaching the Throne of Grace. The Lord wants us to come to Him, to cover ourselves with Jesus’ blood.

Grace is freely given to all mankind, but it must also be freely accepted. Peter tells us that God doesn’t wish that any should perish, however due to our freewill there will be those who will perish in their sins. It is through God’s grace that we receive salvation (Ephesians 2:8). As hard as someone would try to achieve salvation on their own, it is impossible. It is only through belief and acceptance are we saved from our sins. Jesus in Mark 16:16 said “whoever believes and is baptized, will be saved.” Like any other gift, grace must be accepted. We have the freedom to refuse such a bless; sadly, there are those who will.

God will fulfill His promise of salvation and a new world. There have been recent groups or individuals who have believed they have uncovered the time of Jesus’ return. Matthew wrote in chapter 24 that no one will know the hour of the return of Christ. The Lord will deliver, but on His timetable. He is so far beyond us that we cannot comprehend His thoughts or actions (Isaiah 55:8,9). Jesus will return, and His faithful will be raised with Him; adorned in a glorified body. This life is fleeting, the kingdom of God will everlasting.