A review of Living by God’s Promises by Joel R. Beeke & Lames A. La Belle.—Travis Daggett
This book is part of the Deepen Your Christian Life series published by Reformation Heritage Books. As with most books published by RHB, the series presents the writing of Puritans in contemporary language. Everything I’ve read to date by RHB has been first-rate and I can heartily recommend anything they publish.
“Apart from Christ, we have no right to any of God’s promises. But through our union with Christ, we have access to all of them.”
This is the central theme of the book, and is certainly one of the primary threads in the Bible. Unlike the universalist dribble from many false teachers today, this book affirms the Scriptural doctrine of the exclusivity of Christ. We are not all God’s children, who can call upon Him as a divine Santa Claus when we need something. No, if we are not in Christ, the only promises of God that we can expect are those for covenant-breakers.
“If we hope for the things the Lord has promised us, our hope is solid.”
The TBN crowd, the prosperity preachers, the health-and-wealth, name-it-and-claim-it, word of faith hucksters offer a hope that is no hope at all. The Lord has not promised houses and cars and health. No, His promises are far superior. He promises eternal life, fullness of joy, peace that isn’t dependent on circumstances. He promises Himself. He is a solid rock. When we know God’s Word, we know what He has promised and what He hasn’t. This is biblical hope; hope that doesn’t disappoint because it’s rooted in the promises of a covenant-keeping God.
Idolatry seeks the promises of God apart from God Himself. But consider, “Christ is the Head of the church who receives the promises and Christ is the Savior of sinners who apportions the promises to those He saves.” Thus, the one who finds the true riches of Christ is the man who seeks Christ Himself. He seeks His Kingdom and receives more than he could possibly ask or imagine. God is the giver of all good gifts for His children.
Read this book. Then search the Scriptures for the promises of God made to Christ and rejoice that if you are in Christ, Christ is yours and all He has is yours as well.
Travis Daggett is the husband of Sharlene Daggett, who together are the parents of some children.
Additional notes:
The Puritan Thomas Goodwin says only two men stand before God, the first and second Adam, and we all hang from their girdles (or belts). Christ is the Son of Man and Head of the church, to whom God the Father has promised all blessings for us. We have a right to the promises of God only as we are found in Christ. . . . Moreover, Paul states plainly in Galatians 3:16 that the promises of the covenant of grace made to Abraham and his offspring were made to Christ, so that any benefits that the Israelites enjoyed from the promises were due to their belonging to Christ, to whom the promises rightfully and singularly belong.
As William Spurstowe says: “The manner of the fulfillment of it may be various, but the performance of it is most certain.”
Defects in our faith towards God’s promises:
Our faith in the promises is not specific. We believe the general truth of God’s promises, but we do not study His Word to make particular application of them.
All the objections you might summon as to why you cannot come to Christ can be cut in two with this knife: This is His commandment.
Spurstowe:
Were the way which leads to heave a ladder of duties, and not a golden chain of free grace, I could not but fear, that the higher I climb, the greater would my fall prove to be; every service being like a brittle [rung] that can bear no weight; and the whole frame and series of duties at the best, far short of the ladder in Jacob’s vision . . . .
Late repentance is seldom true repentance.
His servants have ever found Him better and never worse than His Word.
When the Lord has placed conditions and exceptions on a promise, our prayers must be conditional.
“God assures me, he will lay no more on me, than I shall be able to bear, either my burden shall be made lighter or my faith stronger.”
As a man will not lose what he buys with his own money, so Christ will not lose you, whom He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).
Your endeavoring after holiness is how the Lord works His holiness in you (Phil. 2:12-13).
We have not waited so many years in the means of grace for comfort, as God has waited for our conversion.”