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Calvary Chapel Downriver, 6760 Allen Road #204, Allen Park, MI (2026)

08/18/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 18, 2021

Another "Unpopular" Promise of Sin's Consequences

"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:49-50)

Here are some more "unpopular" promises from Jesus. This series of promises intensifies the warning He gave in our previous meditation concerning the consequences of sin. "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). Our present verses reveal by promise the absolute certainty and dreadful duration of sin's consequences. In a world that wants to deny accountability and ignore eternity, these are unpopular promises.

All who die in the guilt of sin will definitely be judged some day. It is an absolute certainty. A day of accountability is coming. "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just." Those who die before this day will also face judgment. "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). The place of final judgment for the unsaved will be the great white throne. "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it…And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God…And the dead [the unredeemed dead] were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books…And they were judged, each one according to his works…And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev 20:11-15).

This absolutely certain judgment also has a dreadful duration. It is eternal. Sin is a spiritual crime against God. The true and living God is eternal. He is the great "I AM" (Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58). Therefore, the consequences of sin are also eternal. Thus, all unbelievers will be "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10). The ultimate torment of hell will be separation from God's presence for eternity. "These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

The absolute certainty and dreadful duration of the consequences of sin make earlier promises we have examined all the more critical. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord…And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish" (Romans 6:23 and John 10:28).

Everlasting Father, I know that I deserve eternal judgment due to my sins against You. I praise You for the gracious gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Use me to help others know of the reality of judgment and the availability of everlasting life, Amen.

08/17/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 17, 2021

The Importance of God's "Unpopular" Promises

"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24)

Generally speaking, God's promises are "popular" with many people. When most of the Lord's promises are read or taught, people are delighted. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed…Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." (John 8:36; Matthew 11:28; and Matthew 4:19). Promises like these are so often received with favor, because they are so encouraging. They are embraced with approval, because they are so comforting. On the other hand, some of God's promises are definitely "unpopular" with certain segments of humanity. This type of promise is scorned or rejected because of its convicting or sobering character. Nevertheless, these promises that are not always well-received have great importance in God's plan.

One such promise is given two-fold in our present verse. "You will die in your sins… you will die in your sins." In a "tolerant" world that wants to deny the reality of sin and its consequences, this is an unpopular promise. Yet, the promise is true nonetheless. Sin brings spiritual death. From the beginning, this has been the case. "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die'" (Genesis 2:16-17). This truth was restated by the prophets of Israel. "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20). It was also repeated by the apostles in the early church. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Since everyone has sinned, this warning by promise that Jesus gave applies to us all. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

To escape the inevitable consequences of sin, one must trust in Jesus as the promised, divine Savior. "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." This statement ("I am He") points to Jesus' deity. Shortly thereafter, He openly declares that He is God, the Son. "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). Here, Jesus applies to Himself the same name that God revealed to Moses. "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:14). This important promise by Jesus warns that only faith in Him as the divine Savior will deliver a person from the certain consequences of sin.

Lord Jesus, I thank You for this important warning given by promise. I am delighted to have yielded to its truth and certainty. I rejoice that my sins are forgiven. Use me to pass on this promise to others who need to respond to it, in Jesus' name, Amen.

08/16/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 15, 2021

The Promise of Freedom in Christ

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)

As mentioned previously, one way to examine the life of grace is to look at living by faith in the promises of God. Let us now proceed in our consideration of God's "exceedingly great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4). The promise of spiritual freedom in Christ is certainly a magnificent and priceless promise. Although we have already given considerable attention to the liberating work of the Lord, this promise gives another appropriate opportunity to meditate on this vital theme (which appears repeatedly throughout Scripture).

When people come in humility to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in Him for freedom, they will be genuinely liberated. This is what the saving grace of God is all about. In coming to the Lord for His salvation, a person is delivered, rescued, set free. This gracious freedom that we find in Christ has both a "from" and an "unto" aspect. Those who look to Jesus for spiritual liberation are free to leave old things behind. They are also free to enter into corresponding new things.

Those who come to Christ are set free from death unto life. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24). Those who come to Christ are delivered from condemnation unto justification. "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life" (Romans 5:18). Those who come to Christ are rescued from hell unto heaven. "Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" (Matthew 23:33 and 1 Peter 1:3). Those who come to Christ are liberated from the bankruptcy of vain human resources unto the richness of abundant spiritual treasures. "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Romans 7:18 and Ephesians 1:3).

Dear Lord Jesus, You are the one who has truly set me free. I thank You that I am no longer spiritually dead, condemned, headed for hell, and limited to inadequate human resources. I praise You that I am alive in Christ, justified, headed for heaven, and enriched by all the resources of Your grace, Amen!

08/14/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 14, 2021

Coming to the Lord for Edifying Grace

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

Coming to Jesus habitually for the grace that we need daily is at the heart of growing in grace. These closing verses of our previous meditation provide a profound example of this relational emphasis in the Christian life. The spiritual impact in view here is edification: "being built up." As we saw earlier, God's grace is the edifying resource for our lives. "And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up" (Acts 20:32). Now we will look at the relational path that God has designed for accessing that edifying grace.

Jesus is likened here to a "living stone." He is solid and reliable, like a rock. Yet, a rock is lifeless, insensitive, unresponsive. Jesus is a "living stone." He is alive, tender, lovingly responsive. The Lord wants to build us up to be like Him (solid and stable, yet loving and caring). The Lord's way to build us up "as living stones" is to call us to an ongoing process of coming to Himself: "Coming to Him as to a living stone…you also, as living stones, are being built up." In order to practically grow "as living stones," we must be coming to the one who already is innately what He wants us to become. He alone can provide what is needed in our lives.

How do we come to Jesus in this manner? Well, again, it is a matter of relating to Him. When we get into the word of God, we are not merely looking for more biblical information. Jesus is the one we are to be seeking. When we are praying, we are not merely "saying our prayers." Jesus is the one in whose name we are praying and whose will and work we are seeking. When we are worshiping, we are not merely singing songs, we are singing to the Lord Himself. When we are going forth in ministry, we are not merely carrying out a valid task. We are looking to the Lord for enablement, while desiring to please and honor Him.

The more we come to Jesus in this way, to that extent His edifying grace will be building us up "a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Dear Lord, You are the true living stone, stable and loving. So often I am unstable and unloving. I need to be built up as a living stone. I need to be more like You. Lord, help me to come to You daily, habitually. When I am studying the Scriptures, praying, worshiping, or serving, help me to seek You in and through it all, in Your mighty name I pray, Amen.

08/13/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 13, 2021

Coming to the Lord for Grace

"Come to Me…and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me…and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)

Our previous meditation on the spiritual rest promised by Jesus provides an excellent opportunity to reflect again upon the relational aspect of living by the grace of God. God's grace does not abound toward us by means of some religious procedure. His grace flows into our lives as we walk in a developing relationship with Him. This is essential to understand, since it is "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 8:9) that we are to be experiencing.

It is in coming to the Lord, in relating to the Lord, that we find His grace at work in our lives. "Come to Me…Take My yoke… learn from Me." When we first come to Jesus in humble dependence, we find His grace forgives us of our sin and guilt. When we yoke up with Him, walking intimately with Him each day, we find His grace rescues us from religious, fleshly striving.

This pattern of coming to the Lord is prevalent in the Scriptures. Isaiah wrote of it concerning salvation. "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other…Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come" (Isaiah 45:22, 24). Isaiah also declared that by simply coming to the Lord spiritual refreshment and life from God would be available. "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live" (Isaiah 55:1-3). Of course, Jesus restated this profound invitation concerning Himself. "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).

The Apostle Peter wrote of another significant issue for which we come to Jesus. "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:4-5). If we are going to access the grace that edifies our lives, we must consistently be coming to Jesus Christ, the Father's chosen and precious cornerstone.

Dear Lord, I praise You for the grace that I find every time I come to You in humble dependence. Coming to You, I am cleansed, sustained, refreshed, and built up. I am so thankful that Your grace is accessed through relationship with You and not through religious performance by me!

08/11/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 11, 2021

Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises

By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises…And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." (2 Peter 1:4 and Matthew 4:19)

As we have seen, faith is the proper response to the promises of God. Let us now return to individual consideration of God's wonderful promises. They are so wonderful that the Scriptures describe them as "exceedingly great and precious." The promises of God (which are deserving of our trust) are "exceedingly great." They are far beyond magnificent. The Greek root behind this phrase provides the English prefix, "mega" (as in "mega-bomb" or "mega-celebrity"). The promises of God are also "precious." They are priceless. They are beyond what any human or temporal treasure could ever secure.

One of God's "exceedingly great and precious promises" is linked to Jesus' call to discipleship. This call was an invitation to come and pursue after Him. "And He said to them, 'Follow Me.'" The Lord Jesus wants people to develop a life with Him. He wants us to build a relationship with Him. For all who will humbly focus their days on earth in a quest after Him, Jesus makes this magnificent promise. "I will make you." As we follow after Him, we can count on His fulfilling the promise to remake us. These men He addressed were "fishers of fish." Jesus promised to make them "fishers of men." "From now on you will catch men" (Luke 5:10).

The critical point is that Jesus would be the one changing these men. In this situation, He speaks of changing them from those who caught fish (for a temporal fishing business) to those who would catch men (for the eternal kingdom of God). Yet, in every situation, He is the one to rely upon for a changed life. It is amazing what people (even believers in Jesus Christ) will do to try to change their lives. They will sign up for every new program that comes through town (or is offered over national television). They will commit themselves to years of humanistic, speculative therapy. They will follow gurus to every continent on earth. They will even make endless lists of promises to God to do better or try harder. Yet, all of this is to no avail. God's plan for transformation of life is to believe in His promise. "I will make you." God wants to be the cause that produces the effect of a transformed life. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:10).

Yes, by the grace of God, transformation of life is available by faith in the promises of God. If we are willing to humbly pursue after a developing relationship with the Lord of life, He promises to make us into what He wants us to be.

Lord Jesus, thank You for being so patient with me through all my futile attempts to change myself. Please remind me daily to seek after You, knowing that I can count on You to be transforming me into what You want me to be, Amen.

08/08/2021

The Allen Park street fair was a success! A huge thank you to all who came out to help!

08/05/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 5, 2021

God's Promises and God's Rest

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest. (Hebrews 4:1-3)

Through the promises of God, all who believe can experience spiritual rest. Initially, those who believe enjoy rest from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Additionally, those whose faith embraces other promises from God can enjoy rest from carnal striving and worldly indulgence.

When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, they had rest from the bo***ge they had known there. This pictures our rest from sin and guilt. Yet, the Lord had more rest to share with His people. He wanted to give them rest from the futile wilderness striving they experienced between Egypt and the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. This pictures how we can rest from the fleshly striving of doubt and disobedience by drawing upon the riches that are ours in Christ.

The Israelites wandered through the wilderness in hardness of heart for forty years. All of that generation (except Joshua and Caleb) missed the additional rest that God wanted them to experience. "Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.' So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest'" (Hebrews 3:10-11). They were out of Egypt, but they would not enter into the Promised Land.

Are we entering into the additional rest that God has for us? "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it." The Promised Land is a picture of the abundant spiritual life (not a picture of heaven-no battles or failures in heaven). This additional rest is what Jesus offers to all who believe in Him. "I have come that they may have life [eternal life, forgiveness of sin], and that they may have it more abundantly [richness of life, growing in practical righteousness]" (John 10:10). This abundant life is enjoyed as we believe in the word of God, as it describes the riches that are ours in Christ. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). Will we take the Lord at His word and believe that we might enter in? "For we who have believed do enter that rest." Israel did not believe, so they did not enter in. "The word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."

Dear Lord, I thank You for giving me rest from sin and guilt, simply by trusting in Your promises. Now, I ask for new measures of additional rest from barrenness and striving, simply by trusting in Your promises of abundant life, in Jesus' name, Amen.

08/03/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 3, 2021

Still More on God's Promises and God's Law

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed. (Romans 4:16)

The Lord desires that we should have great certainty concerning His promises. Our God does not want us to be plagued with apprehension concerning the fulfillment of His promises. In all that God has promised, He intends for us to stand in bedrock assurance: "that the promise might be sure to all the seed." This certainty is based upon two sets of related truths: one between His promises and His grace, and another between His grace and faith in Him.

The first set of related truths mentioned here (that makes God's promises sure) is His promises and His grace. Living by God's promises allows us to walk in the all-sufficient grace of God. The heavenly dynamic behind the promises of God is the grace of God. If God's promises are to be sure in our lives, we must relate to them "according to grace." If we are counting on any other hope besides grace to make God's promises certain, we will never stand in full assurance of the promises being fulfilled. If God's promises depend upon our performance, we will never walk in full assurance. If His promises depend upon the faithfulness or ability of others, full assurance will always elude us. The fulfillment of God's promises depends wholly on His grace.

Now, how do we treat God's promises in a way that does not disregard the grace that is behind them? The only acceptable response is faith. "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace." Every other response creates a discord with grace. This was the great mistake that Abraham and Sarah made early in their pilgrimage with the Lord. When they relied upon their own ingenuity (using the slave girl, Hagar, to try to supply the son God had promised), they were operating outside the realm of dependence upon God. Basically, they were trusting in themselves.

Behind all of the promises of the gospel is the promised Savior, who would die on the cross for our sins. If we attempt to base God's saving work on our performance, we are setting aside God's grace. We are inferring that His death for us was unnecessary or inadequate. "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain" (Galatians 2:21).

Father God, what a marvelous plan You have for Your children! You lay out Your purposes by means of great promises. You put Your wondrous grace behind every promise. Then, You ask us to place our faith in You to graciously fulfill all that You have committed to do. Lord, what assurance this gives concerning Your promises!

08/02/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 2, 2021

Even More on God's Promises and God's Law

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect. (Romans 4:13-14)

These words from the book of Romans provide further consideration of God's promises and God's law. Abraham is again the person around whom the insights unfold.

God promised Abraham blessings beyond measure. "Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 28:14). These promises were not contingent upon Abraham's ability to follow God's holy law. "For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law." When God made these promises to Abraham, the law was still hundreds of years from being revealed. Likewise, these promises were not contingent upon circumcision (the sign of this covenant with Abraham). "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe" (Romans 4:11). Circumcision was added after Abraham heard the promises and believed.

In these encounters with God, Abraham was being asked to put his trust and confidence in the Lord. "For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." When Abraham believed in the promises of God, at that moment, God declared him righteous in His sight. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3). Abraham trusted in the Lord, and this gave him a right standing with God and allowed him to enter into God's promises.

The only other option to "God-dependent faith" would be "self-dependent law performance." Such an approach to God would be totally unacceptable. "For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect." Attempting to merit God's promises by law performance says we view faith in Him as meaningless. Striving to earn what God has pledged to provide says we consider His promises as ineffectual.

Dear Lord, forgive me for my frequent attempts to accomplish by my performance that which You offer by promise. Lord, I see that this shows disdain for faith in You and for Your promises to me. Please give me a fresh new awareness of the excellence of faith and the power of Your promises, Amen.

08/02/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
August 1, 2021

More on God's Promises and God's Law

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions…Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:19, 21-22)

In our previous meditation, we saw that God implements His plan of salvation by making and fulfilling promises. His plan is not contingent upon man's ability to perform acceptably before His holy law. To put it another way, the law of God (given hundreds of years after the promises to Abraham) does not replace those promises.

This raises a very important question: "What purpose then does the law serve?" If God's law did not cancel or rearrange His promises to Abraham, then why was it added? "It was added because of transgressions." God wanted people to know that they had a major problem: sin. Man's sin needed to be clearly defined. "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). The extent of sin would never be fully known apart from the law. "I would not have known sin except through the law" (Romans 7:7). Also, God wanted everyone in this world to know that they were accountable to Him for their transgressions. Thus, the law convicts the sinfulness of man, that "all the world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19).

This raises another important question. "Is the law then against the promises of God?" The law does not replace God's promises, but does it work against His promises? "Certainly not!" The law of God and the promises of God simply have different purposes (just as it is with law and grace). The law of God reveals the holiness that is inherent to the very character of God. At the same time, it describes the holy life that God wants His people to live. "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). The promises of God become the means by which man deals with his unholiness and accesses God's holiness. This is what true spiritual life is about: forgiveness of sin and a life of righteousness in Christ. This cannot come by law performance. "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law." Rather, the promise of life is entered into only by faith. "But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."

O Holy Lord, I confess that in my own natural resources there is no innate holiness. I can find forgiveness of sin and true righteousness from You alone. Help me to understand the difference between Your law which convicts and Your promises which bring life, through Christ my Lord, Amen.

07/31/2021

Day by Day by Grace
Bob Hoekstra
July 31, 2021

God's Promises and God's Law

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (Galatians 3:16-18)

Early in our meditations, we considered one of the most profound subjects in the Scriptures: the relationship between the grace of God and the law of God. These verses engage a comparable subject: the relationship between God's promises and God's law.

Again, we are reminded of God's fundamental use of promises in bringing forth His will among mankind. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made." God made far-reaching promises to Abraham and his descendants, promises that included the coming of the Messiah, the anointed King, the Savior. Although these promises guaranteed an innumerable posterity to Abraham, this statement specifies one descendant in particular. "He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ." The Lord Jesus Christ is in view here. The promises that were the root of the new covenant of grace were made by the Father to His Messiah (as well as to Abraham). "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made." God provides us added assurance here. The Father's primary commitment was to His Son!

Now, what about the law of God, which was added hundreds of years later? Could the law possibly have replaced the promises to Abraham and to the Son of God? "And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ." The promises of God to Abraham and to His Son were not nullified by the giving of the law of God ("that it should make the promise of no effect" ). People, through their own law performance, cannot become heirs of that which God promises to His children. If they could, then God's blessings are no longer based on God's fulfillment of His promises. "For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise." This cannot be, because "God gave it to Abraham by promise." God's work among mankind stands on His ability to fulfill His promises. It does not depend on our ability to live up to the perfect law of God.

Dear Father, my heart is assured of these promises of blessing for man that you made to Your Son. My heart rejoices that Your work in my life rests on Your promises and not on my performance, Amen.

Calvary Chapel Downriver

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