Our entire Christian life is built on promises, including those for eternal life and resurrection. These promises are either unconditional or conditional. God will fulfill certain promises regardless of the circumstances. Other times, He will do something only if we meet certain conditions.

Dr. Stanley explains why we know God will keep His promises—because He is truthful, faithful, immutable, and loving. Also, we can trust in His ability to keep those promises because our Lord is:

Omniscient: God knows everything about every decision we need to make. He knows what came before and what comes after. His promises to us are based on complete knowledge, so He doesn’t make mistakes.

Omnipresent: God is always with us no matter what’s going on in our lives. He promises to never leave nor forsake us.

Omnipotent: El Shaddai is the Hebrew name for God that means “God Almighty.” He is always in control whether we understand what He is doing or not. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

The only reasons a conditional promise might not be fulfilled is because our requests aren’t in the will of God or sin has gotten in the way. For these promises, God only requires two things from us: obedience and faith. If we follow the Lord and trust Him to keep His word, we will experience the great blessings of His fulfilled promises.

start your day off. Right with the free in touch devotional subscribe today In touch with Dr. Charles Stanley celebrating 45 years of God’s faithfulness in sharing the gospel worldwide. Next on in touch our God of promise. We all make promises in life. Some of them we keep some of them we don’t keep we may intend to keep every one of them, but we don’t for some circumstance, for some reason or the other. And I think about parents, for example, who make promises to their Children and they don’t keep them and they think, well, you know, that’s just a child. But remember this when you make a promise to a little child, that child values that promise on the basis of who said it. So if daddy makes a promise and tells that some of that dog, when I come home this afternoon, I’m gonna take you to the ball game, I’m going to bring you this or whatever it might be and you show up and uh, you said, well, I was just tired. I just worked too long. I didn’t I didn’t have time just sorry, what that says is not that you didn’t keep a promise. You rejected me. A promise is a powerful thing. And for little Children, especially when their parents do not keep their word. Here’s what happens. A little boy thinks his dad’s next thing to God little girl thinks her mom, she’s it when the two most important people in their life do not keep their promises. Here’s what happens. It doesn’t mean that that child just doubts their parents once in a while. But they’ll grow up doubting the word of adults. So when you and I make promises what you think first before we make them because you see if we do not fulfill our promises and here’s what happens, it is a reflection on us and our character for example and it’s also a hurt to someone else. So it isn’t just something that happens to us. It’s something that happens to someone else. So promises are valuable and promises should be meaningful. In fact, if you think about it, your whole christian life is centered on a group of promises and that group of promises come from the Word of God. How do you know that you have eternal life? Because jesus promised it that if you placed your trust in him as your savior, you’d have the gift of eternal life. The reason you believe is because of a promise he made. What about when you die? What about that? How do you know where you’re gonna be? Well the only reason you know where you’re gonna be is because the bible says absent from the body present with the Lord. How do you know after that there’s gonna be a resurrection? Because jesus said it you believe it, there’s something about him that made you believe the promise he gave you. So your whole life is wrapped up in promises and the purpose of this message is very simple. I want you to understand why you can trust the promises of Almighty God and many people say well you know I’ve trusted him and it didn’t work. Well why didn’t it work? Is it because God failed you? Did he break his promise? One thing for certain? He did not break his promise. If you look just for a moment in the 10th chapter of hebrews and I want to read this passage, but I really just want to deal with one verse. But I’ll read it because here’s what this verse is really saying. And I’ll tell you ahead of time, He’s talking about the fact that we have access to God the father beginning of 19th verse of this 10th chapter. Um we have a relationship with him through his son Jesus Christ which he called a new and living way, which is what we have when we trust him as our savior. And that Jesus is our great high priest and we have absolute assurance because of what he’s done in their life. And then he says in verse 23, let us hold fast. That is this grip strongly the confession of our hope without wavering and for what reason for he listened for he who promised is faithful. So we’re talking about in this message. The whole issue here is the issue of why we should believe the promises of God. Now as you think about promises that you have made in your life to somebody the love and to marry them are your Children to your parents or some friend. How many times have you had to break that promise? Oh I’d ask you this. Have you made promises sort of nonchalantly? Well you can count on me I’ll be there though and so and so and so and then you didn’t do it. And you said well they’ll understand maybe they didn’t understand one of the wonderful things about God. Listen, he’s never broken a promise. He’s never forgotten the promise, not a single one. And when you realize that your whole christian life is wrapped up around the promises of the word of God, you begin to understand how very important it is that you and I understand what we say when we say I promise you thus. And so what did God mean? And why for example why should we even believe that God made them? So If somebody promised to give you $5,000 if you would just come to church next Sunday, two things you’d ask. Well first of all, who is this person? And secondly have they even got $5,000? So the two things character and ability. When it comes to promise. Character and ability will they keep their words? And can they keep their word very important? Now sometimes people will complain about what God’s doing not doing so let’s understand something very very important. That is the two kinds of promises God gives one of them is an unconditional promise and one is a conditional promise. An unconditional promise is a promise made by God in which whatever he says he will do, he will do. And there are no exceptions, no exceptions whatsoever. What is an example of that? Well, back in genesis chapter 12 when God was dealing with Abraham, this is a perfect example of an unconditional promise. And I want you to notice the difference in this and a conditional promise. Here’s what he says first verse of chapter 12. Now the Lord said to Abram, go forth from your country and from your relatives and from the father’s house to the land, which I will show you. Now watch these our wills to the language. I will show you and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and I will make your name great. So you shall ever be a blessing and I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you, I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. That’s one. Watch this one unconditional promise after the other. There’s not a single time God said, except if but when where he just said this is what I’m gonna do now. So uh that’s an unconditional promise. But let’s look at a conditional promise for example. And a conditional promise is one that a person makes that that a person is willing to do under certain circumstances. If this happens, here’s what I’ll do. If you do this, here’s what I’ll do. And so there are many of those, for example, in scripture. But let’s just take one in romans chapter 10 verse nine and 10. He says that if you confess with your mouth, jesus as Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you’ll be saved. If that’s a conditional promise. So when somebody says, well, I know I’ve been saving, well, I’ve just been good all my life. That’s not what God said, God said. Your salvation is conditioned upon your faith in the Lord, jesus christ as your savior. And your Lord, for example, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all our righteousness, not just in it. No. If that’s conditional. So what kind of what kind of promises do most of us make? Listen you and I only have the power to make conditional promises. For the simple reason, we can’t control everything. We can’t control all of our circumstances. And so therefore we make conditional promises. We make them with all of our heart. We say here’s what I will do. You can count on it. I’ll be there and maybe maybe most of the time you are. But you could get sick, you could have an accident something that happened to Children. You couldn’t show up. So we make conditional promises and our believability is based on our character and our ability to do what we said. So the same thing is during the christian life. So God makes unconditional promises and he makes conditional promises. We make conditional promises. Only God can make promises that nothing can alter now in that light. Let’s look at this whole issue of character and ability. So let’s just look at God for a moment and I want us to look at four attributes of God. That is four characteristics of God. I want us to look at for the many others. For example, there’s the holiness of God, the justice of God, the righteous of God and all of these, but just four of his attributes. And because I want you to see these if when you understand who he is and what his character is and what that character means and his ability. You have no reason to doubt the word of God. Listen, when he says and paul said, my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in christ that’s through my relationship to him, will he keep his promise? Absolutely, he’s going to keep his promise. So let’s look at them for just a moment. And the first attribute that I want us to look at Is this simple fact. # one, God is truthful. That means listen, he’s truthful all the time. He is the essence of truth. He only tells the truth and he knows the truth about every single solitary thing there is to know in life. Therefore, when I come to this passage in titus and and he says, God cannot lie. And this awesome passage in numbers 23 numbers 23 verse 19 listen to this passage, watch this God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should repent. Has he said? And will he not do it? Has he spoken? And will he not make it good? And the answer, of course, is no God doesn’t speak and not make it good. He cannot tell a lie. He is in essence. The truth, jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the father of it with me. All truth is to be found in him. So one of the reasons I can believe his promises is simply this because he only tells the truth. But there’s a 2nd 1. And and there are many things we could say about that. But the second of those qualities is, for example, faithful God is faithful. And in 1st 1st Corinthians chapter one, when Paul is uh just beginning his epistle, here’s what he said, he said, God is faithful through whom you were called into fellowship with his son, jesus christ our Lord, he’s a faithful god, which means he’s trustworthy, that he will do what he says, he will do. And at no point in your life or mine, has God ever proven to be unfaithful, that he’s a faithful god. That’s that’s that’s an attribute of his. And if you go through the scriptures and think how many times and I think for example, in back in first Corinthians uh 10 for just a moment. And uh listen to this passage that all of us have read uh, many, many times. And uh, and thank God for it. He says no temptation or trial has overtaken you watch this now, but such as is common to man, which means that every single one of us has been tempted and tried in different ways, but other people have also. And so he says, no temptation or trial has overtaken you. But such as is common demand, watch this next phrase. But God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted and tried beyond what you’re able But will with the temptation of the trial make it provide a way of escape also, so that you’re able to endure it. So what does that mean? It means that every single trial, every temptation, every difficulty you and I go through. We we have this awesome promise from God that is watch this, that his promises, he will not allow you and me to be tried or tempted by anything. Watch this more than we can bear with his health, his guidance and his ability to see us do it. He will not allow it. He’s a God who is God of truth. And he’s a God who is a god of faithfulness. But there’s a third thing. He is a god who is immutable. That is, he doesn’t change. And he says, for example, in Malachi chapter three verse six, that he’s a God who does not change, doesn’t change his mind, that certain things happen that are conditional and unconditional. If God says, watch this, if God says, here’s what I’m going to do, if you don’t do this. And so if you do this, and so and so what happens, you you violate his will or his purpose in some area. And so he doesn’t do it. See that God didn’t keep his promise. So yes, he did. It was a conditional promise condition on something that you do or do not do. Now, that’s a very, very important point. Because if you don’t get that, you’ll say, well, God, here’s what you said and you didn’t do it. God makes these promises based on listen, watch this based on watch this carefully based on conditions that are for our good. Because he’s the god of truth. He’s a god of fitness. And he’s faithful to himself as well as to us. He’s immutable. He doesn’t change. But he’s also a God of love. And in 1st John Chapter four there, he speaks about being that God is love. Now, one of the reasons you and I should believe in him, as far as his character is concerned, you say, well, how do I know whether God loves me or not? If somebody says that to me, here’s what I do. The cross is all the proof I need that he loves me. And if he is willing to do that for me, I don’t have any reason to doubt that he’ll do all those things less than that. That crosses his ultimate expression of love. He kept that promise. He said, I’m going to the cross and I’m gonna die for your sins and you’re gonna be forgiven of sin as a result of me being on the cross. Did he do what he promised to do? Yes, I do. I have a reason to doubt him. No, I do not. He’s a God who is absolutely faithful, Absolutely truthful, never changing. And he’s a god of absolute love that has to do with his character. So I can I can trust him for his character. You say well, but but can he So there are three other attributes of God I wanted to look at. And that’s simply this. First of all, he is a god who is omniscient. He knows every single solitary thing. And this passage in hebrews 4th chapter listen to what he says. Beginning in verse 12 4th chapter for the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword and piercing, as far as the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart and there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare. That means uncovered to the eyes of him, with whom we have to do. Which means simply this. I can trust him because I know he has disability since he is omniscient and knows everything. He knows every single solitary thing involved in every single solitary decision you have he knows what came before, what’s going on now and what’s gonna happen thereafter. Therefore when you and I come to him and he he makes a promise. Remember this? He’s not making a promise by flipping a coin. He makes promises, baby. Listen, he makes promises based on what, based on his absolute infinite total perfect knowledge of everything there is to know about you. He can’t make any mistakes. We make mistakes, we make promises based on half knowledge or false things that we’ve heard or things that we think that may be true. He makes decisions based only on the absolute truth. That’s the second thing and that is that he’s I’m the present. And what is his omnipresence? Well, you know the passage in 139th song when we talk about where God is and what he knows and so forth. So not only uh not only what he knows about us, but also, for example, listen to what he says. He says, O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You don’t want to sit down when I rise up, you understand my thoughts from afar. You scrutinize my path, my lying down and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before, there is a word on my tongue. Behold the Lord. You know it all perfectly aware and listen to this, but I’m the president, I simply mean this, he’s always there for you and me. No matter what he’s there in the fulfillment of every promise he’s made. He says, what the promises I will never forsake you never forsake you, I will be with you to the end of this age, absent from the body present with the Lord. I mean you name it and jesus is there and then of course there’s this awesome reason for me to trust him and that is he’s omnipotent. He has all power. It’s not enough for him to know what to do, but he has the power to make it true. In that 103rd 103rd psalm 19 verse I quoted almost every Sunday, he has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over all. So when it comes to God making promises, do I have to wonder about whether you can do it or not. Absolutely not. Every single promise God has made. You can absolutely rest with perfect assurance and no question, he’s gonna fulfill his promise. Why? Because he only tells the truth? Because he’s a faithful God. He’s reliable, dependable. And because he never changes his mind. He’s a God of infinite love for us. He is absolutely omniscient knows everything about us. He is with us every single moment, every split second he’s there and he has all power to execute any and every situation circumstance that he chooses to do so. Because there is nothing that can limit the omnipotence of Almighty God. Do you realize how blessed you are? That this is our God? I think about all the other religions in the world, what kind of assurance do they have? What real hope do they have? Our God is absolutely not only adequate and faithful, but always available, but whatever you and I need to see us through it, that’s who he is now. But there’s one other thing I want to mention here and that is I do have responsibility and you have a responsibility. And there are three requirements. First of all, I must be willing to be obedient to him. Whatever he requires of me, I must be obedient to him. So, ask yourself the question. If you’ve asked God about something and God hasn’t provided it. And you believe that the word of God says he’ll provide all your needs and you have a need. Then ask yourself the question is the issue with God that is character, such that he’s not telling the truth. No, is it that he can’t give you what you know, then there must be something within yourself that you need to deal with. One thing is obedience and second is faith. Are you really and truly trusting him for it? And the third thing watch? The third thing is to do what to claim it now watch this. If I bring something to God and I really and truly don’t, I just have some doubt about it, then I’m not gonna claim it. Here’s how I know I’m not claiming it. I asked him to answer a particular petition. And uh, so, um, I’m driving the expressway and I’m concerned about it. I’m at home and I’m worried about it. And I’m thinking about, I’m saying God, here’s what you promise. Then you know what I’ve read it, I’ve heard it, I know what he says, but I haven’t claimed it for myself. When you listen, when you claim the promise of God for yourself, you’re not gonna be worried and friend. Why? Because you know, he tells you the truth, he’s not gonna change. He’s an awesome god of love. He’s a god of faithfulness. He’s I’m the president. He’s omniscient. He’s I’m not gonna tell me why I should be complaining about it? It’s a matter of, do I believe in? Do I believe that the God of the bible is who he says he is, Which means that he keeps every single promise. He never forgets one. Listen and he never fails to keep one. Amen. Well, you may be watching and listening and you’re not a christian, you say well, how does that apply to me? Listen very carefully. The bible says, If you confess with your mouth, jesus christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you’ll be saved. Let me explain that if you confess with your mouth, jesus as Lord, that means that you are saying that you believe that jesus christ is the son of God and he is the Lord of our life. And in so doing, you’re placing your life in his hands because of who he is for the forgiveness of your sins, because of what he did at the cross. You’re asking him to forgive you of your sins, to give you the gift of eternal life and the work of the Holy Spirit within you to enable you to live a Godly life all the days of your life. If you ask him to do that, you have the promise. Listen, you have the promise of the Word of God 66 books of the Bible, you have the promise that he will do exactly what he says, he will do, he will forgive you cleanse you give you the gift of eternal life. Save you forever. Give you a home in heaven and walk with you every single day, the rest of your life. But it’s conditioned upon your surrender of your life to christ confessing your sins and looking to the cross as full payment for your sins. You may be going through a very difficult time and you’re asking the question, where is God? You’re not a believer. You never trusted jesus as your savior. Let me tell you where he is. He’s where he’s always been. Just outside, listen, just outside the door of your heart, trying to get in and he wants you to open the door of your heart and let him in. In the moment you do, life will change and it can happen to you the moment you do that Father, how grateful we are that you are so perfect we can find no blemishes in your character of failures in your power, but absolutely perfection. Holy righteous And just I pray the spirit of God, we’ll speak to every person who hears this message to recognize the only way to live is through christ serving you father this awesome God that we’ve described. And I pray that every person who hears it, we’ll stop fighting against you And recognize that you are the one true God. That’s how jesus Described you as he prayed in the 17th chapter of John we know that you are. I pray Father for people who are floundering in their life trying to figure out what to do, enable them to understand at least this much. Now you are the answer, You’ve always been the answer. You’re still knocking and you’re still waiting and they can settle that issue. We thank you that the promise you made to save us you’ve been keeping ever since you made it. The promise you made to guide us. You’ve been keeping that promise ever since you made it and all the rest. We want to say, we love you in, jesus name.