Transcript
—
Many times, teachers will encourage you to claim God’s promises. “Claiming” something is just saying, “that’s mine.” Now, anytime we take something and say, “that’s mine,” we should make sure it is in fact, ours. Claiming something that isn’t yours doesn’t work in our workplace; it doesn’t work among our neighbors, and it doesn’t work in prayer either. It won’t do to claim your neighbor’s car even if you really try to make yourself believe it belongs to you, and it won’t do to claim a promise that is not yours. And if you have actually been promised something, you need to claim things that have been promised you in the right way and at the right time. If I promise that I’ll give you my car next year and you show up tomorrow to pick it up—you’ve misunderstood me. So, should we claim the promises God makes as though they are our own? Let’s look at a text:
2 Corinthians 1:20 – 20 For all the promises of God find their “Yes” in [Jesus]. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
These verses are clear that all of God’s promises are “yes” in Jesus!
That means that everything God has promised has been or will be fulfilled for us in Jesus. So, what does it mean to claim them, and how do we know we are claiming them in the right way?
Do you know your Bible?
The issues, as I see them, as they relate to claiming promises start with this: Do you know how your Bible fits together? Do you know how the Old Testament and the New Testament relate to each other? If not, it’s very easy to read a verse in the Old Testament, think that it is about you, and claim it for yourself. But all you’re doing is parachuting down into a country that you’re not familiar with and claiming that land as your own. You need to understand how the promise you are reading relates to the rest of the Bible; And the reason is this: When Jesus came, it changed the way we receive what God has promised. God made promises to ancient Israel in the Old Testament. If they kept the law, He would do amazing things for them. But they could not keep the law and so they failed to receive the promises. But Jesus came and fulfilled the law beyond anyone’s expectations—far beyond what we could’ve thought. He fulfilled the law in our place—for us. And when he fulfilled the law for us, all that God promised became His. And just like Him fulfilling the law exceeded what we imagined, the way that you and I, who belong to him, receive the promises He secured exceeds what we had imagined. So, an example: God promised Abraham that the people of Israel would possess the promised land of Israel, and later Moses tells the people it will happen by them keeping the Law. Well guess what? Jesus kept the law for you and now the way that promise is fulfilled is not by Him giving you a strip of land in Palestine, but by giving you the entire New Heavens and New Earth. That’s clear in Romans 4:13. So, just as the law was fulfilled in a greater way than we imagined, all of God‘s promises will be fulfilled in a greater way than we imagined. If you just parachute into a promise in the Old Testament for yourself, you may have no idea what it is you are actually claiming. And that’s a bad idea
There are two more issues as I understand them as it relates to claiming promises: timing and worship.
Timing
Many of the things that we have been promised will not be given to us until we die or Jesus returns. That’s really important. God does promise you perfect health. God does promise you an abundance of riches… in the life to come. But if you don’t know your Bible and think, “These are mine now because I read some passage in the Old Testament that said they would be mine,” you don’t understand your Bible. All the promises of God are “yes” for you in Jesus, but the New Testament is clear that very many will not be fulfilled until the New Heavens and New Earth. Timing matters. Get that in your head. The other issue is worship.
Worship
If you come to God mainly so that he can channel to you riches, health, and fame, then you are an idolater. In real worship, God is the thing that we want the most. A true worshiper of God wants their needs supplied, yes; a true worshiper of God wants health, yes; a true worshiper of God wants to be glorified, yes. But at the heart of a true worshiper is a willingness to forsake all riches, health, and glory in order to enjoy God more, because He is our greatest treasure. And for a true worshiper, to have riches, health, and glory and not have God is misery.
Summary
Can you claim the promises of God? Yes. In Jesus, they are all yes to you. But you need to understand how your Bible fits together. If you don’t, you will claim promises not understanding what you’re claiming; you will claim promises not understanding when they are promised to come to you (many of them in the life to come); and if you don’t know your Bible and you’re claiming promises because you love wealth and health more than you love God, then you are an idolater.
