Understanding The Bible
STUDY REFERENCE
"God's Precious Promises"

(condensed)
Condensed from:  Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, God's Precious Promises, eleventh printing, 1973

The Basic Facts:
A.  These promises are NOT EXPERIENCED (not emotional).
B.  These promises are NOT PROGRESSIVE (once for all).
C.  These promises are NOT RELATED TO HUMAN MERIT.
D.  These promises are ETERNAL IN CHARACTER.
E.  These promises are MADE KNOWN ONLY BY REVELATION.
F.  These promises are WROUGHT BY GOD ALONE.
G.  These promises are NOT WROUGHT BY MAN.

"He who is on earth can devise nothing for himself in heaven.  He who is only a creature cannot conform himself to the likeness of his Creator.  He who is of time cannot design and execute for eternity.  Salvation is more than the continued existence of a good man; it provides the most radical transformations, the acquiring of infinite possessions, and the entering into positions which are in the sphere of heaven and of God.  'And Ye are complete in Him' (Colossians 2:10)."

1.   IN GOD'S ETERNAL PLAN - a partaker of all God has planned.
  Foreknown
  (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 1:2)
  Foreordained
     (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:2, 20)
  Predestined
     (Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:5-11)
  An Elect of God
     (1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2; Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; Titus 1:1)
  Chosen
     (Ephesians 1:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 2:9)
  Called
     (Hebrews 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Romans 8:30)

2.   REDEEMED - purchased out of the market place of the world, the flesh and the devil.
  Redeemed at the forum
     (Revelation 5:9-10) (Agaradzow)
  Redeemed out of the forum
     (Galatians 4:4-6) (ExAgoradzow)
  Freed with a price
     (Luke 1:57-79) (Luptow)
  In New Testament, only used in relation to Jesus Christ.
     (Galatians 5:1; Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 8:23)

3.   RECONCILED - Perfect and unending peace between God and you.
     (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

4.   RELATED TO GOD THROUGH PROPITIATION - declared free by the death of Christ.
     (Romans 3:25-26; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10)

5.   FORGIVEN ALL TRESPASSES - past/present/future, justified before God forever.
     (Colossians 2:13, Ephesians 1:7; 4:32, Colossians 1:14, 3:13)

6.   VITALLY CONJOINED TO CHRIST FOR THE JUDGMENT OF THE OLD NATURE MAN "UNTO A NEW WALK" - fellowship with God, power of the Holy Spirit guaranteed.
     (Romans 6:1-10; Colossians 2:12)

7.   FREE FROM THE LAW - you no longer HAVE to do good things to be blessed by God.
     (Romans 7:6, John 1:17; Acts 15:24-29; Romans 6:14; 7:2-6; 2 Corinthians 3:6-13;
          Galatians 5:18; Galatians 5:1; Acts 15:10; Romans 8:2; Romans 7:4; Galatians 3:25)

8.   MADE CHILDREN OF GOD - adult sons with full inheritance.
  Born Again
     (John 3:6; 1:12-13; 1 Peter 1:23)
  Regenerated
     (Titus 3:5)
  Quickened
     (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13)
  Sons of God
     (2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 3:26)
  A New Creation

9.   ADOPTED - relationship and responsibility of the mature son of God.
     (Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 9:4; Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 3:1)

10.  ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST - acceptable to God through
     Jesus Christ, Righteous, Sanctified Positionally, and perfected.
     (Ephesians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:5)
  Made Righteous
     (John 20:31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:27; John 14:20; John 3:16; Romans 3:22)
  Sanctified Positionally
     (John 17:19; Matthew 23:17, 19; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:27; 1 John 3:2)
  Perfected Forever
     (Hebrews 10:14)
  Made accepted in the beloved
     (Ephesians 1:6)
  Made Meet
     (Colossians 1:12)

11.  JUSTIFIED - made Positionally just like Jesus in relationship to God.
     (Romans 3:24; 4:5; Romans 3:26; Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16)

12.  MADE NIGH - able to have close fellowship with God.
     (Ephesians 2:13; James 4:8; Hebrews 10:22; John 1:3)

13.  DELIVERED FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS - freed from the chains of self/world/devil.
     (Colossians 1:13a; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 6:10-12;
     Acts 26:18)

14.  TRANSPLANTED INTO THE KINGDOM OF THE SON OF HIS LOVE - made a resident not a visitor.
          (Colossians 1:13b; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Peter 1:11; John 3:5) 15.  ON THE ROCK, JESUS CHRIST - He will not be moved or broken.
     (1 Corinthians 3:9-15; Matthew 7:24-27)

16.  A GIFT FROM GOD THE FATHER TO JESUS CHRIST - something held precious.
     (John 17:11; Psalm 2:6-9; John 3:16)

17.  CIRCUMCISED IN CHRIST - we stand before God as one without a sin nature.
     (Colossians 2:11; Ephesians 2:11; Romans 6:6)

18.  PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY AND ROYAL PRIESTHOOD - doing the work of God, ministering to Him.
     (1 Peter 2:5-9; Revelation 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:12; Exodus 19:6)

19.  A CHOSEN GENERATION, A HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR PEOPLE - the others don't have these miracles and are destined to eternal separation.
     (1 Peter 2:9; Titus 2:14)

20.  CITIZENS OF HEAVEN - just as if we were already there.
     (Philippians 3:20; Luke 10:20; Hebrews 12:22; Ephesians 2:19; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Peter
     2:11, Hebrews 11:13; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

21.  OF THE FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD OF GOD - close fellowship on the level of a family member with God.
     (Ephesians 2:19; Galatians 6:10; 2 Timothy 2:19-21)

22.  IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF SAINTS - brothers and sisters truly.
     (John 17:11-23; Ephesians 4:1-3)

23.  A HEAVENLY ASSOCIATION - new life in Christ, new desire for service, prayer, and expectation.
  Partners with Christ in life
     (Colossians 1:27; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 5:11-12)
  Partnership in position
     (Colossians 3:1; Ephesians 2:6)
  Partners with Christ in service
     (1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 15:57-58; 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1-4; 3:6)
  Partners with Christ in suffering
     (2 Timothy 2:12; Philippians 1:29; 1 Peter 4:12-13; Colossians 1:24; Romans 8:18; 1
     Thessalonians 3:3; Galatians 5:22; Romans 5:5; Romans 9:1-3)
  Partners with Christ in prayer
     (John 14:12-14)
  Partners with Christ in betrothal
     (2 Corinthians 11;2; Ephesians 5:25-27)
  Partners in expectation
     (Titus 2:13; Hebrews 10:13)

24.  TO HAVE ACCESS TO GOD - objects of His love, grace, power, faithfulness, and peace.
  Access into His grace
     (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:2; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18)
  Access unto the Father
     (Ephesians 2:18; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 13:13-14)
  Access is reassuring
     (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-20)

25.  WITHIN THE MUCH MORE CARE OF GOD - It will be conceded by all who are awake to the divine revelation, that the love of God for the unsaved is as immeasurable as infinity; yet there is a clear revelation that the expression of divine love for those who are saved is even "much more."
     (Romans 5:8-10)
  Objects of His love
     (John 3:126; Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:16)
  Objects of His grace
     Salvation
       (Ephesians 2:7-9)
     Safekeeping
       (Romans 5:2)
     Service
       (John 17:18; Ephesians 4:7)
     Instruction
       (Titus 2:12-13)
     Objects of His power
       (Ephesians 1:19; Philippians 2:13)
     Objects of His faithfulness
       (Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)
     Objects of His peace
       (John 14:27; Colossians 3:15; Galatians 5:22)
     Objects of His consolation
       (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
     Objects of His intercession
       (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24)

26.  HIS INHERITANCE - what is given to Christ is also given to you.
     (Ephesians 1:18; John 17:22; Romans 8:30; Colossians 3:4; Ephesians 1:6)

27.  THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS - unknowable till claimed in heaven.
     (1 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 1:14; Colossians 3:24; Hebrews 9:15)

28.  LIGHT IN THE LORD - we become light, indwelt by God's own nature.
          (1 John 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:7; Psalm 119:105)

29.  VITALLY UNITED TO THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT - part of each part.
  The Believer is in the Father:
     (1 Thessalonians 1:1)
  The Father is in the Believer:
     (Ephesians 4:6)
  The Believer is in the Son:
     (Romans 8:1)
  The Son is in the Believer:
     (John 14:20)
  The Believer is in the Spirit:
     (Romans 8:9)
  The Spirit is in the Believer:
     (1 Corinthians 2:12)

  Also (John 17:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Corinthians 12:13; John 15:5; Ephesians 2:19-22; John
  10:27-29; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Peter 2:5-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 14:20)

30.  BLESSED WITH THE EARNEST OR FIRST-FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT - born, baptized, indwelt, sealed, filled ...IMMEDIATELY.
     (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:14; Romans 8:23; John 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; John
     7:39; Romans 5:5; 8:9; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 2:27; 3:24; 2 Corinthians
     1:22; Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 5:18)

31.  GLORIFIED - possessors of immeasurable riches.
     (Romans 4:17; Romans 8:18; Colossians 3:4; Romans 8:30)

32.  COMPLETE IN HIM - found to be an infinite delight by God the Father.
     (Colossians 2:9-10)

33.  POSSESSING EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING !
     (Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
     us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."