The power is in the promise

My pastor has been preaching from the book of Ezra. As we have neared the end of the book he has been emphasizing repentance, restoration and reconciliation. He has been preaching, I have been pondering. The same thoughts reached a crescendo the past few nights as I read the detailed instructions in Exodus for the building of the tabernacle.

What is it I have been dwelling on? The power is in the promise.

The prophet Zechariah prophesied during at least part of the time covered by the book of Ezra and his book opens with, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Amen. Some time back I wrote about this verse and you can read it here. What a promise! But, if we only focus on turn ye unto me, we create a problem. We can create the impression, or begin to think ourselves, that repentance and faith carry weight with God.

As in, the wife and I go to a restaurant for supper. I want us to have a good meal and a good time, but I am watching prices because I only have $50. I’ll get good service and enjoy a nice meal, BUT, the man who comes in and makes it clear, Money is no object, he wants the best food and best service and he is willing to pay for it - he’s gonna have a better time. Money talks.

When we apply this kind of thinking to the things of God – oh, we don’t ever put it like that, but our whole emphasis is on turn ye unto me – then we begin to worry, Is our repentance/faith sincere enough? thorough enough? fervent enough?”

Many years ago I met a woman who worried about these very things. She went to a different church than the one I pastored, so I must have met her where she worked. She began to talk to me and to express her fears and doubts. She had very little assurance of salvation because she was afraid she had not believed the right way. Those were her actual words, “I’m afraid I did not do it the right way.” I tried to teach her that we are not saved by our faith, we are saved by Jesus. So,

It’s not you! It’s the promise of God. Yes, turn ye unto me. But, I will turn unto you is what makes it work. The power is in the promise.

As I mentioned, I have been reading about the tabernacle, and the detailed instructions for its construction. It was important for them to follow these instructions to the last letter. But was the power in the rearing of the tabernacle? No.

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 

The power was not in the building of the tabernacle. It was in the promise: Build me a tabernacle and I will dwell there. Amen! The power is in the promise.

Consider my house. It is fully wired and I have outlets everywhere, fans and lights etc. When I flip the switch, the light comes on. I am one powerful man! I flip a switch and a light comes on! BUT, if there is no power coming to the house, the light will never come on, no matter how I flip the switch. No matter how sincere, earnest, fervent I am – no power, no light.

Even so, the power is in the promise, not in my repenting or believing.

Consider some other promises

whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

Call unto me, and I will answer thee

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee,

I could call on the name of the Lord all day, every day, for the rest of my life, but without the promise: I will save, I will answer, I will deliver, nothing would ever happen. Yes, I need to call upon the name of the Lord, but the power is in the promise. I call because He promises to answer, deliver, and save.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved

I could believe everything about Jesus and be baptized every way and every day, but without the promise nothing would ever happen. There is no power in believing or in baptism. The power is in the promise: shall be saved.

That’s my incentive, my motive, and that’s what makes repenting and turning and believing effective! Yes, I must repent, I must return, I must believe if I would receive from God – I must flip the switch if I want the light on. But it’s not me, it’s Him. The power is in the promise! Amen.