I recently served as Keynote speaker for a woman’s group. What follows is the crux of the message that the Holy Spirit helped me develop–a message that powerfully impacted the women in attendance. I hope it blesses you the same way.
One premise that we all need to understand is: God’s love is unconditional, but His promises aren’t. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love, or cause God to love us any more or any less. There are however, requirements God has revealed that we need to satisfy to receive what He wants to give us. This does not mean that we work to earn God’s blessings. We do not earn any gift–not from God or anyone else. A gift is freely given, motivated by love, with a desire to provide benefit to the recipient without expectations of any reciprocity. When a “gift” has expectation of reciprocity, it’s called a bribe.
So what does it mean to say that God’s promises are conditional? It means that God’s blessings are essentially rewards. God delights in rewarding His children with gifts and blessings. Hebrews 11:6 clearly states, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (Italics added for emphasis.)
Consider that to receive the gift of Salvation, we must sincerely believe in Jesus as Savior and receive Him as Lord. When we satisfy that condition, then we are blessed with the gift of being spiritually born-again. Our old sinful spirit nature is completely replaced with an entirely new sinless spirit. We are made new creations, (2 Cor 5:17). This is an example of how we position ourselves to receive God’s blessings. And, God has MANY blessings awaiting us beyond Salvation.
Consider the conditions and benefits of God’s promises as identified in the following Scriptures from the Amplified Bible:
Psalm 35:27:
“Let those who favor my righteous cause, and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continuously, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Psalm 84:11:
“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
John 10:10:
“The thief comes in only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance (to the fill, till it overflows).”
2 Corinthians 8:9:
“For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied).”
Deuteronomy 8:18:
“But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Proverbs 3:9-10:
“Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the first fruits of all your income; So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.”
Malachi 3:10:
“Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
Proverbs 19:17:
“He who has pity on the poor, lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.”
James 1:27:
“External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.”
Exodus 22:22-24:
“Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry. And My wrath shall burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.”
Deuteronomy 28:10-13:
“And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them.”
These are just a few examples from Scripture of the promised rewards we can enjoy simply by satisfying the conditions of God’s promises. We position ourselves to be blessed by obeying what God requires of us.
This post exemplifies the ministry and message that I enjoy bringing you. If you like this and would like to read more, please visit the archives of my blog. Alternately, consider inviting me to some speak for your church, civic group or organization. Just use the Contact Us form on this site to reach me.
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