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Through Honorable and Effective Promises We Overcome

through whom given to us the honorable and effective promises so that through them you come into existence, escaping the corruption in the world, in sinful desires and come into existence as divine sharers, his divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)

Through whom but Jesus, God predetermined in the beginning so that through him all the promises of God are yes and amen. Abraham was told through your descendant he would become the father of many nations, not plural as through many descendants but one descendant, Jesus Christ, Messiah and Holy One from God. God's eternal purpose in him is to fulfill his promises and the effects of that purpose and promise have tremendous meaning to the child of God. 

blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one blessings us in all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)

Here are hidden some great promises, we have been blessed in all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. God chose you before he created the world to be holy and blameless in his presence in love. Because we are adopted, God predestining us before he created the world in Christ, we become a spiritual new creation and can receive the spiritual things of God. Adopted of the Spirit who cries out Abba Father and testifies we are his children. 

to the praise of his glorious grace whom he favored us in the beloved in him having the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses according to the riches of his grace whom he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight... (Ephesians 1:6-8)

What a blessing to be justified in Jesus, through his blood, by grace through redemption, and received by faith, now, we can boldly and confidently approach his throne of grace and receive grace as needed. He favored us in the beloved, he makes known the mystery of his will purposed in Christ, as a plan to bring us into the fullness of God, so we escape the corruption in the world becoming partakers of his divine nature. We are blessed that he lavished on us on us all these from the riches of his grace.

For all the promises of God the Yes in him, on account and through him. That is why it is through him our Amen is to God for glory (2 Corinthians 1:20)

We are blessed through the sealing of the Holy Spirit until God takes redemption of his own... whom he adopted and sealed of the Spirit. Made alive through his great love, we were raised and seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, by grace being saved. He predestined us for these great things according of his purpose. Because of these Paul can write "I am persuaded of this, because he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6)

through whom given to us the honorable and effective promises so that through them you come into existence, escaping the corruption, in sinful desires and come into existence as divine sharers, his divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)

His promises are "precious and splendid" but more so honorable τίμιος (timios) and effective. God honors his promises and doesn't change his mind according to what he has eternally purposed. This is great news for his children. When Moses was on the mountain for forty days and the people made a golden calf to worship God wanted to destroy them and start anew through Moses. The point being God would have continued his purpose through Moses even though most of Israel would have been destroyed if Moses had not interceded. Grace and truth came in Jesus.

so at present through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is known to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies according to the eternal purpose which he made in Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness and confidence to access through his faith (Ephesian 3:10-12)

Now, God has put forth his plan in Christ, that hidden before the beginning, that which he eternally purposed. So in Christ we are predestined according to his purpose. "he predestined us for adoption as his own through Jesus Christ according to the good purpose of his will" (Ephesian 1:5). Now, this is an honorable promise as God will keep his word and an effective promise as we will see.

and those he foreknew also predestined to conform to the image of his son... (Romans 8:29)

If God chose you and predestined you it is according to that which he eternally purposed in Christ, that you are being conformed to his image. This is the effective part of the promise, that he doesn't choose you and leave you as you are, he has predestined you for a purpose. Nor does he choose you and then kick you out of the family because it would not be a testimony to the principalities and powers of his manifold wisdom made known. So the promise is effectual in that his power is working in you to conform you to the image of his son and so you escape the corruption in the world through its sinful nature.

Now, knowing because all work together for the good of the ones loved of God, the ones called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)
This promise is both honorable and effectual in that if he calls you he will see you through, it is His word to work out all good according to his purpose which as we read before is to be conformed to the image of Christ. He is honorable to keep his promises. We are promised the riches of his glory, the inheritance among the saints, great power available to us, and a hope of our calling (Ephesians 1:18-20).

now, the ones he predestined, these also called and the ones called these also justified, now whom he justified these also glorified (Romans 8:30)

This is the hope of our calling that if he called us, we are predestined and justified, and if his promises are honorable and effective, we will partake of his glory, his divine nature, escaping the corruption in this world. Last I wrote of a surpassing love of Christ that is effectual to see us through. Now, we read of honorable and effectual promises all coming from the riches of his grace and love eternally purposed in Christ. "The one powerful to do beyond all measure that which we ask or imagine according to the power working in us" (Ephesians 3:20). Now, we might not be able to imagine overcoming the world and its sinful desires, but it is promised, through his surpassing love and honorable and effective promises.


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