Broken Promises & Better Promises
Christmas is the busiest time of year for book sales but choosing the right book can be a complex process.
A good cover helps attract the attention of a buyer but as the saying goes you can never judge a book by its cover. A memorable title is also important and some titles are especially funny, such as; ‘What to Say When You Talk to Yourself’, and ‘What Not to Wear on a Horse’.
Recently, I came across a book with an sad title; ‘Broken Promises’, about the native American Indians who lost their traditional lands as more and more settlers went to live in America and gold was discovered. Despite many promises and agreements made by the government to the Indians eventually the promises were broken and their lands taken from them.
The Bible is a book that contains many special promises; called “better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). The promises are not made by men but by God. Simon Peter, a fisherman from Galilee who became a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, referred to them as “exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4).
One of the great promises God has made is the offer of eternal life and a place in heaven when we die (there is something and somewhere beyond this life). Coming into the good of this promise is not by our own effort or good works as many seem to think. We can come into the good of it today but only through trusting in God’s Son Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. Jesus Christ came into this world, and lived a perfect life (“which of you convinceth me of sin” John 8:46). He died on the cross for our sins (“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” Isa 53:5) and He arose from the grave three days later, triumphant over death. He was seen by many witnesses and even ate and spoke with his disciples afterward. None of God’s promises will ever be broken, He will keep them all to the very last letter (“Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” Matthew 5:18). The most important thing about any book is not the cover or the title but the author. God has only written one book, it is not fantasy or science fiction but plain truth and reality. It’s not surprising then, that the Bible, is the bestselling book of all time. Choosing the right book is not so complex after all.