I Will - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com
The Bible contains many "I will" statements spoken by God, and the first shows God's great love for mankind. When God created Adam, he was the only human. There were many animals, but Adam was alone. God saw his loneliness, and it was then that God established the relationship between a man and a woman "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Genesis 2:18. The marriage relationship between a man and woman is ordained by God. Marriage is so important that God uses it to symbolize the relationship between Christ and His followers...His Bride. After this first "I will", things went wrong, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Satan lied to Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit. Adam did too. God's judgment came and they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Sin entered, death became real, and mankind was separated from God. God directed an "I will" at Satan too. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" Genesis 3:15. This was a promise of the coming Messiah who would defeat Satan. Satan has done his best to destroy mankind, but he was defeated at the Cross.
The next "I will" was directed at Eve. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Genesis 3:16. Eve would have sorrow in childbearing, but because of women bearing children we have hope. Because Mary was obedient to God, she gave birth to our Lord Jesus. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Satan has tormented humanity since the Garden of Eden, but he has never defeated us because of the love that God has for us. Jesus went to the cross and crushed Satan's head. Satan still tries to defeat humanity, but he has no power over Christians because "God so loved the world" that He bought our redemption with His own blood.
Mankind didn't learn from the mistakes of Adam and Eve. The rebellion kept going and all flesh became corrupted. Once again the choices of mankind forced God's judgment. "And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." Genesis 6:7. Once again, Satan tried to destroy mankind and all flesh was corrupted. This time God's judgment would come in the form of a flood. Satan's plan to corrupt all flesh was thwarted because there were still a few who were genetically pure. "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." Genesis 6:9. Noah was one who was genetically pure ("perfect in his generations"). Choices that his forefathers had made to walk with God had protected Noah's genes and the corruption that afflicted the rest of humanity was not in Noah. Jesus told His disciples "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:37. We see many things today that are comparable to Noah's day. Violence is escalating, demons are growing more aggressive, genetic manipulation is tainting all flesh, and most people are blind to what's happening around them.
Throughout this judgment by flood, Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives were in the Ark and were protected because they obeyed God. The good news is that God promised never again destroy the world by flood. "And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth." Genesis 9:11.The flood of Noah was worldwide and worse than any local flooding seen since. The bad news is that God will judge the world again, but by fire. "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:6-7. When mankind chooses to sin against God judgment will come, and all out rebellion is happening today. By studying prophecy we know that our time is running out. Judgment is near. Only faith in Jesus Christ will save you from the coming judgment. You see, prior to this judgment Christians will be taken Home (Raptured) and will not face God's wrath. The Old Testament gives us a "picture" of this in the person of Noah's great-grandfather Enoch. "And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years; and Enoch walked with God: and he was not: for God took him." Genesis 5:23-24. Enoch was Raptured prior to God's judgment. This is confirmed by the writer of Hebrews. "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Hebrews 11:5. We can please God and avoid His wrath only if our faith is in Jesus Christ.
God made an everlasting promise to Abram (later known as Abraham). "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3. The land that God showed him was the land we call Israel. Every day we see news reports of anger and hatred towards God's chosen people, and know that Satan is still working his evil. Many people are ignorantly willing to curse the children of Abraham for no good reason. God's promise that "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" was fulfilled when Jesus stepped into His creation to offer all people salvation through Him. In one of many confrontations with the Pharisees, Jesus upset them because He claimed to be God. "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58. By saying He was before Abraham and making the statement "I am", Jesus proclaimed His deity. Because the Pharisees saw this as blasphemy (claiming to be God), they took up stones to stone Him. "Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." John 8:59. Jesus was, is, and always will be God.
The Bible contains numerous "I will" statements from God and we can learn from each one, but we can also learn from the ones Satan made. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Isaiah 14:12-14. Pride caused Lucifer to fall. For one thing, there is no person or entity who is like "the most High". Satan's pride will bring God's final judgment against him and anyone who follows him. "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?" Isaiah 14:15-17. One day the devil/Satan/Lucifer will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity. "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10. You might think that he gets what he deserves, and you'd be correct. But there are more who will spend eternity in the lake of fire. All people who have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour will one day face God's Great White Throne judgment. Anyone who thought they were good enough on their own merit to enter Heaven will be judged by their works. No human can possibly be "good enough" to enter Heaven on their own merit. If you think you are good enough, Satan has deceived you. Only the blood of Jesus makes anyone worthy. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Revelation 20:13-14. You have a choice as to where you will spend eternity. You can say "I will follow Christ" and live with Him for eternity, or you can say "I will follow Lucifer" and spend eternity regretting your decision. It's your choice, but it is an eternal choice. I would suggest following Christ.
Jesus made many "I will" statements. The first was to a couple of fishermen, Peter and Andrew. "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19. They did follow Him and He certainly did make them fishers of men. Jesus also wants us to be fishers of men and spread His Gospel. A few years later Jesus was approached by a leper who asked for healing. "And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him." Luke 5:12-13. Jesus wants to cleanse all of us and make us whole. He will if we ask Him.
Studying the "I will" statements in the Bible teach many lessons, including humility and submission to God. Jesus is God the Son and He entered His creation for a specific purpose. He is our only way of salvation. Even though He was fully God, He was also fully human. He felt pain and knew all that would happen to Him. He would be arrested, brutalized, and crucified. He loved us so much that He was willing to face that torture. The night of His arrest He spent time talking to God the Father. "And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matthew 26:39. Jesus would not have had to face the cross if salvation could be accomplished by any other means. If we could be "good enough", He wouldn't have had to shed His blood for us. If following the Law of Moses could save us, then He wouldn't have had to be our sacrifice. If being baptized, knocking on doors, attending Mass, or anything other than faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ could offer us salvation then our Lord would not have had to be crucified for us. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6. There is no other way. Give Him your life right now.
Only a few of the "I will" statements have been looked at here; it would be good to make a proper study of each one. The last one we'll look at is a promise from Jesus. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
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