by Ester yusufu | 14 August 2024 08:46 am08
Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Welcome to this time of reflection in God’s Word. Today, we explore a profound biblical truth: God values His promise of eternal life so highly, He has exalted it above His very name.
Let’s begin with a foundational Scripture:
Psalm 138:2
“I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”
📖 The Hebrew word translated “word” (דָּבָר, dābār) can also mean “promise” or “spoken declaration.” Many theologians understand this passage to mean that God’s faithfulness to His promise is so dependable that He has elevated it above even the weight and power of His own name—which in Scripture is considered sacred and powerful (Exodus 20:7, Philippians 2:9–11).
Of all the promises God has made, eternal life is the greatest. It is the heart of the Gospel.
1 John 2:25
“And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.”
Eternal life is not just living forever; it is fellowship with God forever in His presence. Jesus defines eternal life in:
John 17:3
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
📖 In biblical, “eternal life” (zōē aiōnios) is both a present possession and a future hope. Believers begin experiencing it now through union with Christ (John 5:24), and it is consummated in the age to come (Revelation 21:1–4).
2 Peter 3:13
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
This is the ultimate fulfillment of eternal life: a redeemed creation, free from sin, death, and corruption (see Romans 8:21–23). It’s the future home of the righteous, promised to those who belong to Christ.
God gives many promises—healing, provision, guidance, peace—but none is greater than the promise of salvation and eternal life through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:20
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
📖 Jesus is the fulfillment and guarantee of all of God’s promises. Through His death and resurrection, every covenantal blessing is made available to those in Him (Hebrews 8:6; Romans 8:32).
But even with these many blessings, Scripture reveals one promise is above all: eternal life.
Psalm 138:2b
“…For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”
This is perhaps the most sobering reality. One can operate in ministry, use the name of Jesus, even perform miracles—and yet still be lost without a genuine relationship with Him.
Matthew 7:21–23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
📖 This passage emphasizes that salvation is not based on spiritual performance but on doing the will of the Father, which is ultimately to believe in His Son and follow Him in obedience (John 6:40). It warns against religious activity without regeneration.
God’s promise of eternal life is received by faith in Jesus Christ alone and genuine repentance.
Acts 3:19
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
When we repent and believe, God gives us the Holy Spirit, who seals us for eternity.
Ephesians 1:13–14
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Hebrews 4:1
“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.”
Let us not take this lightly. The promise of eternal life still stands. And we are warned: it is possible to fall short—if we do not respond to it with faith and obedience.
God has exalted His promise above His name. That promise is eternal life through Jesus Christ alone.
Are you walking in it? Or are you simply carrying the name of Jesus—without truly knowing Him?
The Lord is coming. Let us be found in Him.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2024/08/14/god-has-exalted-his-promise-above-his-name/
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