2 in [on] hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
promised before time began,
God made His promise of eternal life before creation, before time and space. He grounded His plan of salvation in His eternal will. It was God’s disposition to offer salvation in Christ. He made this promise before He made a man, before He made a lake.
Ro 11: 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
2 Ti 1: 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
God purposed before time began that people would enjoy eternal life. God promised eternal life “before time began.” Since He made the promise in eternity past, nothing is more certain that its fulfillment. God’s promises are from eternity past:
1 Co 2: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
Eph 1: 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Without God’s promise, we are without hope. There is no doubt or wishing in this hope. Biblical hope rests on the immutable nature and promise of God. This gives security to the believer. Scripture never questions God’s truthfulness. This gives us assurance that our hope will be realized without question.
2 Ti 1: 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
He 6: 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
1 Pe 1: 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
A promise is a personal commitment to someone else that certain conditions will be met. God’s promise, the fact that He cannot lie, and our hope (certainty) combine to guarantee the certainty of eternal life.
PRINCIPLE:
God’s trustworthiness makes His promises certain.
APPLICATION:
We can see God’s promises in prophecy. The authenticity of those promises make those promises certain.
God can never go back on His word. He cannot violate His promise. He cannot do anything contrary to His written Word. An omniscient God cannot do these things. Politicians make promises they cannot keep. They make them with tongue in cheek. Extenuating circumstances arise that hinder us from keeping our word. However, when God makes a promise, we can count on it happening.
We can stake out promises that God made to us in His Word. We can depend on Him to keep them (Ro 4:20, 21; 2 Pe 1:4; 3:9).
Assurance of salvation depends on God’s promises. Some are not sure of their salvation; they are unsure of eternal life. They can take heart that God will keep His promise to them.
