Sunday, April 21, 2013
Self-Esteem vs. Christ-Esteem
What is the place of self-esteem in the life of the Christian?
by David A. DePra
One of the greatest freedoms any of us can experience is to see that we are nothing. It spells freedom because you realize you no longer have anything to protect about yourself. All of the hiding and pretending before God, yourself, and others, is over. Spiritual bankruptcy does indeed set a person free in Jesus Christ.
Most people usually have a secret desire to be free from pride, self, and all of the entanglements of human nature. But it is the "getting there" that is the problem. Some of us don't have a clue as to how to get there. Others of us try to get there through our own strength. And then there are those of us who say we want to be free, but will not pay the cost of pride when God presents the opportunity.
Allowing God to bring us to spiritual bankruptcy is actually a scary thought. Afterall, most of us think to be spiritually poor means to "feel worthless." We think it means that we must try to develop some sort of self-imposed humility. That creates a problem because most of us don't need any help feeling bad about ourselves. We do a pretty good job at that on our own. The idea that walking with God is going to intensify this feeling isn't very attractive at all.
Jesus Christ, however, did not mince words. He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." He also said, "He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." There is no question about it, God wants us to become spiritually poor. In fact, He intends to crucify our pride and self-life. Over and over He will bring things into our lives intended to expose us as empty and barren. Again and again He will point out our failures, showing absolutely no regard or mercy for our pride. If we want to walk with Jesus Christ, we can kiss self-esteem goodbye. It will no longer govern our lives.
But isn't self-esteem a healthy thing? Isn't it vital to both mental and emotional health? Afterall, look what happens to people who don't feel good about themselves. They are crabby and insecure; unpleasant and troubled. Their lack of self-esteem affects everything they do and everything they are in an adverse way.
Clearly, we must get God's mind on this "self-esteem" business. We must understand how it is possible to have self crucified, yet not become morbid, depressed, and governed by a sense of worthlessness. What is the balance here?
Think about self-esteem. Natural thinking suggests that there are generally two ways to view yourself: Positively or negatively. We say that those who view themselves positively are generally equipped with "high self-esteem." Those who view themselves negatively, well, we consider them to be beset with "low self-esteem." Thus, the goal of much counseling, even among Christians, is to get people to develop "high self-esteem." That, we believe, not only makes them happier people, but makes it more pleasant for those around them.
Note that natural thinking provides that there are only two extremes possible for the human condition: That of high self-esteem, and that of low self-esteem. Everyone is thought to be living somewhere in between. Rarely is thought ever given to the possibility of ANOTHER alternative -- one completely outside of those two extremes.
Outside of those two possibilities? What else is there but the possibilities of high self-esteem or low self-esteem? Herein is the surprising answer. There IS another possibility. It is CHRIST-ESTEEM. Rather than be governed by a high or low view of myself, why not leave myself alone and focus on Christ?
Ask something about "high self-esteem" and "low self-esteem:" What do the terms have in common? One little word: SELF. That is no accident or coincidence, for both are nothing more than a focus upon self. High self-esteem is a positive focus on self. Low self-esteem is a negative focus. But the focus on self is there. Self-focus absolutely governs us.
Man, born in Adam, is fully governed by a focus and pre-occupation with himself. Me, myself, and I. Even the "good" which natural man does comes from some root of self. This motive does not need to be deliberate or conscious. It is what we are by nature. There is no escape from it in Adam.
Christ-esteem, on the other hand, is not a focus on self. It is important to understand that. High self-esteem is a postive focus upon self. Low self-esteem is a negative focus upon self. Christ-esteem isn't any focus upon self. It is a focus AWAY from self, and upon Jesus Christ. Christ-esteem is a perspective completely outside of the possibilities known to natural man.
Now we can see why spiritual bankruptcy does not equal a sense of worthlessness. Despite being fully aware of the barrenness of myself, I do not dwell on self. I dwell on the One who has saved me from myself. Or, to put it another way, true humility is NOT a focus on my worthlessness. It is a focus upon HIS greatness.
Until we see ourselves along side of Jesus Christ, there is no possibility of true humility or spiritual bankruptcy. Only by seeing HIM can we see ourselves, and realize that there is real redemption and freedom. Only by seeing Him along side of our problems, will those problems cease to intimidate us.
Christ-esteem is not achieved by practicing mental games, memorizing scripture, or even by following religious rules and laws. It is achieved in only one way: Death and resurrection. I must be willing to take my hands off of myself, and leave myself to Him. I do that by unconditionally surrendering myself to Him for the in workings of Christ's death and resurrection. That will eventually make Christ-esteem a reality for me. I'll more and more live in the freedom Christ has provided.
Note that I cannot find freedom from self by turning upon myself and attacking. No. I must present my "self" to God unconditionally, that the same grace which saved me might bring me into conformity with the death and resurrection of His Son. Only God knows how to specifically do this in my case. But as He does it, the result will be REAL freedom. And I'll slowly develop a new perspective completely outside of any that
I ever thought possible. I'll grow to see the One who is the answer to all of my so-called "self" problems, Jesus Christ.
Taken from this web site:
Self Esteem vs. Christ Esteem
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Let's Get Our Theological Priorities Straight [from The Gospel Coalition]
Get your priorities straight. This is true in the realm of Christian doctrine, just as it is anywhere else in life. Doctrinal prioritization has a strong pedigree. Jesus himself placed priority on the two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). The apostle Paul placed priority on the gospel proclamation of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection---the message he considered to be "of first importance" (1 Corinthians 15:3).
And so all theologians must prioritize. Certain doctrines have greater significance than others for the whole of Christian theology. The deity of Christ is more consequential for the Christian faith than the timing of the millennium. The latter is still important, but it is not "of first importance," to borrow the apostle's phrase.
But how do we get our doctrinal priorities straight? How do we know when to place special priority on a particular doctrine and when to avoid overstating the significance of another? Several years ago Albert Mohler proposed a helpful typology for sorting our doctrinal priorities. His "theological triage" suggests three levels of Christian doctrine we ought to distinguish. First-level issues are essential to the Christian faith---issues that separate Christians from non-Christians---such as the Trinity or the deity of Christ. Second-level issues may not define the Christian faith but have such significance for the organization and function of the church that they still separate Christians into distinct churches and denominations. The mode of baptism and the ordination of women might fall into this second category. Finally, Christians may disagree over third-level issues and yet still work peaceably with one another even in the same churches and denominations. Millennial debates would fall into this third level. Mohler's theological triage helpfully provides the categories necessary for maintaining charitable relationships with like-minded believers (say, fellow evangelicals) without diminishing the importance of denominational distinctives, such as baptism or church polity.
Derivative Significance
In a different context, Jesuit theologian Edward T. Oakes has suggested another helpful way that we might go about the business of doctrinal prioritization. Speaking of the distinctions within Roman Catholic dogma, Oakes writes,
The church has long recognized that she speaks with different levels of authority and addresses issues of greater and lesser moment. Indeed the very truths she seeks both to propound and to defend are themselves arranged according to a certain hierarchy, with some doctrines of greater significance (among which would of course include Christology) and others not so much of lesser significance but ones that gain their force, so to speak, by their relation to the truths of greater moment. Of course, truths that are implications of "higher truths" are not less true; rather, they gain their truth-value from their relation (as implications) to more fundamental doctrines.
One need not embrace Oakes's understanding of the Roman Catholic Magisterium in order to appreciate his point. Doctrinal truths of "greater moment" are integral---that is, non-derivative. Or, to switch from a mathematical to an artistic metaphor, certain doctrines are primary colors in the theological palette. Doctrines of "lesser moment" are not "less true" but derive their significance from their relation to the primary doctrines.
Cooperation with Integrity
This framework might prove useful as we consider how to engage in transdenominational ventures (like The Gospel Coalition) without surrendering the integrity of our denominational distinctives. This framework---call it the "derivative framework"---allows us, for instance, to affirm baptism as a gospel issue, without equating baptism with the gospel itself. Both Baptists and paedobaptists connect their understanding of baptism to their understanding of the gospel. Baptists believe their practice of believers' baptism more faithfully preserves the necessity of regeneration and conversion in the life of every individual, including those reared by Christian parents. Paedobaptists, on the other hand, believe their practice of infant baptism more faithfully communicates God's gracious initiative in the salvation of his covenant people. Both connect the ordinance to the gospel but from different angles and for different reasons. So both affirm the gospel-significance of baptism without equating it with the gospel itself. The gospel is integral to the Christian faith. Sacramental particulars are derivative---not unimportant, but derivative nonetheless.
We might also apply this derivative framework to issues within our own denominations. For example, Southern Baptist debates over Calvinism need not threaten the denomination's missional cooperation. Calvinists and non-Calvinists can gladly join forces under the banner of their confessional document---the Baptist Faith and Message 2000---for the purpose of world evangelization. But this cooperation does not make their conflicting soteriological viewpoints unimportant or---and this is the important point---unrelated to the gospel. Calvinists believe that irresistible grace is a gospel issue; in their view, the gospel will have no success among the unreached peoples of the world without God's effectual call. Likewise, non-Calvinists believe that resistible grace is a gospel issue; in their view, the gospel requires a (libertarianly) free choice of faith and repentance on the part of its hearers. Again, both connect their respective views to the gospel, but hopefully they do so without equating these soteriological particulars with the gospel itself. Oakes's derivative framework might help them avoid such a misstep.
In the end, we all set priorities, including doctrinal priorities. Learning to distinguish between integral issues and derivative issues would go a long way in helping us to preserve our denominational and ecclesial integrity even as we gladly cooperate in certain ventures with fellow believers who may arrive at different conclusions.
Luke Stamps is a PhD student in systematic theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Previously he served as a pastor in Kentucky. He is a member of Clifton Baptist Church and lives in Louisville with his wife and three children.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
A Friend From Childhood
I remember Les's first sermon. We were in 5th grade in Training Union at Beth Haven Baptist in Louisville, Kentucky. We were asked to participate in a practice church service in our class. He preached to us then and continues to reach others today.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
How Can I Know God?
Take time to watch this. It may be the most important thing you ever do.
http://calvarysimpsonville.org/615072.ihtml
Monday, September 5, 2011
Why Did God Call Abraham?
Today we will talk about a man whose name is well known in the Word, and who had an important place in God's plan to redeem the children of Adam. The Scripture refers to this man as "the friend of God" and "the father of all who believe.", Abraham. ~ Genesis 11, 12
Scriptures speak a great deal about Abraham. We will search the Scriptures to discover what they teach concerning this man who was called the friend of God. Today we intend to look into the beginning of the story of Abraham, to see how God called him to follow Him, and why He called him.
Keep in mind that Abraham was first called Abram. In chapter eleven of the book of Genesis, we learn that Abram belonged to the descendants of Shem. Shem, Ham and Japheth were the three sons of Noah. After his sons were grown, God chose Noah, a descendent of Seth and a righteous man, to save mankind when God judged the wicked men on the earth in the Great Flood. Through Noah's son Shem, in the ninth generation, God choose another man named Abram (meaning "exalted father") to be in the lineage of Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Between Shem and Abram, there were ten generations, (Gen. 11) just as there were ten generations between Adam (Seth's name meant "the appointed one") and Noah. (Gen. 5) Abram's father's name was Terah. The Scripture says: "Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot." (Gen. 11:27) Lot was the son of Abram's older brother. Lot's Father had died {Note: in Wolof culture that would make Abram Lot's functional father}. Abram's wife's name was Sarai. "Now Sarai was barren; she had no children." (Gen. 11:30) Abram and Sarai had the same father, but not the same mother.
God had promised that He would send a Savior and salvation to man. His plan was to call this man Abram, and from him make a great nation of people who would not only be the people from whom the Messiah would come, but also they would be God's chosen nation, a witness of God to all the earth. (See Deut. 7:7-8, 28:37, Isa. 43:9-10)
One day the Lord God revealed Himself to Abram and spoke with him. You need to know that in early times, God occasionally spoke directly with people, because they did not yet have the Writings of the Prophets. Today God speaks to people through the Holy Scriptures. That is why we no longer need words which resound from the sky, or visions, or angels in order to know God's way of righteousness. When we meditate upon the Holy Scriptures, we are listening to the voice of God.
When God called Abram he was in a city in Babylonia, named Ur of the Chaldees. Ur was a very advanced city and was believed to have been founded some five hundred years before the time of Abraham.
Ur could be compared to a modern city, having libraries, schools, and a system of law. It was a rich city and many valuable treasures have been discovered including elaborate jewelry.
The false religion of astrology which was begun at Babel was practiced there as it was in all Babylonia. Abraham's father, Terah according to Joshua 24:2, worshiped idols. Jewish tradition refers to Terah as an idol maker. Ur was an idolatrous city worshiping many different Gods such as the god of fire, moon, sun and stars. Sin was the name of the chief idol deity of Ur. Ningal, was the wife of the moon-god, Sin, and was worshiped as a mother God in many other cities. Ur was an evil and sinful city as can be seen in the worship practices of the moon-goddess, Ningal.
With a father who worshiped idols and a city dedicated to wickedness, Abraham was not raised in the best of environments. Yet, when God called, Abraham believed God and by faith followed God's instructions. Hebrews 10:8, states that: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whether he went."
Let us listen now to what God said to Abram. In chapter twelve, verse one, we read: "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.'" (Gen. 12:1) Did you hear what God commanded Abram? He told Abram to leave his father's house, bid farewell to his relatives, leave his country, and move to a country to which God would lead him. To man's way of thinking, what God asked Abram to do was extremely difficult, but God had plans to greatly bless him.
Let us now reread this verse and the two verses which follow, to know why God called Abram to leave his home and go to another country.
"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:1-3)
Why did God command Abram to move to another country? This is why: God planned to make of Abram a new nation from which the prophets of God and the Savior of the world would arise. That is why God promised Abram saying, "I will make you into a great nation…and you will be a blessing…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Here is a great truth. Do you understand it? God chose Abram to become the father of the ancestors through which the promised Redeemer would come into the world. This Redeemer was destined to be the Savior for all the peoples of the world, so that whoever believes in Him might be saved from the dominion of sin and Satan, and from the eternal fire. Thus, we see that when God called Abram, He was moving forward with His plan to send the Savior of sinners into the world. Abram himself was not the Savior of the world, but he was to become the father of a nation from which the promised Savior would come.
That is the promise {or covenant} God made to Abram-on the condition that he leave his country and go to the place that God would show him. Did Abram obey God? What do you think? The Word of God tells us:
"So Abram left, as the Lord had told him…Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there." (Gen. 12:4-5)
Why did Abram obey God, turning his back on his father's home and religion? There is only one reason. Abram had confidence in God. Abram did not know where he was going, but he believed the word of the Lord which said, "Move out! If you move, I will greatly bless you!" Abram had confidence in God and left his country as the Lord God had told him. And God, in His faithfulness, led Abram to the land of Canaan, which today is called Palestine or Israel.
Next, the Scriptures say: "Abram traveled through the land…At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'To your offspring I will give this land.'" (Gen. 12:6-7) Thus we learn that God, who promised to make Abram the father of a new nation, also promised him a new country as well. That is what God meant when He appeared to Abram and promised him, "To your offspring I will give this land."
Again, we see something which surpasses human wisdom. The land of Canaan had people living throughout it. How could Abram and his descendants possess it? Abram was seventy-five years old. His wife was sixty-five and childless. Could two elderly people have enough children and descendants to fill the land? How could this happen?
This is the kind of promise God made to Abram-to a man who was old and childless, with a wife who could not conceive. Listen to what God promised Abram in chapter thirteen. He said,
"All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go; walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." (Gen. 13:15-17)
Did God do what He promised? Did He make of Abram a great nation? Did He give the land of Palestine to Abram's descendants? He did! Abram became the father of the Hebrew nation to which God gave the land that, today, is called Israel.
Next, the Scriptures say: "So [Abram] built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent…. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord." (Gen. 12:7, 8) What was the first thing that Abram did, upon arriving in the new country which God had promised to give him? He slaughtered an animal and burned it on an altar he constructed. Just as Abel, Seth, Enoch and Noah did, Abram, in the same way, offered up animal sacrifices to God. Why did Abram do this? He did it because God had not done away with His law which states: "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin!" (Heb. 9:22) Abram, like all of Adam's offspring, was a sinner. The only reason God could overlook Abram's sins was because Abram believed God and brought to Him the blood of a sacrifice, which was an illustration of the holy Redeemer who was to come into the world to die in the place of sinners.
God intended to make of Abram a new nation, which would be a "door of blessing" for all peoples of the earth. What God planned to do with Abram was part of the wonderful plan that He announced in the Garden of Paradise on the day that our ancestors, Adam and Eve, sinned. Do you remember how God had promised One who would come into the world to deliver the children of Adam from the power of Satan? Two thousand years later, in the time of Abram, God had not forgotten His promise.
Abraham heard the voice of God. There is no hint that when God spoke to him that he questioned who God was. Further, he did not confuse the voice of God with the idols and false Gods that his father worshiped. He knew who was speaking to him. It is apparent that he believed that it was God that was speaking to him and because it was God, he believed the promise that God made to him. Abraham's call was a call to salvation and a call to service. God called Abraham to eternal life – A new life that began when he by faith trusted God's Word to him. "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) The call to salvation is a call to a new life. Many miss this truth. Before Abraham, could accept the promises of God he had to believe God and receive eternal life. Hebrews 11:8, says, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Abraham first exercised saving faith and the evidence of his having saving faith was that he trusted what God said. God told him to leave his country, his relatives and his father's house and go to a land that He would show him. Abraham's faith was tested and proven in that he did what God said. He showed his faith, by putting his trust in the Lord, and acting upon God's word.
Abraham's life was changed! His trust in God set him on a new course for his life. It is that way for one who believes today and receives eternal life by believing God and trusting in God's son the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer is set on a new road. The old road, marked by a life of sin and self serving, is abandoned! The new road is one of believing, obedience and serving God, by serving others. You remember in Jeremy Frazor’s message he told the story of Rand Hummel’s encounter with the flight attendant who became very offended at being called a servant. The lesson is that a servant or slave to Christ is a good thing, and we cannot be a child of God without being a servant. Many miss this truth about being a slave to Christ instead of a slave to sin. We are always slaves to something or someone. God's called to salvation is a call to a changed life. God's call is to a new life of serving God. Many profess to know Christ and have eternal life yet, absent from their lives is commitment and service. Being a Christian to many is a Sunday affair. During the week, it is business as usual. In everyday life service to the Lord takes a back seat to the everyday affairs of life. It anything conflicts with their responsibilities to the Lord, these responsibilities go lacking.
It seems to be a paradox that many who profess to know the Lord believe they have exercised saving faith and have had their sins forgiven, yet they do not seem to have the faith to turn their lives over to the Lord. Saving faith is a faith that does turn one’s life over to the Lord. You cannot accept salvation without accepting what goes with it. God plan is that the saved man then lives the rest of his life by faith. Nothing else will please Him. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6).
The Bible's example of the actions of a saved man has always been that those who receive salvation by trusting in the Lord live changed lives.
Today we have seen how God, in His faithfulness, called Abram so that he might become the father of a nation through which the promised Savior would come into the world. That was why God promised Abram saying, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:2, 3)
As a follow up to what we have seen so far, let’s look at
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT (Genesis 12:3-4)
God made a covenant, (contract) with Abraham. This covenant was an unconditional one. God did not say, "Abraham, if you do certain things, then I will do certain things". God's promise to Abraham was unconditional. God said, "Abraham, 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 them that curse thee: and in thee shall all the families of earth be blessed". Genesis 12:2-3 Note that there is no condition in the covenant for Abraham to fulfill. That is why it is an unconditional covenant. God was promising to do these things and nothing could prevent it.
The Covenant was fourfold:
(1) God would make Abraham's descendants a great nation.
(2) God would bless Abraham materially and make his name great.
(3) God would protect Abraham by blessing those that blessed him and cursing those that opposed Abraham.
(4) God would bless all the families of the earth through Abraham.
God fulfilled His promise to Abraham:
(1) Abraham's descendants became the nation of Israel. Until this very day the child of Abraham, the Jews have remained an ethnically pure people. They, of all the peoples on earth, are the only people on earth that can make that claim. It seems it would be impossible for a people to remain ethnically pure for four thousand years. And in truth it would be, except that God made an unconditional promise to Abraham. The continuing fulfillment of that covenant can be seen today. The Jews have been scattered all over the earth in every continent. Almost every city in the western world has a population of Jews. For example, many peoples from all over the world have come and settled in the United States. However, most immigrants in a generation or two lose their ethnic identity and become simply "Americans". However, the Jews have remained a pure people and retained they identity as Jews. Clearly God has done this and is keeping His promise made to Abraham.
(2) Abraham was richly blessed materially, and also in his descendants. Although the Jews have suffered great persecutions throughout their history, they are not known as a poor people. They have always been powerful in business and had great economic and political power. Their power in Europe was the cause of Hitler's great hatred of them. At the heart of his plan for a new Germany and Europe was the elimination of all Jews and their influence from Europe. Today, in the United States and Europe, the Jews are very powerful people. They have great economic and political power. Although the present day Israel, is one of the smallest countries on the earth, it is one of the most powerful. Its economic, political and technological power rivals even that of the USA and the China. Surely the hand of God is all this.
Further, the name of Abraham is a world renowned name. He is the father of not only the Jews, but of Christianity, and the entire Arab world as well. The three great religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity and Islam all look to Abraham as their father. Apart from the Jesus Christ, no name is as well known as that of Abraham.
(3) God promised to bless those that blessed Israel and curse those that cursed them. Every government that has persecuted the Jews has fallen even to modern times. The Russian government, which has had a national policy of persecution of the Jews, is in shambles. However, the United States, who has always been the friend of the nation of Israel, has prospered greatly. No matter how intense has been the persecution of Israel, God has protected them. In 1967, in what is called the Six Day War, the tiny nation of Israel utterly destroyed all the combined efforts the Arab nations which surround them. It has been called one of the greatest military victories in history. Against impossible odds they repelled everything the Arabs threw at them. They not only deflected these forces, but took great amounts of land including in the south the Gaza Strip to the Nile River, the West Bank and all of Jerusalem. Surely God's protecting hand is upon this small nation.
(4) God also promised that all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abraham. History shows that the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, changed the whole world. The history of western civilization is the history of the spread of Christianity. Even our calendar dates from the birth of Christ. The moral teaching of Christ and the New Testament, have shaped to a large degree all of western nations. The United States Constitution was based on Biblical standards of morals. Those nations which are identified as "Christian" have prospered greatly.
The greatest value of God's promise has been that through the Lord Jesus, salvation is freely offered to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Today in this the Church Age, God is saving mostly Gentiles. The Gospel is being carried around the world, however, not by the Jews God's chosen people, but by the Gentiles. Truly, among every nation on earth, men have heard the Good News (the meaning of the word "Gospel") and have receive by faith, salvation through Jesus Christ.
We can see that God has kept His promise. Satan, has done all he can to defect the plan of God, yet his efforts have been to no avail. God promise stands and will stand till God's plan is completed.
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