[A-4] All of God's Promises Aren't For Everyone

There are basically three groups of promises in the Bible:

      For the unbeliever, there is only one promise in the entire Bible that he can claim:  "Anyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved."

    Once a person has made a sincere commitment to the Lord, there are two more promises he can claim:
       "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
       "Those whom the Lord loves, He reproves and chastens."
    These two promises go together.  If a believer does not follow the Lord's will, he has God's promise that he will be disciplined.  He will continue to be diciplined to whatever extent is necessary to bring him back into the Lord's will.  According to I John, a believer can get so far out of the Lord's will that the Lord will call him home.  This does not mean he will lose his salvation.  Our dicipline as believers is all "down here".  When this life is over, our God will "wipe away all our tears."

    The rest of the promises in the Bible are for those who have made a sincere commitment to the Lord and are trying every day to live for the Lord according to His Spirit.