Do we Have to Believe for God to Fulfil His Promises?

Today there are many discussions about faith and what that actually means in our everyday lives. To have faith in a person is to trust and believe they will do what they say. To have faith in God is to believe and trust He will do what He says He will do. 

Fulfilment of a promise is dependant upon the character of the person who has promised, not the recipient of the promise. So when it comes to God, do we have to believe, for God to fulfil His promises? As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

In this modern world there are many discussions about faith and what that actually means in our everyday lives. To have faith in a person is to trust and believe they will do what they say. To have faith in God is to believe and trust He will do what He says He will do. 

Fulfilment of a promise is dependant upon the character of the person who has promised, not the recipient of the promise. So when it comes to God, do we have to believe, for God to fulfil His promises? That is do we have to trust in God’s character for us to live the reality of God’s promises?

Let us go a passage of scripture where God gives a promise to two different people. They both have similarities in their initial response, yet significant differences are also there. 

The situation is this. 

It was in the days of old, when the Roman Empire ruled the lands and Herod was king of the region. Centuries earlier the prophets had foretold of a time when a forerunner to the Messiah would come. He would come in the Spirit and power of Elijah. 

In amongst the people, there were those who believed God and had not lost hope. They were still waiting for the coming of the promised Messiah. That is the anointed one of God who would bring salvation and healing. 

One such man was a priest. A devote man who was righteous before God. His name was Zacharias.

As was the custom of his priesthood, Zacharias was burning incense in the temple of the Lord God Almighty. 

Then something extraordinary happened. A heavenly messenger appeared to him personally. This heavenly messenger spoke for the Lord God Almighty. Let us listen to the dialogue between the heavenly messenger and Zacharias.

Luke 1:12-20 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

Zacharias’ immediate reaction was that he was troubled and fear fell upon him. Knowing this the heavenly messenger of the Lord God Almighty spoke words of peace and assurance to Zacharias. The heavenly messenger’s name was Gabriel. 

Gabriel had been directly sent by the Lord God Almighty to bring Zacharias the good news. For  the time had come when the Lord God Almighty would fulfil His promises. Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, who was beyond years conceiving will have a son. He will be the forerunner of the Messiah and would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. Just as the Lord God Almighty had foretold and promised centuries ago.   

Even though Zacharias was righteous before God, he did not believe the words of the heavenly  messenger Gabriel. He did not believe that the Lord God Almighty would fulfil His promises, especially through himself and his wife. 

Knowing this Gabriel makes a profound statement. ‘But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time. 

Gabriel reveals that the Lord God Almighty will fulfil His promises regardless of whether Zacharias believes that God will do so or not. For the Lord God Almighty is faithful and true. He is above any unbelief, doubts and circumstances of this life. 

For just as the angelic messenger who spoke for the Lord God Almighty said it would happen, it would happen. That is through their aged bodies, Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, they will have the son who shall be the forerunner of the Messiah.

So even though Zacharias did not believe God’s promise, 6 months later his wife Elizabeth was with child. For when the Lord God Almighty speaks, it is so. 

It was at this time that again the heavenly messenger Gabriel was sent by the Lord God Almighty. This time to a young virgin woman, who is a relative of Elizabeth. Her name is Mary.

Let us listen to this dialogue between the heavenly messenger Gabriel and Mary. 

Luke 1:28-45 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

The heavenly messenger Gabriel announces to Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah, the anointed one, who will bring salvation to all people. 

When compared with the response of Zacharias, Mary’s response has some similarities, yet some significant differences. Mary just like Zacharias 6 months earlier was troubled by the visitation of the heavenly messenger Gabriel. 

The heavenly messenger’s response was consistent. For the Lord God Almighty is consistent. Again the heavenly messenger Gabriel immediately spoke assurance into Mary’s fears. Gabriel said, ‘Do not be afraid…’

Gabriel brings the good news to Mary. That now is the time of the coming of the Messiah. For the Holy Spirit will come upon Mary and the Holy One of the Lord God Almighty will be brought forth through her. This is a most extraordinary promise. A promise that is beyond Mary’s comprehension.

She questions how could this possibly be as she does not know a man. The heavenly messenger reveals how God will do this. Not only would the Lord God Almighty fulfil His promise given centuries ago but He will do it through Mary. 

The heavenly messenger Gabriel reassures Mary and states, that with God nothing is impossible. In complete contrast to Zacharias, Mary said, Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. This is a beautiful depiction of surrender to the will of God. So in the waiting for God to fulfil His promise, Mary is at rest. Mary is able to trust and believe God will fulfil His promises. For when God speaks, it is so. 

In complete contrast Zacharais in the waiting for the promise of God to be fulfilled was rendered mute. Yet even though he did not believe that God would fulfil His promise, God fulfilled it. For He is faithful and true. 

Mary in the waiting for the promise of God to be fulfilled was living in the reality of who God is. Trusting in His character, able to testify of God. Yet Zacharias in the waiting was rendered mute.

Mary’s relative Elizabeth is also able to testify of Jesus just like her child would do. For Elizabeth was carrying the forerunner to the Messiah. The prophecy was fulfilled that He would come in the power and spirit of Elijah. His name will be John and he would become known as John the Baptist.

We are privy to this extraordinary moment when the forerunner to the Messiah was 6 months in the womb of Elizabeth, testifies that the baby in the womb of Mary is the Messiah. 

As it is recorded, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, her baby who is to become John the Baptist leaped in her womb and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now Elizabeth testifies. She states, But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Testifying that the babe that Mary was carrying, through the testimony of the babe she was carrying, that the Messiah has come. Elizabeth concludes, Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord. Mary believed therefore she has a blessed. She was happy and at peace in the waiting.

So regardless of the different responses, God fulfilled all He promised to both Zacharias and Mary. 

The heavenly messenger testifies to Zacharias, you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.

What God promised came to pass. All was fulfilled in their own time. Elizabeth gave birth to the forerunner of the Messiah. Now Zacharias testified, for his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed. He spoke of all God had done and was praising Him. It is also recorded in Luke that Zaharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied of the coming Messiah. He testified how God has fulfilled His promises and the coming of the one who would bring salvation and redeem His people had come. Zachaias also prophesied over his baby John. That he would be the prophet of the Highest. John will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.

In all 4 gospels, John who became known as the John the Baptist, when he had grown to be a man testified that Mary’s child Jesus was the Messiah. John the Baptist in the spirit and power of Elijah, testified that Jesus was the one who brings salvation and redeems his people. That Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. Just as He did as a baby in the womb of Mary, baptised baby John in the womb of Elizabeth.   

So regardless of whether we believe God will fulfil His promises or not, He will fulfil His promises. For He is faithful and true. As that is His nature. Praise His mighty name!

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!