THE BIBLICAL PROMISES: How to Handle the Promises Found in the Word of God

 

“Every promise in the Bible is yours!” This may sound very inspiring, but unfortunately, it is not true. So please, don’t assume right away, brother/sister. Every recorded promise must and should be interpreted properly, just like the rest of the passages in the Bible, in order to avoid false hopes and disappointments.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝟮 𝗖𝗢𝗥 𝟭:𝟮𝟬?

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” Does this verse assure us that all promises in the Bible are automatically applicable to us? No. When Christ came, God already fulfilled all His promises concerning the coming Messiah. Every promise of God in the past finds its fulfillment in Christ; He is the “yes” to each one of them!

Now the question is: how can we know if a promise we read in the Bible is still applicable to us today? And if a promise is no longer applicable, what relevance does it have for us? When dealing with biblical promises, here are some guide questions to consider:

𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗬 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗘𝗟𝗦𝗘?

First, check who made the promise. Not everything that looks inspiring in the Bible came from God. For example, “All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matt 4:9). Technically, that’s a recorded “promise” in the Bible—but it was Satan who said it!

𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗢𝗥 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗟?

If a promise is personal, it means God gave it to a specific person or group of people. In that case, it’s not meant for you. For example: “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.” (Gen 12:2). Can you claim this promise? Yes—if you are Abraham, the one God was directly speaking to.

If a promise is universal, then it is meant for all people or for all believers. In this case, you can claim it. For example: “Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood.” (Gen 9:11). That wasn’t just for Noah; it’s for all of us. Another example: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20). This applies to every believer, not just the original disciples, because all of us are also commanded to make disciples (vv. 19–20).

𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗢𝗥 𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟?

A conditional promise means you must do something before receiving it. For example: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8). God’s nearness is promised to those who draw near to Him in repentance (vv. 7–9). Another example: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7). If your requests align with Christ’s will and words, then you’ll receive them. Not all conditions are in the same verse as the promise, so always check the context.

An unconditional promise, on the other hand, requires no action from us. For example: “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matt 16:18). The “church” here refers not to a particular denomination, sect, or even a local church, but to the universal church—all believers everywhere. This is God’s guarantee that His church will prevail, no matter what. And history shows that it did.

𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗧, 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧, 𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘?

Some biblical promises are already fulfilled, some are reserved for the future, and many are still applicable in the present. How do you know? Study the nature of the promise and its context carefully. Just because you feel touched when you read a verse doesn’t automatically mean it applies to you.

For example: “For I know the plans I have for you…” (Jer 29:11). In the previous verse (v.10), God clearly gave a time frame of seventy years. That promise was already fulfilled. Many say it began in 605 BC when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel and ended in 535 BC when Cyrus allowed the exiles to return. Others suggest slightly different timelines for the seventy years, but all agree—it’s a past event.

This doesn’t mean God has no plans for our lives today—absolutely not! It just means Jer 29:11 should not be used as a direct assurance of your personal “prosperous future.” Promises about ancient Israel were mostly fulfilled by the New Testament period, including those about the coming Messiah. For us today, these fulfilled promises serve as evidence of God’s faithfulness, teaching us to trust Him in our own lives.

Promises that apply to the present are usually directed toward believers and are related to practical living or salvation. Many of these are found in the New Testament. Promises about prayer (Matt 7:7; Phil 4:6–7; Mark 11:24, etc.) are still applicable, though you need to check carefully if they are conditional or unconditional.

Some promises are future promises, like: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4). Clearly, the “old order of things” has not yet passed away. But one day it will. Promises about the resurrection of believers, the second coming of Christ, the new heaven and new earth, and the end times are still future. They are not for the present, but they give us hope as we face today’s struggles.

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The Bible is full of God’s promises. While many have already been fulfilled or are yet to come, many are still relevant for us today. God’s promises are trustworthy because they depend on His character—and Jesus is the guarantee of every promise. If God fulfilled His greatest promise through Christ, how much more the others? Stay Curious.