Overcoming by Promise
The Humiliating Secret part 3

My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jer 2:13)

We have seen in the Scriptures, and in our own miseries, that self determination is worthless to our life in Christ. By self determination we turn away from the one true God of abundant satisfaction, and attempt to find fulfillment in the promises of sin which hold no water. If we continue in this folly, we become waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted... (Jude 1:12)

Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt 4:17) How then, without self determination, do we enter into this grace of repentance? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for (Heb 11:1), and through his gift of faith, we surrender our worthless self determination for the promises of God in Christ. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you... was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. (from 2Cor 1:19-20)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. (2Pet 1:3) In Christ Jesus, through the promises of God, we become partakers of his divine nature. For this very reason, Jesus says, "Take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) When we give up the deceptive control of self determination, and surrender it to him- by trusting in his promises, we (in our weakness) stand on his promise, and overcome the sin that has robbed us of abundant life in Jesus. This is the grace of God- to give our lives to Christ Jesus, to relinquish control of our life to him.

We do this by faith in his promise: For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matt 16:25) I was trapped in sin because I feared losing my life- But Jesus has come to deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Heb 2:15) Is it not the same for you? I was afraid that I would lose life if I lost the fleeting pleasures. I was afraid that I would lose life if my humiliating secret was exposed, showing me to be a desperately poor sinner who needs Jesus.

But we are not those who hold on to self determined excuses, our life in wells without water, separated from abundant life in Christ. Rather, by his grace, through his great and precious promises, we repent and overcome. The kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit is here as we trust ourselves in his hand. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Lord Jesus, you are the way. In you there is rest, and in the grace of your promises, I can overcome sin. The promises are always your promises, and in you alone they are mine. Help me to surrender all of my life to you, that I can be found in you, sharing your perfect nature by faith in your promise. All is according to your goodness, your righteousness, and your power to overcome.

Today's very great and precious promise

He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (2Pet 1:4)

You have God's Word on it.