LESSON 13 - GOD'S PROMISES ARE INFALLIBLE

Adults 4th quarter 2024

December 29, 2024

GOLDEN TEXT
“God is not a man, that he should lie; nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said it, and not done it? Or spoken it, and not confirmed it?” (Nm 23.19)

PRACTICAL TRUTH
God’s promises are infallible because God and his Word always fulfill a purpose.

DAILY READING
Monday – 1 Kgs 8.56 No word of the Lord fell under the ministry of Moses
Tuesday – Jer 1.12 The Lord our God watches to fulfill his Word
Wednesday – Nm 23.19 God confirms what he says, He does not lie
Thursday – Rev 13.8 A plan forged since the foundation of the world
Friday – 1 Co 15.54 An infallible promise of incorruptibility
Saturday – 1 Cor 13.12 The infallible promise of knowing God as He knows us

Suggested Hymns: 107, 126, 193 of the Christian Harp

BIBLE READING IN CLASS
Psalms 102.25-27; 2 Peter 3.8-13
Psalm 102
25 – From ancient times you founded the earth; and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 – They will perish, but you will remain; they will all, like a garment, grow old; you will change them like clothes, and they will remain changed.
27 – But you are the same, and your years will never end.
2 Peter 3
8 – But, beloved, do not be ignorant of one thing: that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 – The Lord does not delay his promise, although some consider it delay; But he is patient with you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 – But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fire, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
11 – Therefore, if all these things are to perish, what kind of people should you be in holy conversation and godliness,
12 – waiting and hastening to the coming of the Day of God, when the heavens will be dissolved in fire, and Will the elements, burning, merge?
13 – But we, according to his promise, await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Those who have their hope anchored in God's promises walk safely, knowing that nothing in this world is capable of stealing from us what God has promised. In God's promises we raise our motivation in life and walk towards the Celestial City. 4- SUBSIDY TO TEACHERS A) Revista Ensinador Cristiano. It is worth getting to know this magazine that brings reports, articles, interviews and subsidies to support Lições Bíblicas Adultos. In issue 99, p. 42, you will find a special support for this lesson. B) Special Aid:

LESSON PLAN
1- INTRODUCTION
Throughout this quarter, we studied the Promises of God. Our study showed that God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent. It is in this nature, in which his attributes are manifested, that his promises are founded. Therefore, in this last lesson, we will study the infallibility of God's promises. The divine infallibility of the promise is based on the infallibility of God. Thus, God cannot violate his own nature and, as a consequence, the Bible reveals him as a zealous, true and faithful being. Our God does not fail!
2- PRESENTATION OF THE LESSON
A) Objectives of the Lesson:
I) Present the biblical doctrine of the infallibility of God;
II) Explain the apparent paradox regarding “God neither lies nor regrets”;
III) Affirm that God's promises are infallible.
B) Motivation: The Bible reveals our God as an absolute, infallible and immutable being. Therefore, everything He says cannot fail. His entire project is glorious, because He inhabits eternity, His dimension of time is completely different from ours. Based on this biblical reality, God's promise is founded. Therefore, it does not fail.
C) Method Suggestion:Begin this week's class by reviewing everything we have seen throughout this 4th quarter of Bible studies. Recall the main promises studied, the subjects that you noticed were highly valued in the class. Ask the students to talk about what they liked most throughout the quarter. Then, introduce this lesson, clarifying that everything we have seen throughout the quarter as precious promises of God is based on the infallible nature of the eternal and gracious God the Father.
3- LESSON CONCLUSION
A) Application:


At the end of the topic, you will find support that will support you in preparing your class:
1) The text “GOD IS FAITHFUL” brings a word of refreshment and confidence in the infallibility of God’s promises, even in the midst of adversity;
2) The text “THE BASIS OF THE BELIEVER’S HOPE”, through the Scriptures, demonstrates the trust we can have in God due to his essentially faithful and infallible nature and character.

INTRODUCTION
The Bible reveals God’s unique attributes: His omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and, what we will emphasize in this lesson, His immutability. Therefore, He does not fail in His holy promises, both in the Old and New Testaments. God’s infallibility in His promises is a theme of great value that strengthens our spiritual life and deepens our relationship with Him.

KEYWORD: Infallibility

I – GOD IS INFALLIBLE

1- The infallibility of God. Psalm 102 reveals God’s authority, exemplified by His rule over Creation (v.25). However, the psalmist contrasts God with His Creation; what is in Creation will one day pass away, grow old and change, but the Creator does not change; He remains forever (v.26). God’s immutability reveals that He is infallible (v.27). That is why there is not a single reference in the Bible that shows that God failed in His plans, words and promises. He is absolute, infallible and unchanging.
2- An infallible promise. In 2 Peter 3, we see that the apostle Peter intends to respond to the church regarding the supposed delay in the return of the Lord Jesus. He explains that God’s timing is different from ours, because He is the Creator and we are the creatures (v.8). The reason why the Lord has not yet returned to seek us has nothing to do with any failure in His promise, but rather His longsuffering and goodness, for He does not want mankind to be lost (v. 9). He is patient. But there will come a time when the Lord will return, surprise many, and transform all things (vv. 10-13). The promise of His coming is infallible.
3- The infallible Word of God. Throughout the Bible, we see that God fulfills His promises, as we read in Kings: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promises which He spoke through Moses His servant” (1 Kings 8:56). This text confirms God’s infallibility in fulfilling His precious promises. He does not forget any of them, because He is zealous to fulfill what He promised (Jer 1:12). Therefore, the Bible, the Word of God, is the source of infallible promises for our lives.

SUMMARY I
God's promises are infallible because our God does not fail.

DEVOTIONAL HELP
GOD IS FAITHFUL! “Perhaps you are facing deep waters and hard trials in your life. If this is the case, dear reader, seek God and trust in His promises. A supernatural tranquility and peace are within your reach in any situation. They are yours, you just have to take them for yourself. Surrender yourself to God and His promises—and truly trust Him—and this peace will be yours. He will give you strength. God is faithful! Never forget that our God keeps His promises. Numbers 23:19 states: 'God is not a man, that He should lie; nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He spoken and not done it? Has He spoken and not performed it? Has He spoken and not performed it?' Before he died, Joshua, already in his old age, declared: 'Behold, I am going this day the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word has failed of all the good promises which the Lord your God spoke concerning you; they have all come to pass, not one word of them has failed' (Josh. 23:14; see also 21:45). Later, Solomon proclaimed: 'Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all his good promises which he spoke through Moses his servant' (1 Kings 8.56). Truly, God is faithful”. (RHODES, Ron. The Complete Book of Biblical Promises. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2012, p.13)

II – GOD DOES NOT LIE OR REGRET

1- God does not lie or repent. In Numbers we read that God “does not lie” or “repent” (Num 23:19). Throughout chapter 23, there is a context that reinforces the truth that the Almighty does not lie or repent. On the occasion of Balak’s attempt to get Balaam to curse the people of Israel, we read that, when introducing the message of God’s Word that would not please Balak, the prophet Balaam emphasized that He does not lie or repent and then concluded: “Behold, I have received a command to bless; for he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it” (Num 23:20). Thus, Balaam could not do what God had not decreed.
2- Did God repent? In Genesis 6, we read that Noah built an ark to save himself, his family, and the animals from the destruction that would come due to the great corruption and violence of the society of his time (Gen. 6:3, 14; 1 Pet. 3:20). However, this same text says that God had “regretted” having created human beings, because “His heart was grieved” when He saw the path of corruption and violence that humanity had decided to follow. So, we might ask ourselves: After all, does God repent?
3- An apparent contradiction. In Numbers, we read that God does not “repent” (Num. 23:19), but in Genesis, that He “repented” (Gen. 6:6). However, in Genesis 6, “repentance” has nothing to do with something He did wrong, or changed an original plan, but rather with what humanity did with the plan and purpose that the Lord had outlined for it all along. Along with the expression “repentance,” the expression “he was grieved in his heart” brings the human connotation applied to God to reinforce the idea of ​​how much He was saddened by the choice that the human being made. In Theology, we call this phenomenon present in the Scriptures “anthropopathism,” that is, the way the sacred author uses to attribute human characteristics to God, in the sense that the message would be better understood by the reader of the sacred text. In Genesis 6, the fault was not in God, but in the human being; God’s “repentance” was not in relation to His creative plan, but to the rebellious act of the human being.

SUMMARY II
Our God does not lie or repent, for there is no shadow of variation in Him.

THEOLOGICAL HELP
THE BASIS OF THE BELIEVER’S HOPE
“God never fails; he never wavers; he never changes. By his very nature, he is faithful and loyal to his promises and covenants. Yet this attribute of God’s faithfulness does not exclude the possibility that he may alter his plans or intentions under certain circumstances. For example, God does sometimes change his plans regarding judgment in response to the intercessory prayers of his faithful people (see Exod. 32:11, 14) or as a result of the repentance of a wicked people (John 3:1-10; 4:2).” The foundation of the believer’s hope comes from the nature of God, from Jesus Christ, and from God’s Word. Scripture reveals how God has always been faithful to his people in the past. Psalm 22, for example, tells of David’s struggle in a critical personal situation that threatened his life. Yet, as he meditated on God’s past deeds, he trusted that God would deliver him: “Our fathers trusted in you; they trusted, and you delivered them” (v. 4). The marvelous power that the Creator God has already manifested in favor of His people is exemplified in the exodus, in the conquest of Canaan, in the miracles of Jesus and the apostles, and in similar cases, which build our confidence in the Lord as our Helper” (Pentecostal Study Bible. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2009, pp.269, 841).

III – GOD’S INFALLIBLE PROMISES

1- A glorious plan. The fall of mankind did not take God by surprise. On the contrary, there was a plan outlined by Him from the beginning, as we read in Revelation: “And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). A glorious plan that, according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11,12), had already been planned through Jesus, our Savior (John 1:1-4). Thus, the mystery of salvation was revealed as an infallible promise of God (Gen 3:15; John 3:16).
2- Eternity. Together with His plan of salvation, God promises eternal life (1 John 2:24,25). This shows that we were not created for the fall, for rebellion against God and, consequently, finitude. We were created to walk and live eternally in the presence of God. In this way, the Lord Jesus is the guarantor of the eternity that we will one day experience when He comes and transforms our corruptible body into an incorruptible, heavenly one (1 Cor 15.54).
3- Hope forged in God’s infallible promise. Over the centuries, human beings have sought a greater life expectancy. They have sought it in the support of advances in medicine and new scientific and technological resources available to humanity. But aging and death are realities that man inexorably experiences. However, those who have their hope forged in God’s infallible promise know that nothing in this world can weaken the joy of salvation that we enjoy in Christ Jesus. We understand that life is a gift from God (Rom 6.23) and that, therefore, in a grateful and joyful way, we take the walk with God until the day comes when we will know Him as He knows us (1 Cor 13.12).

SYNOPSIS III
Our hope is forged in the infallibility of God’s promise.

CONCLUSION
We have concluded another quarter studying about God’s infallible promises. Here, we have the opportunity to renew our hope in the Lord, knowing that we can walk with Christ in a confident and secure way, because our God is faithful to fulfill His infallible promises. Let us trust in God and in the strength of His power!

REVIEWING THE CONTENT
1- What does Psalm 102 reveal?
Psalm 102 reveals God’s authority, exemplified by His government over Creation (v.25).

2- What do we read in the Book of Numbers, according to the lesson?
In Numbers we read that God “does not lie” nor “repent” (Nm 23.19).

3- What does “repentance” have to do with Genesis 6?
In Genesis 6, “repentance” has nothing to do with something that God did wrong, or changed an original plan, but rather with what humanity did with the plan and purpose that the Lord had outlined for it all along.

4- According to the lesson, how was the mystery of salvation revealed?
The mystery of salvation was revealed as an infallible promise of God (Gen 3:15; John 3:16).

5- What do those who have their hope forged in God's infallible promise know?
Those who have their hope forged in God's infallible promise know that nothing in this world can weaken the joy of salvation that we enjoy in Christ Jesus.