When we pray about our singleness, God often answers with a promise. A verse springs out of the Bible, a spiritual authority gives us a special word or many other signs. To believe in this promise, we must remember WHO made it.
For the apostle John, it is completely necessary to be convinced that Jesus is the Son of God for salvation. He writes in John 20.30-31 (NIV): “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Later in 1 John 5.4-5 (NIV) he still insists: “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Why put so much emphasis on believing that Jesus is the Son of God?
Good reporters always check their sources of the information before disclosing the information. For example, if a reporter receives a scientific study that states that pink candies are good for fighting tooth decay, they will first check who made the study, or who paid for the study. If the study was funded by a pink candy company, the results of the study will be questionable, because they are not credible. But if this study was funded by the College of Dentists, then the results hold water and become good information to publish.
The apostle John uses quite the same approach. If Jesus was just a prophet or a good philosopher, the words He spoke may be interesting and could be useful, but they are only good suggestions to follow. On the other hand, if Jesus is the Son of God, if God sent Him to speak to us, His words take on a whole new weight. There is a big difference between listening to a teacher and listening to God Himself! If the One who created the universe, who created us and sees into the spiritual realm and into eternity, commands us to do something. He must know what He is talking about! So if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we will follow His commandments.
He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God obeys what He said, and also seeks to adopt the same lifestyle. If Jesus is the Son of God and He prayed every day, that must be necessary for all Christians. He prayed for the sick, He was not religious, He did not covet or have extramarital affairs. Yes, He was the Son of God, but He became human like us and was tempted like we are, failing in nothing (Heb. 4:15). If Jesus followed this course of action, we should do the same. If we truly believe that He is the Son of God, knowing the source and being convinced of our source, it changes the way we receive the message.
It’s the same for the promises you receive from God about your future marriage. If you believe that Jesus is truly the Son of God and that He cannot lie and so has made you a personal promise for your future marriage, don’t doubt! Refuse discouragement. Your promise was not made by just anyone! “It is not yet time for the message to come true, but that time is coming soon; the message will come true. It may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be delayed.” (Habakkuk 2.3 NCV)
In this verse, the prophet refers to a promise related to the judgment of the Chaldeans. But if God says He will accomplish this promise, He will do the same for all His promises. All the Word confirms that when God promises something, He will do it one way or another. So stay firm in your faith, because the one who made you this promise is faithful. Also stay open to the way that God might fulfill that promise, He could use a method that you never thought of!