Knowing God.

What God Does Not Promise.

A lot of people say things about God that are so not true. They make up stories about what God says for some reason, and people actually believe them, probably because they don't study God's words enough. What does God not promise? This is important in order for you to not have a fake knowledge of God which may lead to hoping in the wrong thing, then, if disappointed, you end up doubting God.

Let's dive in!

1. Freedom To Take His Grace For Granted:
Romans 6:15 - What, then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law but under God's grace? By no means!
What I mean by this is sinning intentionally or without remorse because Jesus died for the world. For some reason, some people think it is okay to do certain immoral things just because Jesus' death brought grace to the world. That's wrong. In part one of this book, I mentioned a chapter in Romans that explains why you should not do that. Why it is dangerous to take His grace for granted. Grace doesn't mean liberty to sin and keep on sinning. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is a gift from God to this world. A gift that sets us free from the law of sin. So, if we are set free from the law of sin, why should we continue feeding our fleshy desires? Do not be deceived. Search the scriptures. God has never promised freedom of sin through the grace of Christ. It's dangerous to take advantage of His grace.
‭Romans 8:12-13 AMP‬
[12] So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]— [13] for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever. This is what the Bible says. We Christians have an obligation to live by the Holy Spirit. It is only then you'll live. Living by the Holy Spirit means putting to death your sinful nature, walking by faith and not by sight, losing the world and gaining your soul. Remember, without faith, no one shall please God. Yes, works are important but no matter how hard you 'work' for the Lord, or how well you 'speak' in tongues, you can't please God without faith.

2. Material Wealth In Christianity: Some people be like, 'You have to be rich as a Christian' or 'You will gain a lot of blessings (material wealth) when you choose God'. Honestly, the reason some people try out Christianity is because of what they think they can gain from God. Wealth, success, fame, and so on. So, they become religious, they pray, they do this and that. If they actually end up not receiving want they expected, they get disappointed and leave. The problem is not with God, it's with those who expect what God didn't promise. Some become lazy because they just expect everything to work out for them when they become Christians. I'm guessing this is as a result of the misinterpretation of Matthew 6:33. We need to understand some things:
1. Matt 6:33 is not telling everyone to seek God's Kingdom first and get material blessings in return. Jesus was talking about worry. He says to not worry about the food we'll eat or what we'll drink or the clothes we'll wear. He says our Father takes care of the birds, and trees, and assures us to not worry about these things. Note: He said, 'Do not worry', not 'Do not work/Be lazy'. He ended the discussion by saying seek God's Kingdom first, and all that you need, your Father will provide. Look at this translation: Matthew 6:32-33
[32](These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.
[33]Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.
He'll provide what He knows you'll need. What is enough for you. He never promised anyone wealth when saved. Salvation is escaping hell, having a relationship with God. Not escaping poverty and having a relationship with wealth. People even ignore the part where God mentions how hard it is for a rich man to enter God's Kingdom. God said this, so why would He promise wealth?

2. If you have aims in life to be great then just work towards it. If God knows that it is good for you, you'll succeed but if He knows whatever you aim for will draw you away from Him, then He won't let you achieve that. Look at this verse:
1 Thessalonians 4:11
[11]Make it your aim to live a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to earn your own living, just as we told you before.
I'm using this to discourage those who are lazy. This verse says to make it your aim, and the lesson I'm picking from it is that, when you have an ambition, you work towards it, pray and believe. You don't stay in one place, pray and fast fervently and just expect God to do everything for you. That's an excuse for laziness. While prayer is important, using prayers as an excuse for laziness is wrong. The funny thing is, if your prayers don't get answers, then you start to blame God. Start to look for excuses to leave. I hope this message is clear. God never promised material wealth. If that's what you're looking for, work towards it(you have to be very careful not to let anything pull you out of the way).
In conclusion,
‭Matthew 6:19-20 AMP‬
[19]  “Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;

3. Salvation To Good People Who Are Not In Christ: Some people believe that those who live 'good' on earth can make it to the new Jerusalem without Jesus. For example, they believe people in other religions( e.g. Islamic, Hinduism, etc) will be judged according to their religion. I don't know where this is gotten from but it's totally false. Firstly, the Bible clearly(I'm pretty sure it's not hidden) states that Jesus is the only Way. A way is defined as a path from one place to another. Jesus is the only Way from this evil world to the new earth. Simple. No other way or god or religion is accepted. I'll use Cornelius as an example(Acts 10). Apart from the actual message, there's another lesson we can learn from the story. Cornelius was a Gentile who worshipped God. He gained favor in God's sight through his good works, which is why Peter was sent to him. Now, if his good works were enough, Peter would not have been sent to him. His good nature was not enough to save him, Jesus was. God saw Cornelius' heart and wanted him as one of his people which is why he sent Peter to preach about Jesus to him. Anyways, Cornelius believed, and he was saved. So, you see he wasn't saved or put right with God because of his good works, he had to believe the gospel to be saved. Do not deceive yourselves any further (honestly, I don't know where this false information is gotten from). Only Jesus can save. Good works, nah; your religion, nope; Jesus, definitely. Also note that when you believe, you have to abide in Him by living right.

4. An Easy Ride: ‭Acts 14:22 AMP‬
[22] strengthening and establishing the hearts of the disciples; encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, saying, “It is through many tribulations and hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God.”
Another version: Acts 14:22
[22]They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. “We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God,” they taught.
This is the truth of the gospel. Following Christ Jesus comes with great cost and it is not an easy ride. To preach otherwise is to distort the truth of God and present a false gospel.
It is written," Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself also with the same mind." The result is worth it, that is why we strive to make it. There will be trials, yeah, but anything is possible with God. So, no one should be deceived. If you have that mindset that this will be a smooth ride, you'll get disappointed and if care is not taken, you could go out of the way.
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What God promises will surely come to pass. What he doesn't promise won't happen. Do not be deceived.