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The Promises of God: Discovering the One Who Keeps His Word
What Promises Can You Believe?
In The Promises of God, Dr. R. C. Sproul shows how God—the one true Promise Keeper—always keeps His promises. Drawing from his expansive theological background, Dr. Sproul addresses questions such as
· How do we know that God will fulfill His promises to us?
· What can we learn about God’s faithfulness as we wait for His promises to be fulfilled?
· What was the agreement God the Father had with Jesus before the beginning of the world?
· What does God’s covenant with Adam mean for us today?
· What common covenant do atheists and other non-Christians participate in with God?
· What does God’s covenant have to do with His forgiveness of our sins today?
· Why did Jesus have to die to complete God’s covenant with us?
God’s promises throughout history are the foundation for your relationship with Him. Here you will see how and why He keeps His promises to you, from now through eternity.
In The Promises of God, Dr. R. C. Sproul shows how God—the one true Promise Keeper—always keeps His promises. Drawing from his expansive theological background, Dr. Sproul addresses questions such as
· How do we know that God will fulfill His promises to us?
· What can we learn about God’s faithfulness as we wait for His promises to be fulfilled?
· What was the agreement God the Father had with Jesus before the beginning of the world?
· What does God’s covenant with Adam mean for us today?
· What common covenant do atheists and other non-Christians participate in with God?
· What does God’s covenant have to do with His forgiveness of our sins today?
· Why did Jesus have to die to complete God’s covenant with us?
God’s promises throughout history are the foundation for your relationship with Him. Here you will see how and why He keeps His promises to you, from now through eternity.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2013
366 people are currently reading
1078 people want to read
About the author
R.C. Sproul
675 books1,976 followersDr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.
Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.
Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.
He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.
Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 7, 2022
This book explains so much!
I think I have learned more Theology from R. C. Sproul than I have from any other human. Like anyone else, I continue to grow and learn until I'm called home. I still have so many questions (most of which I don't even know the question yet) but every time I read a book by Sproul (or Pink or Packer or etc.) I learn much!
I think I have learned more Theology from R. C. Sproul than I have from any other human. Like anyone else, I continue to grow and learn until I'm called home. I still have so many questions (most of which I don't even know the question yet) but every time I read a book by Sproul (or Pink or Packer or etc.) I learn much!
May 14, 2019
While I would not classify myself as reformed, I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Mr. Sproul, a well-known reformed teacher. I loved his methodical, logical way of stating his case. And I learned a great deal. There was very little that I would disagree with theologically; he covered his presentation carefully with Scripture. He did not stretch the Scriptures to accommodate his wishful thinking, as so many teachers tend to do these days. While his teaching was meaty, it was also reader-friendly.
The title may be a bit misleading. This is not a book of promises, exactly. It is a thorough examination of the covenants of God and how He is by nature a covenantal God, as presented in the Scriptures, from a reformed perspective.
My horizons of understanding have been expanded through this rich teaching.
The title may be a bit misleading. This is not a book of promises, exactly. It is a thorough examination of the covenants of God and how He is by nature a covenantal God, as presented in the Scriptures, from a reformed perspective.
My horizons of understanding have been expanded through this rich teaching.
June 20, 2018
This book includes a study guide and questions at the end of each chapter which was a surprise. I didn’t work through each chapter that way, but I might sometime in the future.
I needed to be reminded of the promises of God, and Dr. Sproul did that. He reminded me of the unshakable covenants God has made. Man has failed in keeping up his end of the agreement time and time again, but God did not fail. He sent His Son, the second Adam, to fulfill all that was required of us. What a blessing!
I do not agree with every word in this book (e.g., Baptism as a replacement for circumcision), but there is much good in these pages. Here are a couple of quotes that were a blessing:
I believe that the hardest thing for people to grasp in the Christian faith is that salvation is of the Lord. It is God who saves. The story of Abraham leaves no doubt about this. Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac, was born completely through the power of God. God brought the descendants of Abraham into the Promised Land. The book of Joshua is replete with references that the conquest of Canaan is the Lord’s work, not the work of the armies of Israel. It is supernatural, and so is God’s redemption of His people. - The Promises of God by R. C. Sproul, p. 138
Many people believe that election is based on actions that God foresees. However, Paul could not have been clearer — God did not foresee some difference in behavior between Esau and Jacob. Furthermore, what was there in the life of Jacob that might cause God to choose Jacob rather than Esau? Jacob was a liar, a supplanter, and a cheater from the beginning. But God gave the covenant promise to him so that His sovereign grace in salvation should be made manifest. — The Promises of God, by R.C. Sproul, p. 138
You will be encouraged to see in these pages that we serve a promise-keeping God.
I needed to be reminded of the promises of God, and Dr. Sproul did that. He reminded me of the unshakable covenants God has made. Man has failed in keeping up his end of the agreement time and time again, but God did not fail. He sent His Son, the second Adam, to fulfill all that was required of us. What a blessing!
I do not agree with every word in this book (e.g., Baptism as a replacement for circumcision), but there is much good in these pages. Here are a couple of quotes that were a blessing:
I believe that the hardest thing for people to grasp in the Christian faith is that salvation is of the Lord. It is God who saves. The story of Abraham leaves no doubt about this. Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac, was born completely through the power of God. God brought the descendants of Abraham into the Promised Land. The book of Joshua is replete with references that the conquest of Canaan is the Lord’s work, not the work of the armies of Israel. It is supernatural, and so is God’s redemption of His people. - The Promises of God by R. C. Sproul, p. 138
Many people believe that election is based on actions that God foresees. However, Paul could not have been clearer — God did not foresee some difference in behavior between Esau and Jacob. Furthermore, what was there in the life of Jacob that might cause God to choose Jacob rather than Esau? Jacob was a liar, a supplanter, and a cheater from the beginning. But God gave the covenant promise to him so that His sovereign grace in salvation should be made manifest. — The Promises of God, by R.C. Sproul, p. 138
You will be encouraged to see in these pages that we serve a promise-keeping God.
June 14, 2020
I'm not sure I've ever read or heard the comparisons of the first Adam with the second Adam (Jesus) described so well. Sproul lays the foundation early in the book and then brings it home in the last chapter.
September 5, 2013
This a book for which I have searched a good while. I have looked for a short, concise, clear, accessible introduction to covenant theology. Thanks to RC Sproul's The Promises of God, I have found such a book.
Sproul takes the reader from Creation to Consummation and shows how the covenant is at the heart of Biblical revelation. Sproul spends a chapter (or multiple) on each of the main covenants in Scripture: Redemption, Creation/Works, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New Covenant. He also starts with a chapter explaining what a covenant is and finishes by highlighting how the covenants all point directly to Christ.
The Promises of God is released by publisher David C. Cook and, if I understand correctly, this book kicks off a series of books that Sproul and David C. Cook will be putting out with a unique format. The Promises of God is setup with a built in study guide at the end of each chapter. Where many books will offer questions to consider and further readings to pursue, or some books even have pretty in-depth study guides you can purchase separately or may be included at the end, this is the first book I have read with this type of built in study feature.
I am usually not too concerned with study guides to books. I do not know why but they usually do not interest me. It is the same thing with reflection or study questions included at the ends of chapters. It is not that I am against them or find them superfluous or anything of the sort. I am usually just uninterested. I cannot say the same for this book. The study guide is really cool! It is set up with an introduction, Scripture readings, a learning objective, quotation, detailed outline of the chapter, study questions, Bible study/discussion questions and suggested further readings. It is just a couple of pages, but it is extremely helpful for digesting the topic covered.
The chapters themselves are short and to the point. Sproul shares some anecdotes and expounds quite a bit on some points, but he is very straightforward and does not waste much time getting to the meat of the topics. While I enjoyed books like Sacred Bond and God of Promise, both were a bit advanced for a genuine newcomer to Covenant theology. The Promises of God is a great place to start for anyone seeking to understand the importance of covenant in interpreting Scripture and seeing the role of covenant in redemptive history.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com for review purposes.
Sproul takes the reader from Creation to Consummation and shows how the covenant is at the heart of Biblical revelation. Sproul spends a chapter (or multiple) on each of the main covenants in Scripture: Redemption, Creation/Works, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New Covenant. He also starts with a chapter explaining what a covenant is and finishes by highlighting how the covenants all point directly to Christ.
The Promises of God is released by publisher David C. Cook and, if I understand correctly, this book kicks off a series of books that Sproul and David C. Cook will be putting out with a unique format. The Promises of God is setup with a built in study guide at the end of each chapter. Where many books will offer questions to consider and further readings to pursue, or some books even have pretty in-depth study guides you can purchase separately or may be included at the end, this is the first book I have read with this type of built in study feature.
I am usually not too concerned with study guides to books. I do not know why but they usually do not interest me. It is the same thing with reflection or study questions included at the ends of chapters. It is not that I am against them or find them superfluous or anything of the sort. I am usually just uninterested. I cannot say the same for this book. The study guide is really cool! It is set up with an introduction, Scripture readings, a learning objective, quotation, detailed outline of the chapter, study questions, Bible study/discussion questions and suggested further readings. It is just a couple of pages, but it is extremely helpful for digesting the topic covered.
The chapters themselves are short and to the point. Sproul shares some anecdotes and expounds quite a bit on some points, but he is very straightforward and does not waste much time getting to the meat of the topics. While I enjoyed books like Sacred Bond and God of Promise, both were a bit advanced for a genuine newcomer to Covenant theology. The Promises of God is a great place to start for anyone seeking to understand the importance of covenant in interpreting Scripture and seeing the role of covenant in redemptive history.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com for review purposes.
September 26, 2023
This book is a really helpful analysis, at a high level, of the biblical covenants God has made with humanity throughout the course of redemptive history. I gave the book 4 stars, mostly because of the somewhat misleading title. I picked up the book looking for more of a devotional read through the various promises God makes to His people to encourage them throughout their Christian lives. Although you could argue that Sproul does this, the book should really be titled, "The Promises of God: Examining the Covenants of God." It's more of a biblical theology of covenants than a devotional read, and yet Sproul's writing is so accessible that I was able to incorporate it into my daily devotions and be encouraged all the same.
The final chapter alone, as a meditation on Christ, almost pushed me to 5 stars. Would recommend it to someone who reads a lot of books, but maybe not to people who feel they have limited reading time and energy.
The final chapter alone, as a meditation on Christ, almost pushed me to 5 stars. Would recommend it to someone who reads a lot of books, but maybe not to people who feel they have limited reading time and energy.
July 18, 2019
Dr. Sproul, as usual, has taken a complex topic and broken it down into bite sized, easily digestible parts that leave the reader both with satisfaction in the truth of what he says and a hunger to know more. An excellent introduction to covenant theology.
This book does have a study guide and questions at the end of each chapter. The multiple choice questions only challenge your retention of what was said in the chapter. I didn't find them too helpful but the discussion questions are very thought provoking. They go far beyond what was discussed in the chapter, however, challenging you to think more deeply about what was said. The study guide sometimes includes little statements which were not in the chapter which I thought were very helpful so don't just skip them over!
This book does have a study guide and questions at the end of each chapter. The multiple choice questions only challenge your retention of what was said in the chapter. I didn't find them too helpful but the discussion questions are very thought provoking. They go far beyond what was discussed in the chapter, however, challenging you to think more deeply about what was said. The study guide sometimes includes little statements which were not in the chapter which I thought were very helpful so don't just skip them over!
October 10, 2017
Sproul covers each of the covenant promises God made. The Creation, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and the New Covenant. The Creation covenant, sometimes called the Adamic Covenant is refered to as a covenant of works. Noahic covenant reminds us that 'if all restraints on the human heart are taken away, unspeakable evil begins to reign." The Abrahamic Covenant reminds us that the only way we get into the kingdom of God is by God us as righteous. Mosaic Covenant is an extention of the Abrahamic Covenant of Grace. the zenith of the Davidic Covenant is the birth of Christ. "Justification was by faith in the Old Testament, just as it is in the New Testament."
November 3, 2024
‘The Promises of God’ by R.C. Sproul, a renowned theologian and pastor, is a book that systematically lays out God’s faithfulness to us even in our unfaithfulness.
Sproul begins by establishing the biblical foundation of God's promises, from the very beginning of the Old Testament and on through the New Testament. He shows how they weave throughout history emphasizing the covenant relationship between God and humanity and how God's faithfulness is central to His promises. Each chapter ends with an outline and a study guide for further learning.
These are complex concepts, but Sproul makes them easy to follow. The subject builds on itself and Sproul handles it masterfully.
Sproul begins by establishing the biblical foundation of God's promises, from the very beginning of the Old Testament and on through the New Testament. He shows how they weave throughout history emphasizing the covenant relationship between God and humanity and how God's faithfulness is central to His promises. Each chapter ends with an outline and a study guide for further learning.
These are complex concepts, but Sproul makes them easy to follow. The subject builds on itself and Sproul handles it masterfully.
April 27, 2020
A helpful introduction to Covenant Theology and an insightful perspective on God's faithfulness through the generations. Very quick and easy read, study guides and discussion questions at the end of each chapter make it a great resource for small groups and discipleship meetings. Because it is geared towards more of a devotion or small group, the chapters break in really weird places, almost mid-thought and deliberately separated into parts. Makes straight-through reading somewhat cumbersome.
April 19, 2022
What is a Covenant?
This is the best interpretation of the covenants that I have ever read. Sproul is gifted in asking and answering the questions that clearly lay out the biblical progression of God's promises (covenants) and what they mean for us today.
This book is good for individual or group study.
This is the best interpretation of the covenants that I have ever read. Sproul is gifted in asking and answering the questions that clearly lay out the biblical progression of God's promises (covenants) and what they mean for us today.
This book is good for individual or group study.
May 13, 2023
This book is a great book about all God’s covenants that hHe has made with ma . Sproul does a great job explaining about how each covenant of the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus who would fulfill the covenant of works that was required for the forgiveness of our sins. Great book about how God always keeps His promises and never lies.
June 18, 2024
“I believe that the hardest thing for people to grasp in the Christian faith is that salvation is of the Lord. It is God who saves. The story of Abraham leaves no doubt about this. Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac, was born completely through the power of God. … It is supernatural, and so is God’s redemption of His people.”
September 16, 2018
In depth study
I always enjoy R. C. Sproul's books. They are packed with the meat of the word. If I find my mind wandering for even a moment, I must go back and reread what I missed because it doesn't take long to miss a lot.
I always enjoy R. C. Sproul's books. They are packed with the meat of the word. If I find my mind wandering for even a moment, I must go back and reread what I missed because it doesn't take long to miss a lot.
November 17, 2019
Sproul is a great communicator of big picture ideas in the Bible. This book was especially helpful in understanding how Christ as the second Adam did everything for us that Adam failed to do in the garden. Christ fulfilled the covenant of works and now he is able to give us of the tree of life.
April 13, 2022
Reformed doctrine on man
The book is in the format of Bible study. The theme was the covenants and the doctrine of man, and how all of these interconnected with soteriology in reformed doctrine.
The book is in the format of Bible study. The theme was the covenants and the doctrine of man, and how all of these interconnected with soteriology in reformed doctrine.
July 4, 2022
studying to show myself approved
Lately my seek has been stronger than ever and so much being taught in ministry isn’t biblical. This book was an excellent resource for learning about the promises of God and how they were spelled out in the word for the believer.
Lately my seek has been stronger than ever and so much being taught in ministry isn’t biblical. This book was an excellent resource for learning about the promises of God and how they were spelled out in the word for the believer.
May 19, 2023
Good Study
I definitely want to read this one again. The Promises of God has a great study guide at the end of each chapter that includes a section for discussion if the reader is in a group.
I definitely want to read this one again. The Promises of God has a great study guide at the end of each chapter that includes a section for discussion if the reader is in a group.
September 13, 2023
Thought provoking
I enjoyed the book. It is not an easy read as it is written at a high reading level. It is an excellent study book with study notes, review questions, chapter outlines, and discussion questions. Written from a Reformed point of view.
I enjoyed the book. It is not an easy read as it is written at a high reading level. It is an excellent study book with study notes, review questions, chapter outlines, and discussion questions. Written from a Reformed point of view.
November 13, 2023
Focuses on God’s Covenants
This is a study on the covenants of God, given to the lakes of Abraham, Moses , and David. It is written for more serious students of the Word, but not too scholarly that it cannot be understood.
This is a study on the covenants of God, given to the lakes of Abraham, Moses , and David. It is written for more serious students of the Word, but not too scholarly that it cannot be understood.
December 3, 2016
Wonderful book. Well written and takes complicated issues - such as the different covenants - and makes them understandable and accessible to the average reader.
May 30, 2019
Wow!! Excellent book!
August 8, 2019
A clear and simple introduction to Covenant Theology.
April 28, 2020
Very good walkthrough on the covenants. R.C Sproul is always brilliant in thorough explanation.
January 13, 2023
great book
Excellent material explaining how the Bible flows from cover to cover through the covenants God made with Him creation. I highly recommend.
Excellent material explaining how the Bible flows from cover to cover through the covenants God made with Him creation. I highly recommend.
March 3, 2023
Excellent
The author explains the various covenants and how they were types and shadows of the New Covenant. An excellent read.
The author explains the various covenants and how they were types and shadows of the New Covenant. An excellent read.
October 16, 2024
An excellent, well-written and easy to understand introduction to the basics of Reformed theology (covenant theology) as Sproul examines the continuity of scripture in God’s redemptive plan.
September 10, 2022
Outstanding discussion of the Covenants
I thoroughly enjoyed the depth of this book. I was not very familiar with all the Covenants until reading this book. It is worth reading more than once to get the depth of what God did for us and all the meaning of the Bible from the beginning to the end…awesome read!!
I thoroughly enjoyed the depth of this book. I was not very familiar with all the Covenants until reading this book. It is worth reading more than once to get the depth of what God did for us and all the meaning of the Bible from the beginning to the end…awesome read!!
January 27, 2018
This was a really good introduction to the Biblical covenents. Highly recommended if your looking for some accessible theology.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews