Garwood Presbyterian Church

God's Usual Method For Knowing Your Future

Numbers 23:19, Joshua 23:14, Isaiah 46:10, II Peter 1:20-21

1. You Can Prophesy Someone's Future or Even Your Own Without Being a Prophet
   1. Simply use "God's Usual Method For Knowing Your Future" of the Bible.
      1. This is because those who wrote the Bible were inspired by God to write what God wanted through His Spirit in them.
         1. II Peter 1:20-21 said, "²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
      2. And, so, the Bible is able to tell us of future events, because it is inspired by the God who knows the future.
         1. Isaiah 46:10 said that God says, "¹⁰ I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
         2. And, so, from the Bible, we can know the future.
   2. But the Bible not only makes known future events, but also what our future will be according to our morals, our "moral future."
      1. This is because how you act morally, now, will have a certain effect on your future, later.
      2. God says, if you do "A" now, then "B" will happen later.
   3. This is because we live in a moral universe, created by a perfectly moral, holy God.
      1. So, when you do the right thing morally now, then benefits and blessings will take place in your future.
      2. On the other hand, when you do the wrong thing morally now, then negative consequences and curses will take place in your future.
   4. The Bible tells us what these right things and wrong things are, and also the effect they will have on our future.
      1. And many of them are in the form of promises; the promises of God.
      2. Numbers 23:19 said, "¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
      3. And Joshua 23:14 said, "¹⁴ You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."
      4. And, in fact, II Cor. 1:20 says, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ."
   5. This makes it possible for you to know and prophesy your own future or someone else's.
   6. Some examples of this in the Bible are: 1. Joshua 1:8. 2. Philippians 4:6-7. 3. Matthew 19:29. 4. Malachi 3:10. 5. John 8:34, Romans 6:17-18, John 8:36, and John 10:10. 6. Psalm 91:14-16.
   7. The Bible also promises many wonderful things will happen in the future for all Christians.
2. However the Most Important Thing Is to Act on What You've Learned About Your Moral Future
   1. Since how we act morally now, will have a certain effect on our future later, we can produce our own positive future by doing those things that God says will bring us His benefits and blessings.
   2. So may you do those things that will produce the positive future that God wants you to have, full of His benefits and blessings.