What is a promise with God?

Answer 1

The definition of "promise" is: "A statement, vow or oath that you will definitely do something; or that something will definitely happen in the future."

And that's what a promise is with God: He vowed by His own Name to "do something" for the Faithful man, Abraham... swearing that "in the future" He would "bless all the families or nations of the earth;" which translates into mankind's future Salvation and entry into God's Holy, Divine, Immortal Family and His Household; the Kingdom of God.

"'This is what the LORD says: Because you have Obeyed Me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I SWEAR BY MY OWN SELF that I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. They will conquer their enemies, and through your descendants [the Promise of the Messiah], ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH WILL BE BLESSED - all because you have Obeyed Me.'" (Gen.22:16-18 NLT New Living Translation)

God's Promises to Abraham were... and ARE... TWO: both material and spiritual. One part is the material promise of national greatness; earthly prosperity and power -- and the second part translates into a "blessing" which is "spiritual" or the promise of Salvation or Eternal Life through Christ: a transition or "change" from "mortal" to "immortality" sometime in the future:

"I tell you a Truth hitherto kept secret: we shall not all sleep [biblical symbolism for 'dying'], but WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED [future tense], in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sounding of the Last Trumpet: for the trumpet will sound, and dead [sleeping] will be raised incapable of decay, and we SHALL BE [future tense] CHANGED. For so it must be: this perishable nature must clothe itself with what is imperishable, and this MORTALITY must clothe itself with IMMORTALITY. But when this perishable nature has PUT ON what is imperishable, and this MORTALITY has PUT ON IMMORTALITY, then will the Words of Scripture [God's Promise for the future] be fulfilled, 'DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. WHERE, O DEATH, IS THY VICTORY? WHERE, O DEATH, IS THY STING?'" (I Cor.15:51-55 WEY Weymouth's New Testament & Isa.25:6-8)

A "promise" with God is an obligation He places upon His own shoulders to bring to fruition in the future. It's a virtual test of His own Sovereignty and Faithfulness, to bring about what He has promised [and planned]. And it then becomes a test of Faithful men to "Trust" God's Word, that He will do what He has promised... all because "Faithful Abraham Obeyed God" and Trusted Him, first.

"By Faith Abraham, on being called, Obeyed in starting off for a country which he was to receive as his own, and he did it in spite of the fact that he did not know where he was going. By Faith he made his temporary home in the land that God had promised him, although a land inhabited by others, living merely in tents with Isaac and Jacob, were to share the promise with him. For he was confidently looking forward to that City with the solid foundations [see Rev.21:2-3], whose Architect and Builder is God." (Heb.11:8-10 WNT William's New Testament)

The bottom line of the Promises of God to Abraham translates into the "Good News" [gospel] of the coming Kingdom of God [God's Household] coming to a New Future Earth purified of sin and disobedience to God's Laws by a fire which only God's "blessed" and "changed," Faithful, Immortal Children, numbering as many as the stars in the sky can survive and enter into.

"Know ye therefore that they which are of Faith, the same are the Children of Abraham." (Gal.3:7 KJV)

And therefore the "heirs of God's Promises to Abraham."

"And IF YE BE CHRIST'S [the Promised Seed of Abraham who shall 'bless {save} all the nations of the earth' through Faith], then are ye Abraham's seed, and Heirs according to the Promise." (verse 29)

The "promise" of God is a "future" one upon which The Bible elaborates and details for those of Faith; those who are able to see it, believe it, and dare to Hope for its fulfillment. And its fulfillment hinges on His promised return to earth... to make it all happen. God has obligated Himself to do that.

"There are many rooms in My Father's Home, and I AM going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready [in the future], I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I AM." (John 14:2-3 NLT)

Man's impatience [and Satan's deceptions, keeping men's spirits asleep] have cause most men to doubt God's Promises [even if they knew what they are]... and the veracity of His Word.

"Know this first, that mockers will come in the last days [of God's plan], in their mockery, men who walk the way of their own lusts and say, 'Where is the Promise of His coming? For since the day that our fathers fell asleep [died] everything continues as it was from the beginning of creation." (II Peter 2:3-4 MNTMontgomery New Testament)

God's promises are sacred to Him... and the Father and the Son have been and are still working on their plan. "Something that will definitely happen in the future."

"...when the Son of Man comes in His Glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will take His seat on the throne of His Glory... Then, He, the King, will say to those on His right hand: 'Come, My Father's blessed ones, INHERIT THE KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matt.25:31-34 MNT)

God's Promise is with Faithful men.

Answer 2

This is called a vow.

Answer 3

covenant