I understand that but only when I started listening to the world, did I start breaking my promises! I make promises for myself, so that I indeed know what my problems are, and I have clear evidence he's delievered me from all of them. Not for myself, but people who struggle with the same things. So I can say to them with certainty and conviction, that HE helped me with all my problems, and if they believe in him, he will do the same for them!
I was under the commitment to follow Christ and I can say that I did the best I could to follow Him and had failed miserably. I had quit the deacon twice for feeling like a fraud. He would help me when I fail, but when I show my appreciation for His help & forgiveness, I would go right back to trying to do the best I can in keeping that commitment to follow Him. I was being doubleminded in all my ways and miserable as I felt like a yo yo... back and forth .. back and forth.
It wasn't until I had made a covenant with my mouth not to cuss any more to relieve stress when I was by myself out at the warehouse I was managing that I found myself worse than I ever was before the very next day.
Negative thoughts filled me head like "You are not His. If you were His, He would have helped you keep your covenant."
So I stopped listening to the devil ( if you will ) BUT I did ask Him why He was not helping me. I got an answer.
He said "You made the covenant. You said you were going to do it. I made the Covenant with you and I said I am going to do it. All I ask from you is to believe in Me."
So Jesus set me free from that covenant I made with my mouth not to cuss, and He set me free from my commitment to follow Him by resting in His commitment to me that He will help me to follow Him.
Jesus warned about making any promises that only God can keep because we cannot make one hair white or black ( Matthew 5:33-37 KJV )
Matthew 5:[SUP]33 [/SUP]Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:[SUP] 34 [/SUP]But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:[SUP] 35 [/SUP]Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.[SUP] 36 [/SUP]Neither shalt thou swear by thy head,
because thou canst not make one hair white or black.[SUP]37 [/SUP]But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage........ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Philippians 1:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:........[SUP]11 [/SUP]Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Anyway, that is why I exhort all believers to not make nay promises that are His to keep thereby we are declaring our faith & hope in Him and His promises to us to do it so that others may see their hope in Him too.
Jesus has forgiven me and has set me free from all promises and commitments and covenants that are under the New Covenant for Him to keep and to finish which is also to His glory since we are the work of His hands.
We shall have all the more reasons to praise Him in Heaven for and not just for our salvation either.