Christ's deity - His Promises

The same is plain from the nature of his promises. Christ promises to
his people blessings which none but God has either the right or the
power to bestow. He promises to forgive sin. It is intuitively certain
that God only can forgive sin; He is our moral governor; it is against
Him that all sin is committed, and He only has the right to remit its
penalty. When therefore Christ says to the soul, Thy sins are
forgiven, He exercises a divine prerogative. Even the Man of Sin, who
sitteth in the temple of God and exalteth himself above all that is
called God, claims no more than the judicial authority of deciding
when the conditions of pardon at the bar of God have been fulfilled.
He assumes, in relation to the divine law, the relation which a human
judge sustains to the law of the land. A judge does not acquit or
condemn on his own authority. The authority is in the state or
sovereign power. The judge merely determines whether the grounds of
condemnation are present or not. But as the sovereign against whom sin
is committed, Christ has the right to pardon or to punish. Again, He
promises the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist announced his approach as
one who was to baptize the people with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
And accordingly it is recorded that He did send down on his disciples,
especially on the day of Pentecost, power from on high. It had been
predicted that God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh; and that
prophecy the Apostle Peter teaches was fulfilled when Christ, exalted
at the right hand of God, shed forth his gifts on his waiting
disciples. In his farewell discourse to the Apostles, He said, I will
send you another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth, who shall abide
with you forever. All the sanctifying influences, as well as all the
gifts of teaching and of miracles which the Church has ever enjoyed,
come from the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives the Spirit to every one
severally as He will. "Unto every one of us, says Paul, "is given
grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." (Eph. iv. 7.)
He promises to hear and answer the prayers of his people in all ages
and in all parts of the world. "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, I
will do it." "Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them." "Lo I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world." He thus promises his continued presence to his
disciples wherever they may be. He also promises to all who believe on
Him, eternal life. He has power to quicken or to give life to as many
as He will. "My sheep follow me, and I give unto them eternal life."
"I will raise them up at the last day." "To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the tree of life." "Be thou faithful unto death, and I
will give thee a crown of life." "A crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me in that day." "Peace I leave
with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I
unto you." "Ye believe in God, believe also in me." "I go to prepare a
place for you." "I will come again and receive you unto myself; that
where I am, there ye may be also." "Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." It is obvious that the
infinite God himself can neither promise nor give anything greater or
higher than Christ gives his people. To Him they are taught to look as
the source of all blessings, the giver of every good and every perfect
gift. There is no more comprehensive prayer in the New Testament than
that with which Paul closes his Epistle to the Galatians: "The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." His favour is our life,
which it could not be if He were not our God. (Hodge v 1 p 501)