Faith Like Abraham

Faith Like Abraham

Abraham is our father in the faith. Romans 4:11-12 (HCSB) And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised. Galatians 3:6-7 (HCSB) Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Should we not look to see how he was justified to make sure we are his children?

Abram was called by God. Genesis 12:1-3 (HCSB) The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Abram obeyed God. Genesis 12:4-6 (HCSB) So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

Abram believed God. Genesis 15:2-6 (HCSB) But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.” Now the word of the LORD came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

That last word, righteousness, is a Hebrew word which, in this context, means vindicated by God; justified. This took place in conjunction with Abram believing God – justification by faith.

So, what happened at the cross? Payment for sin was made. For all the sheep of God, past and future, regarding the death and resurrection of Christ. We see this in the record of Abraham, as noted in Hebrews 11:1-2 (HCSB) Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For our ancestors won God’s approval by it. And in Hebrews 11:39-40 (HCSB) All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us. The opening and closing of this “faith chapter” show that the saints of God are approved/justified by the faith He gives us.

This sequence, if you will, is what we see in the New Covenant Scriptures:

Romans 3:24-26; (HCSB) They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus. We are gifted grace and faith by God (Eph. 2:8) and through these gifts we are justified. Not when Christ paid the price of our redemption (which was required), but when we were given saving faith in Him. This is portrayed in Romans 3:27-28, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 5:6-11, Romans 5:6-11, Galatians 2:15-16, and Galatians 3:23-24 as well. This is the same as we read about Abram and the Old Covenant saints – justified/approved by faith; and that faith is a gift of God so no one will boast in himself.

The death and resurrection of Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit sealed and secured the promise. As one song writer put it, “Before the cross they were saved on credit; after the cross we’ve been saved on debit.”[1] Without the propitiating death of Christ, nobody could be saved. He had to drink the cup of wrath appointed us to complete the work of redemption promised so long along to our earthly father in the faith, Abram – who believed God and was justified by God.

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[1] Shai Linne, Random Thoughts 3 

Genesis 20 - The God of Providence

God has decreed and we can rest on His faithfulness. If He promises something it will be done - either by His own arm or through means. 

 

The Two-Fold Covenant - Genesis 17:1-14

The Abrahamic covenant: dual in nature; one of works, one of grace – each expressed in four ways. Two sons; one of bondage, the other of promise. Two lands of promise; one of earthly shadows, one of heavenly realities. Two circumcisions; one of the flesh, granting membership in the Mosaic Covenant; one of the heart, granting people entrance into the New Covenant. Two peoples; children according to the flesh, and those according to the promise, marked by the circumcision not made by human hands – the unconditional promise of God to His elect.

 

Children of Abraham

This morning's sermon: Children of Abraham.

1. Background & covenant

2. Children according to the flesh

3. Children according to promise

4. How Shall we now live? 

Children of Abraham.

There are two categories of people known as "children of Abraham." The first are those who claim a fleshly connection by human lineage to Abraham.

Matthew 3:7-9 (HCSB) When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the place of his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

The second are those who are claimed by Christ as His own.

Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV) Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:7 (KJV) And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.

Galatians 3:16 (HCSB) Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ.

Jesus said that Abraham had rejoiced to see Him, Jesus, in his, Abraham's, day (John 8:56). Abraham was not looking for the promise to be fulfilled in a piece of dirt in what we call the Middle East. Hebrews 11:10 (HCSB) "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Abraham knew the promise was to be fulfilled spiritually.

Galatians 3:18 (HCSB) "For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise." Jews put much importance on inheritance, the Bible tells much of this. But the better promises upon which the New Covenant is built (Heb 8:6) bring the spiritual reality of reconciliation with God to Abraham's children. Galatians 3:29 (HCSB) And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:6-7 (HCSB) Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons.

Romans 4:13-16 (HCSB) For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled. For the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all

Hebrews 2:16 (HCSB) For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.

If the atonement was universal, if Christ had died for all men, this passage in Heb 2 would have said that Jesus came to help Adam's offspring. But it says He came to help Abraham's offspring. Not those who merely claim Abraham through physical lineage; those who have faith like Abraham and walk as he walked. He is the father of all who believe. These are the children of Abraham according to promise. And Christ Jesus is the faithful Son into Whose hands all the chosen ones were given.