In the book of Genesis, God made a promise to Abram. What that promise did has a great bearing on all the foundational concepts we find within the pages of the Bible. Picture Abram living in an ungodly place and put it into the concept of a sinner living in sin. God called Abram out of the sinful land and offered him a new life in the same manner God offers sinners a new life. God tells Abraham Genesis 12:1, “Now THE LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.” The story goes on with Abram believing God and leaving the land of Ur. He did this not knowing the consequences. It takes faith to step out into the unknown and yet Abram believed that God would lead him to a beautiful place. It says Abraham obeyed the Lord. Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should later receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
What was God’s Promise to Abram?
We read that Abraham would become a great nation, he would be blessed beyond measure, so much so that God would bless those that blessed him and curse those that cursed him. His faith would create blessings the whole world would come to enjoy. We see and taste these blessings every day. Through no deeds of our own, we wake up each morning blessed because Abram believed God and therefore God accounted Abraham as righteous. So much so that in Abraham eventually ALL nations were blessed.
What does the promise to Abraham mean to us today?
Galatians 3:16 explains “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.” His seed here means offspring. Abram’s offspring or his lineage can be followed all the way down to Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew lays out that lineage. What does that mean for you and me? We are heirs, according to the promise of God. Galatians 3:26-29 explains, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, or all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
When we believe in Jesus like Abram believed in God, we have HOPE.
Peter explains in 2 Peter 1:2-4, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. When we believe in Jesus in the same manner as Abraham we no longer have “no hope”. The grave is just a resting place as we are told we will be partakers of God’s divine nature. Galatians 3:6 so also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand that those who have faith are the children of Abraham. So we find unmerited pardon, a new life when we believe. We become justified by the blood of Jesus, through faith and now our sins are forgiven. We are washed by the water of His word. Romans 4:13 explains “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” We conclude here, believe the promises of God can motivate man to great faith and lead us to want to accept the resurrection offer. More on that next time.
Greater Phoenix Church of God Welcomes All
We are a community church, casual and welcoming to all. Please join us Saturdays at 10:30am for our live Sermons and join us in the fellowship afforded us by the grace of Jesus and the love of the Father.