Live Like Children of Abraham

APPLICATION ARTICLE
Reagan McClenny | Lufkin, Texas

In John 8, Jesus has one of the most pointed discussions of his ministry concerning the “fatherhood” of His Jewish opponents. They claimed Abraham as their father, but Jesus replied, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the work of Abraham,” (John 8:39). Instead, Jesus points out their true father – the devil! “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do,” (John 8:44).

In the broadest terms, a son can be identified because he looks like (and imitates) his father (John 5:19). Spiritually, the way we live reveals who our father really is. What does your life say about the identity of your father?

Our text in Galatians 3 describes the ultimate fulfillment of the promise to Abraham in “the faith,” the gospel of Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel were the chosen people by whom the Christ would come, but now all followers who live by faith are the spiritual “seed” of Abraham and “heirs according to the promise.” As Galatians 3:7 says, “Therefore, know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” This is what it really means to be a child of Abraham: to live by faith! To do the works of Abraham is to take on the qualities of our spiritual “father.”

Yet, some were insisting on a return to the law of Moses and justification by meritorious works. As was discussed in the expository article, Paul makes three arguments in Galatians 3 to prove the folly of this thinking:

1. Abraham was justified by faith, not law (v. 6-9).
2. The Law only justifies those who keep it perfectly, and so no one is justified by the law in the sight of God (v 10-11), necessitating the need for Christ. Christ redeemed us from the “curse” of perfect law-keeping under the Law of Moses being required for righteousness before God (v. 12-14).
3. The promise to Abraham came before the law, and the law cannot annul the covenant of those promises; therefore, the inheritance to the “heirs” of Abraham is by promise (faith) and not the law (v. 15-18).

It was not that the law didn’t serve a purpose (v. 19-22), but it was never intended to be anything more than a temporary “tutor” to bring us to the ultimate fulfillment of the promises to Abraham in the gospel of Jesus Christ, “the faith” (v. 23-29).

Paul concludes this portion of his argument in Galatians 3:26-29,

For you are all sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

No greater practical application can be made than what Paul does here. Why are so any Christians not what they ought to be? Why are so many not experiencing the spiritual blessings available in Christ? Could it be as simple as, “those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham” (Galatians 3:9), and those who are not of faith are not blessed? These last four verses of Galatians 3 suggest three ways we should imitate “believing Abraham” to truly be his “seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

TO BE HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE, LIKE ABRAHAM, WE MUST DENY OURSELVES AND FOLLOW GOD BY FAITH.

Paul reminds the Galatian brethren, and us, that we “put on Christ” (v. 27) when we were baptized, but what does that mean? It means we imitate Christ to the point that we become the very “image” of Him (Romans 8:29). To do so, we must “put off” ourselves and our own will. It requires absolute, obedience, trusting faith in His direction. I’m not sure that is the kind of faith we are always willing to give.

One of our elders came to me recently and told me about his prowess as a marksman. Ranked first in his battalion when he was in the army, he is still able to put three bullets through the same hole from 200 yards. He described the process through which he goes and the mindset he has to keep to be able to shoot with such precision.

After explaining all of this, he asked, “Do you believe me?”

My response was definite and immediate, “Of course!”

Then he asked, “What if I told you to take an apple, walk out 200 yards and put it on your head, and I’m going to shoot it off your head. Would you do it?”

My response was definite and immediate: “Not a chance.”

“Why not?”

I’ve been trying to reason through that question since he asked it! I believe him, sure, but to put myself in the position he suggests is asking too much. It’s risking too much. I don’t understand why he would ask that. Perhaps, if he explained it to my satisfaction, I’d be willing.

That illustrates perfectly the difference between “belief” and genuine faith. My problem, whether justified or not, is a lack of faith. It is not a lack of belief in what he told me is true, but a lack of total, trusting dependence! It is trusting in self – my own experience, reason, ans self-preservation – over what he has asked of me. We may be justified in not fully trusting fallible men, but we must trust the infallible God and His Word! A God who cannot lie is to be fully trusted (Hebrews 6:13-18).

Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 18:3). If I asked my 6-year-old daughter to do the same thing this elder asked me to do, to go stand 200 yards away with an apple on her head, she would do it without hesitation. She would do so because she would fully believe that if I told her I would shoot the apple, I would shoot the apple. She would believe this, not because she “believes” any facts about my marksmanship, but because she totally trusts me.

That’s the kind of faith Abraham had in God – one that denied self and followed God’s instructions, whether they made sense to him or not.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

Abraham could have said, “That’s asking too much. It’s risking too much. I don’t understand why He would ask that. Perhaps, if He explained it to my satisfaction, I’d be willing.” Instead, he humbly obeyed God’s will by faith.

Paul expressed it in beautiful terms earlier, in Galatians 2:20, where he said,

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Paul wasn’t Paul anymore; he was Christ! Whatever Christ wanted Paul to do, that’s what he did. We should do the same, by faith, in every area of our life. We must follow God’s direction for marriage, modesty, raising children, loneliness, finances, the work and worship of the church, worldliness, and more, not because we believe and understand every instruction, but because we trust the Instructor.

TO BE HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE, LIKE ABRAHAM, WE MUST FIND OUR IDENTITY IN FOLLOWING GOD.

Our text says,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (v. 28)

Who was Abraham? For that matter, who was Paul? How do we describe them without their devotion to God?

Abraham gave up who he was to become who God would have him to be. He gave up much of his family, his home country, and his physical land ownership to become a stranger and pilgrim dwelling in tents. He gave up his heritage, his physical inheritance, and most of all his control of his own life! In short, Abraham gave up almost everything that defined him up to that point in his life.

Why? Because Abraham found his true purpose and identity in being a follower of God.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)

People find their “identity” in all sorts of things, both good and bad. Sexuality, intelligence, relationships, jobs, popularity, talents, fandom, geographical location, money, goals, and children all provide “identity” for some people. For Christians, who we “are” is defined by Jesus Christ. “Jew or Greek,” “slave or free,” “male or female,” are not primary classifications anymore. I am a Christian, and anything else is secondary. As soon as I lose sight of that reality and start defining myself primarily in other ways, I have lost sight of my calling and inheritance! I am no longer a son of God, but a son of something or someone else, and no longer an heir of God.

TO BE HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE, LIKE ABRAHAM, WE MUST RELY ON THE PROMISES OF GOD INSTEAD OF STRIVING TO EARN OUR SALVATION THROUGH OBEDIENCE.

Paul says we are “heirs according to the promise“ (v. 29). We are not heirs according to the law, or even heirs according to rote obedience. it is through the promises fulfilled in Christ that our inheritance comes. While our faith must be an active and obedient faith, we have missed the point if we think our works will “earn” our salvation. In fact, we make a similar mistake as the Jewish Christians in Galatia to whom Paul was writing! Only perfection can save me according to my works, and the Scriptures teach “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). I need the blood of Jesus, the “seed” by whom all nations of the earth would be blessed, to be saved. It should humble and relieve us to remember we are saved “by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast,” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We all recognize assembling with the saints, abstaining from worldly lusts, and doing good works are fruits of a transformed life, but why are we doing them? Are we living that way because we have a desire to be conformed to the image of Christ or because we are “checking the boxes” to get to heaven? Properly keeping a “list” will not atone for my sins or make me a son of Abraham.

Perfect law-keeping (sinlessness) was not what was required for Abraham to be saved, and neither is it what is required for us. What is required to be saved is a totally dependent faith that denies self to fulfill the will of God, finding our purpose and identity in following God, and reliance on the promises of God for our salvation.

Of course, we are not just “sons of Abraham“ by faith, but “you are all sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3:26). This greater “sonship” comes with a greater, eternal inheritance, one Abraham longed for (Hebrews 11:13-16), and one we can now receive with him (Hebrews 11:39-40). May we have the faith in God to receive the promises. May it be said of me, “he believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

18.04.03 | GROW magazine