You Are Children of Promise
.
You Are Children of Promise
The Bible tells us that all those who turn to Jesus for their salvation become God’s “children of promise”. Those who reject Jesus as their Savior are called children of this world. What does this mean to us? What does God promise us?
First of all, God presented these terms regarding Abraham, so that we can see an awesome picture of how God deals with us and keeps His promises — even though we don’t have a clue about what is taking place. Paul explains some of this in Galatians 4:22-23,
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.
God allowed Abraham to be severely tested for years, so that He could present to us a picture of His absolute power and authority to keep His promise. The test started when God promised Abraham that he would become a mighty nation and that through his seed the Savior would be born. God said the whole world would be blessed through Abraham’s seed bearing the world’s Savior. What an awesome promise.
But, then comes the challenge. Years went by without Abraham and Sarah having the promised child. Abraham felt troubled and wondered if maybe God meant that his servant, Eliezer, was supposed to be called his heir, because he had no one to give his inheritance to.
But the Lord said that was not the case. Abraham was to have a child from his own body — a real heir. And still more years went by. Abraham and Sarai were getting really old. With their age presenting more reasons for questioning how God planned to keep His promise, Sarai came up with an idea for making God’s promise come true.
Back in those days, if a child was born through a relationship with a slave, that child could be legally called an heir. So, Sarai suggested that Abraham lay with her slave, Hagar, to produce the promised heir. Abraham took Sarai’s advice and Ishmael was born. But, as Paul points out in Galatians 4:23, “But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh.”
In other words, Abraham’s relationship with Hagar was a worldly thought that had nothing to do with God’s promise. So, in no way would Ishmael’s descendants produce a Savior, because everything Ishmael stood for was of this world. There was no faith involved. So, God repeated His promise that it was Sarai who would bear the promised son, even though they were really up in age.
Finally, when Abraham was 100 and Sarai (renamed Sarah by God ) was 90, they bore the promised son, Isaac. God kept His promise of a son for them — and thousands of years later, God kept His promise that the Savior, Jesus, would be their descendant. 2 Peter 3:9 explains how we are to think about God’s promises and time. It says,
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
All of Abraham’s life is a picture for us to examine and build our faith on. God is telling us that there is only one way for us to become “children of promise”. We have to look at how God keeps His promises, even though we go through all sorts of trials here on earth. We have to trust wholly in what God promises us today. What does God promise us? Romans 3:21-24 shows us just one example of God’s promise to us,
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…
God promises His children that we are truly saved through faith as a gift of His grace. God’s love for us presents this gift of salvation when we believe His promise.
As we read in Galatians 4 above, we must trust in God’s promise, if we want to be taken in as a child of God. Jesus really is the Way — the only Way. God promises that. God is telling us to forget about all the rules and regulations this world wants us to believe in. As God’s child, we are to just believe in His promises.
Do we want to be God’s “children of promise”? Unless we keep reminding ourselves of God’s promises, we will soon forget about them and set ourselves up for a weakened faith that will fall into despair when troubles come. We need to keep looking to God’s promises.
As we face our trials and look to our heavenly Father, we say, “Hallelujah! Lord, Your promises are so great and free. Thank you for being our righteousness.”
Love,
Margaret
.
A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods
This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30
Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Psalm 33:1
How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3
Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12
.
.
.
.
Comments are closed.