You Are Children of Promise

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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

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

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

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