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Children Of Promise
September 21, 2014
God promised Abraham that He would bless the world through his offspring. This promise was kept in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. All who believe on Him will be saved, if they will obey the commands in the way that Abraham did. Our faith and obedience make us the children of Abraham through the promise that God made to him. - Bernie Parsons
Children of Promise
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 09-21-2014
Presented to Load church of Christ on 10-26-2014
We have been studying the fact that God first set aside Israel as a special
people, making an agreement with them. Under a new covenant, Christians are
the special people of God.
Revelation 5:9 "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take
the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on
the earth."
The Israelites were taken out of all nations and made a special people from
one blood. Under Christ, people are taken out of all nations and are brought
together a special people, in one blood.
Galatians 4:21 "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear
the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the
other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the
freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one
from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which
now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and
cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than
she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born
after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her
son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the
freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the
free."
Christians are the free-born children – the children of promise.
Galatians 3:7 "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are
the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all
nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are
written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is
evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in
them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's
covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to
seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in
Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot
disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God
gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions,
till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained
by angels in the hand of a mediator."
The Law of Moses was given to curtail the sins of the people by force. Our
freedom in Christ urges us not to sin because of the spirit of Christ that
is within us.
Galatians 2:15 "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by
the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are
found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a
transgressor.
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith
of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the
law, then Christ is dead in vain."
In Christ, we are led to live for God in the spirit, and are not forced to
abide by the law.
Ephesians 2:11 "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in
the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the
Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so
making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross,
having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens
with the saints, and of the household of God;"
Jesus took away the Law of Moses and so united all believers of all nations
into one nation.
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek."
There is only one body of Christ, and all believers are in it. We have one
Lord and one God.
1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
1 Corinthians 12:12 "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all
the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews
or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit."
Ephesians 4:4 "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in
one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all."
Whether of Jewish blood or Gentile blood, all Christians are one nation
under God, one nation under the blood of Jesus Christ. We are the children
of the promise that God made to Abraham.
