From time to time, it is good for us to go back and recheck the basic doctrines that brought us into the Truth. Such a review confirms our convictions and helps us recapture some of that dedication and enthusiasm we felt when we were baptized.
In this case, we will consider Abraham, a name so familiar to all Christadelphians.
The name of Abraham and the things related to him are mentioned so often in both the Old and New Testaments that it seems strange the churches have not discovered the importance of this great man in God’s plan of salvation.
Abraham and his “seed”
The history of Abraham is contained in Genesis, chapters 12-25. These chapters record the call of Abraham from his native country into the land of Canaan and the divine promise that he and his seed would inherit the earth and bring blessing to all the families of the earth.
People not familiar with the whole Bible can read the section and pass right over the promises. There is no information in them as to who the “seed” would be or the nature of the blessings to be enjoyed by all the families of the earth. We have to read the New Testament before those details are unfolded.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians tells us that the “seed” named in the promise did not refer to the multitude of Jews who descended from Abraham but to one person who was the Christ. With this information, the serious student can go back to that ancient promise and, by apostolic authority, insert the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Confirmed by God’s oath
This promise that Abraham and Christ would inherit the world and bring blessings to all families of the earth was so very important in God’s plan of salvation that He went beyond promise and confirmed it by His oath:
“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself …Wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us…” (Heb. 6:13,17-18)
The “we” and the “us” of that passage should be emphasized. The apostle brings the importance of the Abrahamic covenant down to our dispensation, for he was writing to the heirs of the promise. The Hebrews and we become heirs by being baptized into the “seed” (Christ) named in the promise.
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ..if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29)
We have the Truth
Many years ago, we had an interesting variety of religious views among those attending a Bible class in Bloomington, IN. One evening, we had two Church of Christ ministers and one man from the Church of the Nazarene.
The brother conducting the class reviewed the facts concerning the promise to Abraham as discussed above. He then paused for questions and comment. The Nazarene spoke up immediately, saying, “I didn’t know that was in the Bible, I see it is, and I see its vital importance; but neither our minister nor our church ever told us anything about the Abrahamic covenant.”
We thought he was surely leaning toward the Christadelphian view, but we later learned his wife raised so much opposition he dropped the matter.
Mary and Zacharias
Those of the first century who believed in the promise to Abraham, as the Christadelphians do today, saw the birth of the seed (Jesus) as evidence that God, after so long a time, had moved again in the direction of fulfilling His promise. Mary, the mother of Jesus, spoke of the blessing in the past tense to give strength and certainty to her language:
“He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.” (Luke 1:52-55)
Speaking by the Holy Spirit, Zacharias said:
“And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware to our father Abraham.” (Luke 1:69,72)
The promise most important
The original promise to Abraham was that he and his seed would inherit the earth and bring blessings to all the families of the earth. Abraham believed that promise and God imputed righteousness to him because of his faith.
In Romans 4:10, Paul says that God accounted Abraham as righteous before (some 13 years before) circumcision was introduced. The law was added 430 years later (Gal. 3:19). Since they came after the fact, neither circumcision nor the law could invalidate righteousness that was based on belief in the promise. Abraham is thus “the father of all them that believe” and “who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham.” (Rom. 4:11-12)
Paul reinforces the intimate relationship every believer has to that promise: “Now it was not written for (Abraham’s) sake alone, that (righteousness) was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom (righteousness) shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification.” (Rom. 4:23-25)
Brothers and sisters, we have a great faith – it is great because it is the true faith. Our faith can be defined by using Bible terms and Bible phrases. We speak what and how the Bible speaks. Let us dedicate ourselves to it with a full heart.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One