The Proclaimer

"Children of Promise"

In Genesis 12 we find God making a promise to Abraham that is first nationalistic, as He told Abraham, “I will make of thee a great nation” (v. 2).  This promise was fulfilled in national Israel.  Secondly the promise was Messianic in scope as God said, “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (v. 3).  And so through the promise of God He built a nation through which redemption of “all nations” would be given through His Son.

Paul explains this promise to the Galatians, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.  He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ” (Gal. 3:16).  Paul makes it clear that the law does not nullify the blessings promised by God, for our inheritance is not by means of law, but of promise (Gal. 3:18).  In fact, as the law made man aware of his transgressions it served “to bring us to Christ”  (v. 19, 24).  But justification cannot be by means of law keeping or meritorious works (Eph. 2:8, 9).  Salvation comes only through faith in Him that was promised, Jesus Christ.

When we consider the promise of God in reference to His plan of salvation in sending His only begotten Son to die for our sins, it was imperative that Jesus be able to prove that He was indeed the fulfillment of Messianic promise.  Furthermore, it was equally important that it be apparent to all that the events that occurred relative to our redemption did not happen by accident but were clearly a part of God’s scheme of redemption.  We see evidence of God’s plan even as He promised Abraham a son although his wife Sarah was barren. 

God’s miraculous intervention in the conception of Isaac indicates His divine plan.  So too is God’s choice of Jacob over his brother Esau.  The sovereign will of God is shown to have chosen Jacob rather than Esau to the ancestry of Christ, in spite of the birthright belonging to the elder brother Esau (See Rom. 9:9-13).  Hence, it was foretold, “The elder shall serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23; Rom. 9:12).  Both Isaac and Jacob were “children of promise.” Clearly God’s scheme of redemption was foreordained (see Eph. 1:3-12).  But we must remember that God’s choice of Jacob over Esau did not determine his salvation, but the lineage of Christ.  In reference to salvation, God chooses those that do His will (Matt. 7:21-23).

But Isaac and Jacob are not the only “children of promise,” for so are those that establish their lineage through Christ.  Paul says, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise” (Gal. 4:28).  But how is this so?  The promise that God made to Abraham so long ago, “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3), was a promise that included us.  The blessing of which God speaks is salvation, a blessing that can only come in Jesus Christ the fulfillment of this great promise.

To receive this great blessing of salvation we must be in the family of God, for only His children are rightful heirs of the promise.  But how do we become a child of God? Paul tells us: “For ye are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).  But how do we become sons of God by faith?  “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ . . . And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (vv. 27, 29).                           

                                                                       -- Clark Dugger

The Proclaimer