Today I had the privilege of guest posting at one of my favorite places. It is a group that I started on Facebook about three years ago when I only had two kids and the energy to rise with the sun! From a humble beginning of a handful of ladies eager to study the Word each day the group has grown to around 50 with more on the waiting list. I haven't been a part of the study for awhile and a good friend of mine who is now running the show invited me to be a part of their study on Galatians.
The passage for today comes from Galatians 3:6-9
6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 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.For the Jews, sharing their inheritance in Abraham was a new and radical idea. They were the children of the Promise, but in this passage Paul reminds them that the promise made to Abraham was to bless all nations. Why include "all nations" in the blessing if it was only for the Jews? God said it this way because God knows everything - past, present and future!
Paul explains in v. 6 that Abraham's righteous was declared because of his belief in God. God knew beforehand that He would justify the Gentiles (us) also by faith. According to Hebrews 11:6 faith isn't just believing that God exists.
Faith is believing that God exists and that He will compensate (reward) that belief.
Abraham believed the promise that God had given him, and we believe the promise that God has given us, the promise of salvation. In v. 7 by faith we are children of Abraham, v. 8 through faith we are justified by God, and v.9 because of faith we are blessed with Abraham!
Paul used what the Jews already understood about Abraham to explain the justification we have in Christ. Not only are we blessed in the lineage of Abraham (speaking of Christ) but we are also blessed like Abraham (speaking of our justification). The law was our "schoolmaster" to bring us to Christ, the only One who can grant us our eternal compensation for putting our faith in Him.
Believe! Take God at His Word today and be blessed!
-Casandra