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. (Galatians 3:7–9, KJV)
Last night my wife and I were watching a British mystery on television. The plot was around a man who continuously touted about being part of the aristocracy, that is to be part of the nobility, with the title of Lord. However, to get to this position of privilege he actually doctored some records in a church. He falsified them to establish his aristocratic lineage. Sometime later, someone became aware of his deception. So, maintain his privileged title he needed to eliminated the only person who knew of his deception and murdered him.
The idea of having a prominence due to one’s lineage is not a new thing. In the world system privileges have always been extended to people based upon their lineage. We still see it today in countries around the world. We see it in our own country. It was no different in biblical times.
The Lord-God had made a covenant promise to Abraham. It was that through his offspring that all the nations of the earth would be blessed. The Judaizers believed that they had an exclusive position back to Abraham and thus, the covenant promise. They prided themselves on being sons of Abraham. Yes, they could trace their earthly lineage back to Abraham. Yet their lineage was not the complete picture. It was not their earthly lineage that mattered. What really mattered was their heavenly lineage.
So, the question is this. How does one establish a lineage that is heavenly since the earthly lineage is inadequate? Paul answered the question with one key word, faith. He gave the answer previously in the letter when he wrote, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Yet this faith needed to be focused correctly. Abraham believed God and this meant the promise. The Judaizers on the other hand were trusting not in the promise, but in their ability to justify themselves through their own effort by following the law.
Paul wrote that according to the Abrahamic covenant, the Gentiles would be justified and brought into the promise by faith alone and not through works. Yet it was not all Gentiles nor all Jews, but only those who would enter by faith. Only those of true faith would be the sons of Abraham, and heirs to the promise.
This problem of earthly lineage that misses the standard of the heavenly still persists today. This is not just in those who have a lineage that they claim back to Abraham, but also those who have been raised in Christian homes or in the church.
Ask people today why God should let them into heaven and you will hear a variety of answers. One is that they are a Christian. Yet, when you dig deeper and ask then why are they a Christian you will hear some other interesting answers. Some used to say, “Because I live in America.” This answer is not so prevalent anymore. Others will say, “Because I attend church” or “Because I was baptized” or “confirmed.”
However, there are a group of people who will say, “I was raised in a Christian home.” “I was always a Christian.” “I was raised in the church.” Let me say this, no one is going to ride into heaven hanging on another’s coattails. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ alone that one will enter. Jesus stated it, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6, KJV) and again He stated, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47, KJV)
Neither a works righteousness, a relational righteousness, or a religious righteousness is sufficient. Only a righteousness that is by faith is sufficient. Faith in Christ and His finished work of dying for our sins on the cross.
Renewing the Heart 