Abraham`s Blessing Are Mine (III)

Source: huhuonline.com

Scriptures declare , 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:    That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we ( Jews and Gentiles ) might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith  (Galatians3:14).

You see, 'Bless' or 'Blessing' connotes being empowered to prosper. It is the opposite of a curse. Jesus became a curse on the tree, so that blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles.

The Gentiles are non Jews; they are people who have no part in the covenant… strangers from the covenant of promise, who were brought into the covenant through Jesus  Christ. We become part of the covenant when we got born again.

Note that our text says 'blessing of Abraham', not 'blessings of Abraham'.

But what is the blessing of Abraham? Before I expound on this, I will like us to examine the last phrase in this construction, that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.

 Some have opined that this phrase is talking about the Holy Spirit. But it surpasses that; it is referring to the promise the spirit made to Abraham.

 In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul provides us a clue to what this promise is, saying: For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.   Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed... ( Romans 4:13&16).

Put differently, Verse 16 reads Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favour), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants.

You see, an heir is one who inherits; and God made a promise to Abraham that he and his seed would be heir of the world, saying: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice (Genesis 22:17-18).

However, before God made the promise to Abraham, he swore an oath: a solemn, formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge or solemn undertaking to do something, often calling on God, as witness, saying, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son (Genesis 22:16).

In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul alludes to the oath and promise, saying, For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee (Hebrews 6:13-14).

Also,  scriptures declare:   For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife (Hebrews 6:16). Otherwise stated, Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves], and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife (Amplified).

New International Rendering, says, People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.

You see, an   oath is an undertaking to do something. God made an oath that he will perform his promise. Without an oath, any personal resolution does not get registered in the mind with desired impact.

Paul said, 'an oath confirms what is said'. God said to Abraham,  Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply the.  And confirm this with an oath, saying,  I swear by myself, meaning that He is obligated to bring his promise to pass .

Continuing, Paul corroborates this assertion, saying, Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew 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 (Hebrews 6:17-18).

Put differently , Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath.   This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us] (Amplified).

The above text reveals to us God's guarantee of faithfulness to his obligations. However, whether His promises become evident in our life, depends on us, not on God.  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself (2Timothy 2:13).

Note that this promise, which was confirmed with an oath, was not only to Abraham. Paul corroborates this assertion, saying,  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.   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  (Galatian3:15-16).

You see, Abraham's blessed (promise) was made to Abraham and his seed or offspring (Christ); and in Galatians 3:29, Paul informs us that we, who are born again, are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 Hear him : And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise  (Galatians 3:29).

He reiterates this in Verse 7, saying,  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7).

Also, in Verse 9, Paul echoes this, saying,  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham,  meaning that whatever God did in the life of Abraham, he will duplicate in your life. Hallelujah!!!

 Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe