"Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 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."
Today's lesson is a continuance of Paul's explanation concerning the importance, or non-importance, of being a Jew by blood, as that status concerns one's eternal salvation.
Herein, Paul said, in essence, that Abraham himself was not a chosen vessel until he had demonstrated the required faith in God by offering up Isaac as a sacrifice.
Paul made it very clear that what justified Abraham in the eyes of God was not his blood, nor was it a matter of circumcision because when God blessed him, Abraham had not yet been circumcised. It was Abraham's faith ONLY that gained him his "chosen" status.
Concerning the Gentiles, just as with Abraham, we are granted the same "chosen", or better said, "justified" status in the eyes of God seeing that Abraham too was a Gentile before his faith justified him before God and then was subsequently circumcised.
What does all this mean? It means that we, today, are not subject to the rules of the law that was imposed upon the Jews. Neither are those modern Jews who choose to accept Christ as savior.
As for those of us whom have already accepted God's grace and placed our faith in His supreme sacrifice, our spirits are made incapable of sin. And, our sins in the flesh are justified in the eyes of God since the wholly obedient righteousness of Jesus Christ has been imputed into us because of our faith.
There will be much more on this subject as these lessons continue.~
No comments:
Post a Comment