Sunday, August 8, 2010: Children of Abraham

Children of Abraham
Galatians 3: 6 – 14.


I. Introduction.

A couple of years ago, my sons asked me a question about the relationship between Abraham and Islam. The question goes something like this…If Abraham was the father of Ishmael, and Ishmael is the ancestor of the Muslims, does that mean Christians, Muslims and Jews all worship the same God?

I will give you the same answer I gave my sons, “Go look it up on Wikipedia.” Actually, that’s not what I said.

There is one significant difference between the God of Christianity, the God of Judaism and Allah of Islam. The God of Christianity is the Father of Jesus Christ, who sent his Only Son to die on the cross and to rise again on the third day. Anyone who worships the Father of Jesus Christ (crucified and resurrected) worships the same God Christians worship. However, neither Jews nor Muslims worship the Father of Jesus (crucified and resurrected).

It is true that Jewish people trace their faith and lineage to Abraham, through his son Isaac. It is true that Muslim people trace their faith (and sometimes lineage) to Abraham, through his son Ishmael. It is also true that Christians trace our faith (and not our lineage) to Abraham, through his son Isaac.

As we have studied the story of Abraham, several of you have asked me why I haven’t mentioned much about the connection between Ishmael and Islam. The reason is because the Bible never mentions Islam. Islam began in the year AD 610—approximately 600 years after the birth of Jesus and approximately 2,400 years after the story of Abraham. There was no such thing as Islam when the Bible was written.

Ishmael was not a Muslim and did not become a Muslim 2,400 years later. The only connection between Ishmael and Islam is a biological connection. His descendents organized Islam as a religious reform movement, claiming their revelation as God’s third revelation of himself (first to the Jews, second to the Christians, third and finally to Muhammad).

The Muslims trace the lineage of Muhammad to Ishmael and claim to be “children of Abraham.” The Jews trace the lineage of their entire race to Isaac and claim to be “children of Abraham.” I don’t know if I can trace my lineage to either Ishmael or Isaac, but I am a “child of Abraham.” This is not because I am biologically related to Abraham. This is because I am related to Abraham through faith.


Read Galatians 3: 6 – 14.

In the previous passage, Paul made an appeal to the religious experience of the Galatians. They heard the Gospel; believed the Gospel; and received the Holy Spirit. They did not receive the Spirit through obedience to the Law.

In fact, this is a significant difference between the Gospel and the Law. The Gospel gives. The Law takes.

It might help us to review what Paul is arguing for and against in the Book of Galatians. He is arguing for the Gospel as sufficient for salvation. He is arguing against the Law—specifically the rite of circumcision—as a necessary part of Christian life.

In Galatians 1: 7, Paul indicates that “some people” have thrown the churches into confusion. If we try to reconstruct the original context, it seems that these “agitators” are akin to false teachers, who have tried to require the Gentile Christians to become like the Jews. Paul is adamantly opposed to adding anything to the Gospel, even something like the Law—which he devoted much of his life to uphold.


II. Verses 6 – 7… Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.

Now Paul shifts his argument from experience to Scripture. The Old Testament was the only Scripture available to Paul throughout his lifetime. There was no New Testament. Perhaps there was a developing “oral tradition” of stories about Jesus told by the Apostles and handed down from person to person by word of mouth. But, there was no written Scripture.

It comes as no surprise that Paul selects the story of Abraham to make his point. Abraham was held up as the model Jew. Even today, Jewish people admire Abraham and use his life as an example. Jews even refer to themselves as “children of Abraham.” They look to Abraham as their biological and religious ancestor.

It’s possible that the agitators have also used Abraham as an example to encourage the Galatians to be circumcised and to obey the Old Testament Law.

The quotation comes from Genesis 15. This is the chapter in which God made his promise to make a great nation out of Abraham’s descendants. However, it occurred before God commanded Abraham to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant between them. In other words, faith came before circumcision.

There are three important words in the Scripture quotation:

Believed…This is actually the verb form of the noun “faith.” In English, it is easy to differentiate between faith and belief. Believing something is completely different from placing your faith in something. The classic example is the story of the man walking across a high-wire. He walked across the high-wire as the audience cheered. He turned to the audience and asked, “How many of you believe I can walk across this high wire, pushing a wheelbarrow?” The audience cheered. “How many of you believe I can walk across this high-wire, pushing a wheelbarrow with another person sitting in the wheelbarrow?” The audience cheered. “Who wants to ride in the wheelbarrow?” Silence…

Faith is not simply acknowledging that something can be accomplished. Faith is placing your life at risk. That’s what Abraham did. He left his home. He left his family. He lived as a stranger in a strange land. He placed his life at risk. He knew that risking his life with God was better than remaining safe and comfortable at home.

Righteousness…There are two ways that we typically interpret the words righteous and righteousness. The most common interpretation is to think of being good and keeping your life pure / unstained by sin. The other interpretation is to think of it as a relational word. Our relationship with God is either broken or it is righteous. The only way to have a right / proper / righteous relationship with God is on God’s terms—Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. Before we choose one of these interpretations, we should pay attention to the word “credited.”

Credited…Other translations choose the word “reckoned.” “Reckon” means to count, to calculate, to attribute certain characteristics. “Credit” carries a similar meaning: to add to a person’s account.

In other words, Abraham did not earn righteousness. God gave “righteousness” to Abraham. Salvation has NEVER been about earning favor before God. It didn’t mean that for Abraham, and it doesn’t mean that for us.

If you can earn God’s favor by living a “righteous” life, then God is really not the one who is in control. You are in control. God has to do what you tell him to do. If God is not in control, then God is not really God. If you are in control over your own salvation, then you must be God…Because you can do something that God cannot do.

In Genesis 15, God made a promise to Abraham, and Abraham placed his faith in God. In Genesis 17, God commanded Abraham to be circumcised and to have all his male descendants circumcised. This was to be the “sign” of the covenant between them. There are a couple of important points in this story.

First, circumcision is simply a “sign” of what God has already done for Abraham and his descendants.

Second, faith came before circumcision. Abraham had a change in his heart before he had a change in his actions.

Think about it this way…Acting like a Christian cannot make you become a Christian. However, becoming a Christian always makes you begin acting like a Christian. Faith comes before works. Being comes before doing.


III. Verses 8 – 9… The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Paul believes the story of Abraham applies to the story of the Galatians and all Gentiles who follow. Faith comes before works. Being comes before doing. Gentiles do not act like Christians before they become Christians. Gentiles become Christians, then begin to act like Christians.

The Scripture Paul quotes comes from Genesis 12—the first time God spoke to Abraham. Abraham was chosen by God. However, he was chosen for a purpose. God never chooses people to sit on the pews. God chooses us to be involved in a worldwide mission. God chooses us so that all nations can be blessed through us.

Perhaps the most significant thing Paul says here is the connection between faith and being a descendant of Abraham. The true descendants of Abraham are not the people who have a perfect pedigree and can trace their family tree directly through Abraham. The true descendants are the ones who have the same kind of risky faith that Abraham had. Again, Paul holds up Abraham as our model. The Law didn’t save Abraham. Circumcision didn’t save Abraham. God saved Abraham, through faith.

You and I are like Abraham, if we have faith.


IV. Verses 10 – 11… All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."

Paul quotes two more Scriptures from the Old Testament. The first comes from Deuteronomy. While I believe the word “cursed” is an important word here, I do not believe it is the most important word. The key concept in this Scripture is the phrase “continue to do everything written.”

How many people are capable of “continuing to do everything written?” No one is capable! We are all sinners.

The best way I know to describe sin in the life of a Christian is to look to Alcoholics Anonymous for an example. In AA, everyone is considered a “recovering alcoholic.” The person who has been sober for one day is a “recovering alcoholic.” The person who has been sober for 40 years is a “recovering alcoholic.” No one ever considers themselves completely “recovered.” There is always a struggle.

Christians are the same way. We have never fully “recovered” from our sin problem. We are constantly “recovering” and struggling. We have setbacks. But the good news is that our righteousness has been credited by God. It has not been earned and it cannot be retained by anything we do. (In the same vein, if righteousness was never earned in the first place, then neither can it be lost.)

The next Scripture is a verse from Habakkuk about grace. However, it can be misused to teach another version of “works righteousness.”

Faith can become “works righteousness” if we think of it as “holding on to God.” The truth is that none of us is capable of “holding on to God.” We are not strong enough. We are not good enough. We are not pure enough. We must depend on God to “hold on to us.” This is what I think Paul is saying.

The word “faith” can also be translated “faithfulness.” Listen how that changes the meaning of the verse: “Clearly no one is justified before God by the Law, because ‘The righteous will live by FAITHFULNESS.’”

Does Paul have in mind my faithfulness to God? Or God’s faithfulness to me? Or could this, perhaps, refer to a combination of both God’s faithfulness and my faithfulness.

God is faithful to “hold on to me,” even when I try to let go. My response to God’s faithfulness ought to be a greater desire to be faithful to God.


V. Verses 12 – 13… The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

The first Scripture comes from the Book of Leviticus. It is a reminder that once a person starts down a path of keeping the Law, he will be required to keep all of it. Law is consuming. It consumes all of our lives. It does not give anything. It does not promise anything. The Law takes away. The Gospel promises. The Gospel gives.

The second Scripture comes from Deuteronomy. It is obvious that Paul is referring to the crucifixion and showing how shameful it is to be executed this way. However, notice an important, not so subtle, thing Paul says about Jesus. He did not say that Jesus became “cursed.” He says that Jesus became “the curse.”

Not only did the crucifixion take away our sins. The crucifixion also took away “the curse.” There is no longer a curse or any shame for the person who places their faith in the crucified Jesus.


VI. Verse 14… He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

This is the second time in this passage that Paul used the word “redeemed.” This is a word that comes to us from the slave trade. It should remind us of Jesus’ words that he came to be a “ransom.”

On one hand, “redeemed” reminds us that salvation came about through a very costly transaction. God had to “purchase” us. It cost him the life of Jesus.

On the other hand, it reminds us that salvation is freedom. Just as a redeemed slave never had to return to slavery, so a Christian never has to return to the Law.


VII. Conclusion.

In Paul’s understanding, the “children of Abraham” are God’s chosen people. They are not chosen by virtue of adherence to the Law. They are not chosen because of their biological connection to Abraham. They are chosen by their faith—faith like Abraham’s faith.
Abraham’s faith is more than acknowledging that God is able. It is taking a risk to put your life into God’s hands.

Abraham’s faith preceded his righteous life. At the moment of faith, God credited Abraham as righteous.

This is the work of Jesus in our lives.

God’s people are not limited to national boundaries or a particular race of people. God’s people, and the “children of Abraham,” include anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected.