390 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 2 - Part 2 - Book 33 - Abraham Believed God For Righteousness

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 2 * PART 2 * BOOK 33 ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - PART 2 Now in our last lesson we were looking at the fact that Abraham was justified by faith + nothing.! Now in verse 7 Paul continues on with Abraham as his theme. Galatians 3:7 "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, (in other words those of us who have entered into a salvation experience by faith only) the same are the children (or the sons) of Abraham." Galatians 3:7b "...they which are of faith, (way) the same are the children of Abraham." We have entered in the faith way + nothing the same way that Abraham did, and so consequently we are spiritually now connected to this man Abraham. Now look what God says to Abraham. Genesis 13:16a You have to discern from the context whether the word seed is singular and speaking of Christ or whether it's plural and speaking of the whole Nation of Israel. Sheep. It's the same way with the Hebrew word that pertains to the word seed. Genesis 13:16 Is it earthly or heavenly? Well it's earthly. Now turn the page to Genesis chapter 15, and verse 5. And now look what God promises. Genesis 15:5 Now what was God doing? God in His infinite Sovereign Grace was promising Abraham 2 different groups of people that would be connected to him. On the time line we have Abraham back here 2000 years before Christ. By faith + nothing! Abraham became the Friend of God and his righteousness because of his faith + nothing also! Right? Now to make my point, how did people back here from Adam, Abel, Seth, Noah, and all the way up to Abraham, how did they come into a right relationship with God, faith + nothing? No way, but rather it was faith + sacrifice. They couldn't approach God without the sacrifice. Coming up to the Cross even in Christ's earthly ministry, did Jesus ever teach the concept of a salvation by faith and faith alone. Even in the early chapters of Acts, it wasn't just faith and faith alone. That just as surely as Abraham was saved by faith + nothing when he believed God when He told him to go to a land that He would show him. We, in the Body of Christ, are saved by faith + nothing when we believe God when he tells us to believe the Gospel for salvation in I Corinthians 15:1-4. So by the basis of faith + nothing Abraham had imputed righteousness, you and I as members of the Body of Christ have also imputed righteousness, and that makes us just like Abraham. No one else in all of God's economy had that privilege. Chapter 11 - the great faith chapter. Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel (believed God? By faith, primarily, but it was faith plus. Hebrews 11:7 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear (and what did he do?) Faith plus Temple worship, plus Law keeping, plus this, plus that. God saw that man's faith and He imputed righteousness to him. Now let's go back to Galatians chapter 3. Galatians 3:8 "And the scripture, (the Old Testament) foreseeing (God's foreknowledge sees the end from the beginning) that God would justify the heathen (Gentiles) through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." There is nothing to indicate Abraham foresaw the death on a Cross and the burial and resurrection of the Messiah." All the Old Testament prophets had an inkling that God was going to do something. And they also understood from Isaiah onward that God was going to have salvation for the Gentiles. God never intended for them to understand it. Now if the Old Testament prophets had understood the gospel of Grace, and if Abraham would have seen that Christ would indeed come and die and be raised from the dead and offer salvation to the whole world, then this verse becomes almost spurious, but it isn't. Romans 16:25 It was in the mind of God. A lot of people are kept blind to the truth of the Gospel until God opens their eyes. Now let's come back again to Galatians chapter 3. So the gospel which was preached unto Abraham was a not a gospel that Abraham understood. He had a concept that God was going to send a redeemer. Because God didn't expect them to. Galatians 3:9 "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." You and I as believers are the friends of God. Galatians 3:10 "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse:..." That person puts themselves under the curse of God. Under the curse! Deuteronomy 27:26 "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. That if you don't keep every last jot and tittle of the Law as no man can do, and only God could do, you're under the curse of God. Galatians 3:10 Listen, that's what the Law commands. Israel has just been led out of Egypt and they are gathered around Mt. Sinai and God is preparing to, with Moses and Aaron, bring the Nation of Israel under the system of Law. Exodus 19:8 #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible