Who are the children of Abraham? Do they exist today? Where are they located?
We can find the answers to these questions when we take a look at the scriptures.
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 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. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:6-9)
The passage above tells us that Abraham believed God, and that God laid this to Abraham’s account for righteousness. This is referring to the promise that God made to Abraham regarding his seed (descendants) as being more numerous than the stars in heaven. God promised Abraham a son from his own loins, and that promise was fulfilled when Isaac was born. (Genesis 17:21) Abraham received a promise that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12:3) That promise included families from every nation on planet earth. (Genesis 22:18, 26:4)
It is all about faith, and it is all about faith in the one true God. The scriptures let us know that God would justify the “heathen” through faith. The word “heathen” (ethnos) is used here by Paul, and that is a word that is also translated as Gentiles or nations in the Bible.
In plain and simple language, the scriptures let us know that it was always God’s plan to have the gospel go to the whole world. It is very interesting that Paul told us that Abraham had the “gospel” (glad tidings) preached unto him, and it all had to do with the “gospel” going to all the nations of the earth!
Jesus Christ was the promised “seed” or
descendant whom God had spoken to Abraham about all those years
ago.
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.
(Galatians 3:16)
Jesus Christ is the very fulfillment
of the promise that was made to Abraham. Jesus Christ is the one
who came down from the glory of heaven, to fulfill the promise
which was made all those years ago to Abraham. Jesus Christ went
to the cross so that wretches like you and me might receive the
promise of eternal life. It is about Jesus Christ and what He has
done for us at Calvary.
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 might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)
Jesus Christ took the curse of the law
upon Himself so that people from every corner of the earth, who
are all sinners, might turn to him (repent) and be forgiven of
their sins. Many people make the fatal mistake of believing that
their “good
deeds” will outweigh their
“bad
deeds” and that God will hold up the
“scales of
justice” on judgment day and say
“come on
up!”
Now we know that what things soever the law
saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth
may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law
is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without
the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the
prophets; Even the righteousness of God
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God; Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be
a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through
the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and
the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans
3:19-26)
The law of God absolutely silences the mouth of every
human being on planet earth who attempt to justify themselves
before the one true holy and righteous God. The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20) act as a spiritual X-RAY machine which lights up and
blinks “CONFIRMED WRETCH IN NEED OF
MERCY” in bright neon letters as it examines the
heart of every person who allows themself to be
examined.
To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law
of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by
faith without the deeds of the law. Is he
the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of
the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the
circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we
establish the law. (Romans 3:26-31)
So what is the bottom line in all of
this? The bottom line is that the children of Abraham are those
who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. There is
no difference between Jew and Gentile (non Jew). This means
that any person from any part of the world has an equal
opportunity for salvation. There is no boasting about how
wonderful a person is or what they have done. The only boasting
you will hear from those who have trusted in Jesus Christ is
their boasting about His awesome mercy in reaching out to them
with His great salvation. They see themselves in truth, even as
Almighty God sees them.
Salvation has nothing to do
with geographical location and that includes the land of
Israel in the middle east.
Salvation comes by faith and it is
all about that spiritual connection which is made
between the sinner and Almighty God. The same offer of salvation
is available for the sinner in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as
is available to the sinner in Baghdad, Istanbul, or New York
City.
So the “children of Abraham” are those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and that includes people from every corner of the earth. The “children of Abraham” are scattered all over the world at the present time, and that includes people of every color, every language, every race and they come from every country. Are you numbered with the “children of Abraham?” Have you repented of your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ?
And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
(Revelation 5:9)
The hate mongers who claim to know God and hate people of a
different race will not be found among this group in heaven. The
only people who will be found in heaven, will be
those who have seen themselves in truth and received the awesome
mercy and great salvation that God offers them through His Son
Jesus Christ!
WHO ARE
THE CHILDREN
OF
ABRAHAM?