Paul has been talking about the special relationship between God and Israel. God called Abraham from a pagan land because Abraham believed there was only one God. God made of Abraham's seed a great nation. God gave that nation His laws and commandments, His temple, and His promises. One of the greatest promises He gave Israel was that the Messiah was coming from among their own people. But, by and large, the nation rejected Christ. So Paul's readers naturally wonder if this changes the status of Israel. Has God's plan for Israel failed?
God's plan has not failed. All of Israel has never belonged to Him, because those who belong to God must belong to Him by faith. To the faithful, God's promises stand. Paul explained to us yesterday that not everyone who calls himself an Israelite is what God considers a true Israelite at heart. A true Israelite has faith like that of Abraham. Not everyone descended from Abraham can claim the promises God made to Abraham; only those who have faith like Abraham can claim the promises. "Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: 'At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.'" (Romans 9:7-9) The promise was not made about Abraham's son Ishmael, but about Abraham's son Isaac. Ishmael was the result of Abraham trying to take circumstances into his own hands. He tried to do the work for God instead of waiting for God to do the work. By contrast, Isaac was the son of faith. Isaac was the result of God keeping His promise.
We can see by this that the promises of God are obtained by faith and not by our own works, and the promises of God are obtained by faith and not by our genealogical lineage. I come from a Christian family, but that doesn't make me a Christian simply because I belong to my family. I'm a Christian because I have faith in Christ. Likewise, Paul's people of Israel could not assume they were right with God simply because they were descended from Abraham. Being right with God comes not through lineage but through faith.
Earlier in our study of the book of Romans we borrowed a portion of Paul's letter to the Galatians to prove the point that only those who have faith are the children of Abraham. This means even the Gentiles, who are not physically descended from Abraham, can be considered his descendants. "Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 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 rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galatians 3:7-9) In the eyes of God, those who are physically descended from Abraham but don't have faith are not considered Abraham's true offspring. The promises made to Abraham and his descendants don't apply to them if they don't have faith. Only those who believe God receive righteousness credited to their accounts, just as Abraham had righteousness credited to his account because he believed God.
My mother was a fine Christian woman. I was taken to church practically from birth and was taught the gospel at such a young age I can't remember a time when I didn't know it. But if I had not accepted the gospel on faith, it could not truly be said that I am my mother's spiritual offspring. In the same way, those who are physically descended from Abraham but do not have faith cannot be truly said to be his spiritual offspring. We don't get "grandfathered in" to salvation. We aren't guaranteed a place in heaven because Grandma and Grandpa faithfully served the Lord. We each have to make our own personal decision for Christ. He has to be Lord of our own lives. In Paul's day he knew that many of his countrymen were resting on the promises made to their forefathers without having a personal relationship with the Lord themselves. But this is not Scriptural. The great men and women of the Bible each had a personal relationship with the Lord. They didn't consider their seats in heaven reserved because they were descended from Abraham. They received their right standing with God through faith. You and I must be like them. We must each decide whether or not Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives. We must believe He is who He says He is. We must trust that He will do what He says He will do. We must count on Him to provide the righteousness we lack. Then we are the children of Abraham. Then the great promises of the Bible, which were made to the faithful, are ours.
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