Children of Abraham

ABRAHAM’S LIFE WAS A type, or allegory, of God’s plan for mankind’s salvation. “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:23, NKJV) That being the case, God entered into a covenant with him, stating that he would have seed, or offspring, like the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea for multitude. “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son [Isaac], your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; … In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”—Gen. 22:16-18, NKJV

How could one man father so many children that they would be virtually innumerable? An earlier event in Genesis provides a clue to the answer. After Adam’s disobedience, the Creator spelled out the punitive sentence. Death would be visited upon Adam and his descendants. No longer would the Edenic garden provide food and shelter. Instead, toil and sweat would be required to work the soil to provide food. Intriguing are the words spoken to the deceiving serpent. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” (Gen. 3:15, NKJV) The seed of mother Eve would bruise the serpent’s head. Consider this in connection with Paul’s statement, “The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” (Rom. 16:20, NKJV) Thus the “seed” that crushes Satan, fulfilling the prophetic words of God, is Christ.

Chief among the children of promise is God’s Son Jesus Christ. With Jesus, next in order, are those who follow him in the present time—his church. “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:16,29, NKJV) Last in the train of salvation will be “all the nations” of the entire human family, who will be blessed by Christ and his church in the kingdom of God.

We have received Christ by faith. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12,13, NKJV) “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”—I John 3:2, NKJV

Christ Jesus and the members of his mystical body, his church, constitute the “seed” that will bless all the families of the earth. Now is a day of salvation for the calling and development of Abraham’s children of faith, the seed that will bless the remainder of the human family. We are now Abraham’s children “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” (Rom. 8:17, NKJV) Our Christian suffering for the sake of righteousness prepares us for the role we will play in blessing the nations together with Christ.