The Blessing Of Abraham

A sermon preached on 3rd July 2022 by Pastor Enoch Awuku Anti

Today, we continue our studies in Galatians. Last week, we saw how Paul dealt with the error of the Galatians to the point of calling them foolish. I indicated that Paul was speaking in this manner because of the matter at stake: The gospel. And when the gospel is at stake, everything else is at stake.This morning I want us to concentrate on v.14 with a sermon title  The Blessing Of Abraham. In this sermon, I will attempt to answer the question what is The Blessing Of Abraham and How Do We Receive The Blessing Of Abraham?

Now to our first point

 What Is The Blessing Of Abraham?

We  first encountered Abraham in Scripture when God called him from a pagan background. Genesis 11:26—12:1-3; 

26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran 27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.  28Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans.  29And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah.  30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.  31Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there.  32The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and pin you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Apart from this call, the Scripture also presents Abraham as a wealthy man (Genesis 13:1). 

He also had 318 servants he trained militarily in his own home (Genesis 14:14). And as if to summarise his wealth, Genesis 24:1 tells us “Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things”

It is at this point that things get interesting. Among some Christian teachers, The Blessing of Abraham promised the believer in Galatians includes material wealth and a whole theology of “health and wealth” has been built around the phrase The Blessing of Abraham. 

How some believers and preachers come to the conclusion that the blessing of Abraham is material in nature is simply the result of twisting Scripture to fit their theology of prosperity. There is a whole theology out there that speaks of financial and material blessings as part of salvation. Scripture no where speak of material blessings as a package of salvation as some makes us believe. Wherever you find this idea taught, it is a warped interpretation of Scripture out of context. See, it will be strange that the Galatians, the original recipients of this letter will interpret The Blessing of Abraham as material blessing. Because that is far from the subject Paul is addressing.They will then miss the whole point of the letter. To be consistent with what is going on here, what Paul is addressing  is an argument over Faith and Works. How are sinners made right with God? That’s the argument.

The question remain unanswered. So What Is The Blessing Of Abraham?

The Blessing of Abraham therefore is 

Righteousness

Righteousness in very simple terms is a right standing with God. It means that before God, a sinner stands accepted. As if they have never sinned. And we cannot do this by our own selves.

Paul has argued sinners are made right not by what they do (2:15-16,3:1-11; 2:21). If you are ever tempted to believe you are a Christian because of how good or moral you are, then you have missed the point. Then you have started falling from Grace.In this Chapter as we already know, Paul is arguing how sinners are justified or made right before God. He quotes Abraham to make a point about how sinners are justified by faith. So from vv. 6 right to vv. 29, Paul uses the rest of the Chapter to argue the point of justification by faith using Abraham. Let me just read a few of the relevant verses.

 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heir according to promise

You see Abraham occupies a very significant place in Jewish nationality and religion. The Jews consider themselves as children of Abraham (John 8:31-33) So the point Paul is driving at is the fact that, even Abraham, the one you look up to as Father was justified by faith. Look at how Paul calls Abraham at the end of verse 9: “the man of faith”. Paul argues this clearly in Romans 4:1-3

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

This is clearly the biblical pattern. Justification by faith or Righteousness before God is not just a New Testament concept. It is a biblical concept. Paul goes right into the Old Testament and argues this point. First he quotes Genesis 15:6 (Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness). Then he quotes Habakuk 2 “The righteous shall live by faith).This righteousness bring us peace with God (Romans 5:1). This righteousness brings forgiveness of sins 

How Does This Righteousness Come

By Hearing The Gospel

There is something beautiful in the texts we are looking at: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed.” (v.8). Abraham heard the gospel. It is there: “preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham”. When God was speaking to Abraham, it was the gospel being preached to him. And Paul personifies the Scriptures in such powerful ways. See. 

The Scripture sees ahead. Knows the future

The Scripture speaks

The Scripture makes promises

Simply, in the Scriptures we hear the voice of God, we hear the promises of God. The Scripture is sufficient for our lives. Hebrews says the word of God is living and active. The way by which we receive this righteousness of God is by hearing the gospel. The gospel—the death of Christ for sinners—is the only way by which sinners will be justified before God. Christ died for sinners. And when we believe in him, we are saved. It is in the gospel God justifies sinners. There is no message sinners need apart from the gospel

By Believing In The Gospel 

Hearing is one thing. Believing is another thing. Abraham heard and believed. Everyone who will receive the blessing of Abraham must believe in the preached word of God. The Scripture foresaw that God will justify Gentiles by faith. Paul makes it clear that it is only those who are of faith who are called sons of Abraham. The righteousness promised those who will believe is not limited only to the Jews. It has a wider reach: It brings in both Gentiles and Jews.

Jesus Christ Is The Source of The Blessing

Paul identifies the source of The Blessing of Abraham as  Jesus Christ: “so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles.” 

In Christ Jesus: This blessing is only in Christ. The righteousness Abraham received pointed forward Christ. “So that in Christ” This is so plain enough. Look at verse 16: “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring . It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16). Paul identifies that when God promised Abraham a blessing through his offspring, this offspring was Christ. Jesus is the source through whom the nations will be blessed. How is Christ the source of the blessing? He died for us. He exchanged his righteousness with our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21)

And what does Christ offer, material wealth? No. What is on offer from Christ is the justification of sinners: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith…” (Galatians 3:8a). 

Regeneration By The Holy Spirit

We have spoken about faith. But the question we have to ask is that, how are we able to even believe when we hear the gospel? As sinners, we cannot produce faith by ourselves. The faith to believe comes by the work of the Holy Spirit. Look again at the second part of  v.14: “so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” The Holy Spirit changes our hearts to believe when the gospel is preached. It is the Holy Spirit who applies the work of Christ to our hearts so we are saved: “so that  we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” He regenerates us and gives us new life (John 3:3; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13). 

The Blessing of Abraham my friends is not material. It is spiritual—it is the salvation of our souls. Are you in possession of this blessing? Have you come to believe in the finished work of Christ? Have you been reconciled with God? If not, you are an enemy of God and one day in eternity, you will be judged with eternal punishment in hell for not believing in the offer of Christ’s salvation. Run to Christ now for the salvation of your soul. 

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