SONS OF ABRAHAM

Sunday Morning:  March 23, 2003

Text: Galatians 3:5-9  "He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children [sons] of Abraham. 8. 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. 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

HEARING OF FAITH

Galatians 3:5  "He therefore that ministereth to you the spirit (of a son, the spirit that Jesus Christ had), . . . by the hearing [thing heard] of faith?"

THE THING HEARD

Romans 10:17  "So then faith cometh by hearing [thing heard], and hearing [thing heard] by the word of God."

THE WORD OF GOD

Luke 8:10-11  "And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God."

ABRAHAM HEARD

Galatians 3:6  "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted [reckoned] to him for righteousness."

EXCEEDING GREAT REWARD

Genesis 15:1  ". . Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."

ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD

Genesis 15:5 "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (thing heard/Word of God/mysteries)

HEAVENLY SEED

Genesis 22:17  "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, . . ."

LOOKING FOR A CITY

Hebrews 11:10  "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

A HEAVENLY CITY

Hebrews 11:16  "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

ABRAHAM BELIEVED HIM

Genesis 15:6  " And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness .

THE THING HEARD

Romans 4:13 "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

SONS OF ABRAHAM

Galatians 3:7  "Know ye [present imperative] therefore that they which are of [ek, out from] faith, the same are the children [sons] of Abraham."

THOSE WHO BELIEVE

Romans 4:11  "And he (Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe [present tense], though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:"

BRETHREN, SONS OF ABRAHAM

Acts 13:26  "Men [vocative, distinctive address] and brethren [vocative, distinctive address], children [sons, vocative, distinctive address] of the stock [nation] of Abraham, and whosoever among you [the] feareth [present passive participle, vocative, distinctive address] God, to you is the word of this salvation sent."

THE PROMISE TO HIS SONS

Acts 13:32  “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob),”

THE PROMISE DEFINED

1 John 2:25  "And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal [agelasting kingdom] life."

RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Acts 13:33  "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again (to be our high priest); as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

OUR HIGH PRIEST

Hebrews 5:5  "So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee."

RAISED TO JUSTIFY US

Romans 4:25  "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

Galatians 3:8  "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen [Gentiles] through [ek, out of] faith, preached before the gospel [of the kingdom] unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."

FAITH AND RESURRECTION

1 Corinthians 15:14  "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain (empty)."

FAITH BEFORE RESURRECTION

Romans 4:9  ". . . for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for [eis, leading to] righteousness."

THE FAITHFUL

Galatians 3:9  "So then they (who continue in the faith) which be of [ek, out from] faith are blessed [present passive] with faithful Abraham (who continued in the faith)."

THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM

Romans 4:5  "But to him that worketh [present middle voice, “worketh for himself” (works alone without faith)] not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted [reckoned] for righteousness.

FAITH ALONE

James 2:17  "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

WORKS APART FROM FAITH

Hebrews 9:14  "How much more shall the blood of Christ, . . . purge your conscience from dead works (works without faith) to serve the living God?"

THE BLESSING

Romans 4:6  "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth [present middle, reckoneth] righteousness without [“in addition to”] works,” (without works, faith is alone)

WORKS APART FROM FAITH IS SIN

Romans 14:23  ". . . whatsoever (works or deeds) is not of faith is sin."

JUSTIFIED

Romans 4:7-8  "Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

UNCHARGEABLE

Romans 8:33-34  "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34. Who is he that condemneth [sentences (the unchargeable)]? It is Christ . . . that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession [present active] for us."