Tuesday 15 July 2014

The Abrahamic Covenant

God's promise to Abraham didn't fail.

Nor has it been postponed.

Nor does it need some 'second fulfilment'.

It's been fulfilled, in full, exactly as written - through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That's Paul's revelation!

That's the Gospel.

The Apostles' doctrine.

God's promise to Abraham stated that in his (Abraham's) seed (singular, not 'seeds' plural - that is, in the Messiah) all families of the earth would be blessed. From the beginning the promised blessing was intended for all nations without ethnic distinction.

That was before the Law was ever given!

Before Jacob's name was changed to Israel. 

Before his twelve sons were formed into a nation.

Abraham believed the promise, and God credited his faith to him as righteousness, even before he was circumcised.

Circumcision, the Law, and the nation of Israel, were never the main subject of the promise. Not the means. Nor the sole object.

The subject was the seed, which is the Messiah. And the object was all families of the earth.

The Law was only a temporary insertion.

And the physical nation of Israel were the custodians of the promise, while they waited for the time of the promise to come.

When the time of the promise came, God sent forth His Son, born of a virgin in the line of Abraham.

All who believe in Him receive the promised blessing - first the Jews, and also the Gentiles.

At that point the purposes of circumcision and of the Law ceased, and any distinction between Jew and Gentile also ceased. All were on a level playing field - all under sin, either with or without the Law - and all who believe are made joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.

Abraham saw this era, and rejoiced, explained Jesus.

Thus the Gospel is the fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant. In full. Precisely as intended.

That's good news!

This doesn't diminish God's goodwill towards the Jews and their land - rather it exalted God's promised goodwill towards them, and revealed the sole pathway to experiencing His goodwill - which is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. 

But only a remnant believed, which also is a scenario that was prophesied. 


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