ROMANS 4:24

“but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,”

Most clubs you join require you to agree to a certain code of conduct and make a commitment to hold up the stated values of the club. I was part of a civic club years ago and was expected to attend weekly meetings and other events sponsored by the club. I dropped out because it took way too much time away from my family and ministry. They were good people doing good things, but it just wasn’t right for me.

By believing in Jesus and following Him, we are made part of God’s club, so to speak. Let me share some thoughts from Albert Barnes on this verse. “The main or leading truths that God has made known to us are, that he has given his Son to die; that he has raised him up; and that through him he is ready to pardon. To put confidence in these truths is to believe now. Doing this, we believe in the same God that Abraham did; we evince the same spirit; and thus, show that we are the friends of the same God and may be treated in the same manner. This is faith under the gospel and shows that the faith of Abraham and of all true believers is substantially the same and is varied only by the difference of the truths made known.”

APPLICATION

I know that was a lot to digest so go back and read it again. I’ll wait…ready? What Paul is saying and what Barnes is interpreting is we belong to God just like Abraham. Abraham believed to the extent to what God disclosed to him. We believe to the extent to what God discloses to us. We have one huge benefit over Abraham, though. We have the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, to speak in us through the Father.

Abraham’s promise of a nation was birthed through his son, Isaac. Our promise of a promised eternal home was birthed through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to prove his faith. God sacrificed His Son to give us faith. Abraham dwells now in heaven as one of the righteous dead before Christ. We will dwell in heaven one day because of the righteousness of Christ.

So many similarities between us and Abraham, between our faith and his. Yes, we share the same God. And yes, because the Father and the Son are One, we share the same Savior. His came through his faith in Jehovah. Ours comes from our faith in Jesus, His Son. I can’t wait to meet Abraham one day. I wonder if he knows that song about the seven sons of Abraham, lol.

Lord, I praise You for giving me full access to the heavenly club You have established through Jesus.

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