Tag Archive: Secular Community



“Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ 7Understand then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.” -Galatians 3:6-7

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The apostle Paul was masterful at taking the Old Testament and applying it to the truth of Jesus Christ, of whom he became witness. Both Jesus and Paul, by their words, show the incredible truth behind the Old Testament, that though by the new covenant, we are granted righteousness by faith in Christ, it doesn’t necessarily negate the old covenant, or visa versa. In fact, the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old.

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A frequent question among believers and the secular community is, if one is saved in Christ, what about all those who came before Christ? Were they not given the opportunity to be saved? I used to struggle with this question myself, but after reading this verse and others like it, and with my own personal discoveries and revelations concerning the nature of faith, I have come to the conclusion that even prior to Christ, man was capable of coming under grace.

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As Paul says, let us consider Abraham. Abraham was a man of great faith, so much so that when the Lord asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham complied with the command. Yet, at the last minute, the Lord sent an angel to prevent the sacrifice of Isaac, but provided a ram to take Abraham’s sons place. Not only does this speak of great faith, but also obedience, which springs forth from that faith.

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Now Abraham was faulty just as any other man, but even prior to the new covenant, his faith was credited to him as righteousness by God. This is due to the nature of faith, which we should all take a lesson from, that by understanding this lesson, one may overcome doubt and worry. Briefly, I will mention as I write this, that it is a lesson that is speaking to me as well.

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It’s not as simple as having faith in the existence of Christ and our Lord, rather faith runs deeper than this, and it is important to meditate on it that our roots may grow deeper. Abraham not only believed in God, but believed in what He said. This might seem like a small difference, but in reality it is quite large, for to believe in what God says, is to believe in His promises. Therefore, when God told Abraham that his offspring would be the savior of the world, Abraham completely believed and it, again, was credited to him.

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Within Paul’s letters, Paul elaborates on Abraham’s offspring. Paul tells us in the context, “offspring,” is presented, it is not plural, but rather singular. Thus, a multitude of Abraham’s descendants wouldn’t save the world, but rather one singular man of a divine nature, that is Christ. In Jesus’s time, the prophecy of a savior was no secret, in fact many were looking for the savior, but in their pride, the Jews misunderstood the heavenly nature of the savior. Many expected a mere king and not the King of Kings.

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Abraham understood this and had faith in God that the savior would come and thereby, put his faith not only in God, but the savior that was to come. This is why we are children of Abraham. Abraham was of a previous generation, before the new covenant and Abraham believed this covenant was to come. Thus, with Abraham coming before, he is our father of those who would be credited righteousness through faith.

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Abraham was not considered righteous for obedience to any Law (although the Law hadn’t been given unto Moses yet) or by any of his works, but was considered and credited righteousness because of faith and belief. It is akin to this same faith in the Lord and His promises that we become the descendants of Abraham. In Galatians 3:8-9, Paul states:

“The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ 7So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

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Therefore, let us not only believe in God the Father, and the Son, but let us believe in what they make known unto us by the Word and through the Spirit, who counsels us in all things. Anyone who did this under the old covenant was granted a like righteousness, but being under the new, we are witnesses to Christ’s death, by which we are justified, and His resurrection, through which righteousness and eternal life comes. Christ gained the firstfruits of the glorified body, due to His righteousness, but Abraham was the father of righteousness by faith.

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What the Lord tells us is true and should not be doubted. It is correct to say some promises won’t come to pass until the appointed time, but let us not grow weary of our waiting upon the Lord, nor let it produce doubt within us. The Lord cannot break a covenant, for to do so would make Him imperfect, and we would cease to exist altogether. Thus, all the Lord has said will come to pass, in this age or the next, and this shall not hinder our faith. For even Abraham wasn’t hindered in his faith, but knew the promises of God would be fulfilled even when our father of righteousness by faith had passed from the world.

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“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” -Galatians 1:10

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According to the secular community, there are only a couple reasons why one would want to become a Christian. One of these centers around the idea that being a Christian is some sort of “crutch” used to get through life. However, let us be frank. The Christian has to battle against his carnal desires, those of the flesh, and is often persecuted by man for his faith. Some crutch. If this argument was in any way shape or form true, that man finds religion based on what gives him comfort and suits him, Christianity would be at the bottom of the list of desirable “crutches.”

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Christians know this to not be the case. In fact, in following Christ, one is presented with many challenges. That is not to say that one doesn’t have fulfillment when following the Lord, quite the contrary, rather that this fulfillment isn’t found in any worldly practices. Indeed, even those who say they are fulfilled in the world, are not really so, but rather merely pacified by it.

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Paul tells us that there is no need for a flattering tongue among man, for our goal in Christ is not to make everyone feel all warm and fuzzy, but we are called to show people’s need for a savior. If we wanted to please man, we could absolutely deny this need, or in fact say that salvation is a religious illusion and that one must take care of theirselves and, “be their own savior.” This would please worldly man in that all indulgences would be permissible.

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Yet, man is called to something greater. You are either a servant of Christ or you are a servant of the self and man. One negates the other. In man’s pride there is no need for a savior, for he is the be all and end all, but this isn’t the case. The transition from the world into Christianity, frequently isn’t an easy one. It shouldn’t be, for there is a drastic change that takes place. Truth isn’t always comfortable, but we shall focus on truth and not a version of it that makes people desire or want it due to what it may give them in a worldly context. Rather, in terms of worldly things, it denies, discourages, and redefines. This may not be pleasant in all cases and we should not focus on flattering people or causing disillusionment that it is. To please men in an effort to lead them to Christ is essentially utilizing those worldly means and appealing to their worldly desires, to pull them out of the world, which is not only contradictory, but something that the Lord discourages.

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