What must we believe to obtain righteousness like that of Abraham

[瑤翰 김요한]

What must we believe to obtain righteousness like that of Abraham? (Rom 4:23-25)

The church is the body that is connected with Christ, the head, through the truth.There is no one among christians who does not know this.The body gets its supply from the head and grows as big as the head.However, when it comes to Abraham's blessing, he thinks of it as if he became a conglomerate.No. Abraham's faith was ultimately a faith aimed at our Lord Jesus Christ.The Lord said that Abraham rejoiced to see the Lord's day, and he saw it and was glad. (John 8:56)When the Jews asked, "Have you seen Abraham when you were less than fifty years old?" He answered, "Before Abraham was, I am."Unfortunately, all the Jews in front of Jesus claim to be descendants of Abraham, but the Lord says that they are children of the devil, belonging to false teachers who preach words without truth and without life. (John 8:44)

So the Lord said that I am from the beginning, and John the Baptist, who was born 6 months earlier, said, "He is before me" and " I myself do not dare to untie his shoelaces." (John 1:27)All the forefathers of faith, including Abraham, saw the suffering Lord and the glory of the Lord after suffering (1 Pet. 1:11) from afar, and were justified by faith.The church is a place to receive the spiritual blessings of the heavenly God in Christ.If you say that the church is a place where you can achieve your success or your desires, then you are following in the footsteps of the Jews whom the Lord said were children of the devil.The church follows Christ, who is the truth, to gain the life and come to God the Father.On the way, we receive light and life, receives love and we love.We obtain righteousness, holiness and glory in Christ and become the heirs of the children of God and become a praise of glory.

That is why we are saying that  believers can be children of God or children of the devil.

Those who believe according to their own desires because they do not know the truth in Christ belong to this category.

Q. Will God consider only Abraham, the representative of faith, righteous?

“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him.” (Romans 4:23)

A. Of course, there are many descendants of faith, not just Abraham.

If you are a representative, there is a group of followers, and if you are an ancestor, it is natural that there are descendants.

Abraham was credited as righteousness through his faith, and he went on to reveal the righteousness of faith that God said, “It is now.”

It is from faith to faith.

Psalm 85 says, “Righteousness and peace kiss” (Psalm 85:10).

God has already given us the truth through the bible and the Holy Spirit for the righteousness so that we can make peace with God.

Therefore, we must know the truth through the Word given.

In the faith, the Lord gives us righteousness and blesses us with peace with God.

So, since we have already received the truth, it says that truth comes from the earth and righteousness looks down from heaven (Psalm 85:11). Think deeply about this composition.

But the Bible asks if the righteousness of faith is given only to Abraham?

Here he uses a very strong expression‎, "no."

The promises of the Old Testament are given not only to Abraham but also to all who have faith who are counted as righteousness.

If you make a prototype in a factory and succeed, it is like starting a mass production system.

Since Abraham succeeded in the promise of being justified by faith for the first time since the foundation of the world, all christians who follow the path of faith are justified.

So “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”(Gal 3:13)

Its purpose is "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:14)

Anyone who has the same faith that Abraham believed in faith will receive the blessing of Abraham.

It is not the blessing of Abraham, who is like a conglomerate, but the righteousness of God.

Also, if you follow the footsteps of faith like David's, you will receive David's blessings.He allows us to enjoy the happiness that David enjoyed and the blessing of peace in middle age that David enjoyed.Of course, because David meant the completion of God's kingdom, God wanted him to lead him forcefully.A person of faith whose Word has become faith believes in God who is faithful to this promise.

Q. What is the basis for the same faith as Abraham?

“But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4:24)

A. This word, “For us also, to whom it shall be imputed” is an expression‎ of the representative of God's covenant that will be fulfilled someday from Abraham's point of view.If you look at that time as the present, it is an expression‎ of the covenant that will be made in the future.That is, we believe on the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.Just as Abraham heard the word and believed in God and was justified, so we believe in God through the Lord Jesus Christ."He who hears my word, and believes on him who sent me, has eternal life." (John 5:24)Therefore, Abraham looked up and believed even the descendants of faith in Jesus Christ who had already died on the cross and Christ who was resurrected.That is the true meaning of God's promise that through Isaac, the child of promise, your offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand of the sea.This word does not refer to Israel who is being lied to by a false teacher.

“Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)

When God spoke, Abraham belived as it is, he was justified by his faith.

As he is justified by his faith, and this word is the basis of our faith.

In the Bible, Jesus and Christ are one.

He came to this earth as a man, died on the cross, rose again, and ascended back to God.

In our view, it is expressed as 'he came as a man and ascended again', but he says that he was already in the world (John 1:10).

He was always there. If the Lord is not with the world for a short time, this universe will be messed up. The Lord is the Word itself that upholds all things.

However, the Lord came for a short time in the form of a man, a servant, and a sinner to forgive our sins, and then he left after completing the work of atonement, now He is always in all and is Lord over all. (Colossians 3:11)

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Word that fills all things yesterday, today, and forever (John 1:1 Logos).

In order to explain the fact that He exists, we express 'He is sitting at the right hand of the throne or He is in us'.

He will surely appear again and come again to gather all the chosen people and bring them into the barn.

But now, the Spirit of truth has come, the Lord said, “Do not say here or there, it is within you.”

To say that he is at the right hand means that he is acknowledged by God, and  he is the King who rules over all things.

And the reason he must be in us is to give us life and give us salvation. He becomes our life and salvation.

We believe in the promise (commandment) as it is that 'Christ is in us' and keep it by faith, so we receive the Father's love and know that the Lord appears in us. (John 14:21)

God says he does not dwell in houses built with human hands.

He is always in all and in us.

Because we breathe air, we live our physical life.

Just as the air is in me and I am in the air.

This air is everywhere on earth.

Therefore, we also live in this air.

The Holy Spirit is like the wind (pneuma). 

Jesus Christ is always all.

Even though he is all, we and him are not a spatial concept but a dimensional concept, so we cannot become one with the Lord through flesh and blood and go to him.

However, it say that when we get out of the physical world, that world opens.

That is our Father's kingdom, the heavens and the firmament.

This is the meaning of the new Jerusalem in heaven. (Galatians 4:26)

In this regard, it say that we are in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit, and it is  saying that we are in the truth.

As much as it is accepted by us through the Bible, its meaning is also accepted by us and believed.

Jesus Christ not only died for our sins and rose again to give us life, but he always lives and works.

By believing in this fact, we obtain the same righteousness as Abraham.

Therefore, trust that our Lord Jesus Christ is the One who died on the cross for our sins and raised us up from sin and death to give us life and transferred us to righteousness and life in him, who quickens us with his Spirit and life.

When we heard and believed through the Bible and the Holy Spirit that he died on the cross for our sins and rose again to become our righteousness, as God justified Abraham because Abraham heard the word of God and believed on God, and God regarded us as people of faith like Abraham.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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