Gen 12:2-3, 15:5-6, 17:4-8, Gal 3:6-9, 14, 16-18, 29 | Family

Genesis 12:2-3

Genesis 15:5-6

Genesis 17:4-8

Galatians 3:6-9

Children of Abraham; like him in spirit, and justified in the same way, not by works, but by faith. Foreseeing; the Holy Ghost foreseeing, and in the Scriptures foretelling, that God would justify Gentiles as he did Abraham.

In thee; as the spiritual father of all that believe. Ge 12:3; 18:18; Ge 22:18. Thus the glad tidings were announced to Abraham that God would bless and save the Gentiles through such faith as he exercised. The promises of God to Abraham and his seed were of spiritual blessings, justification by faith, and eternal life through Jesus Christ; not to believing Jews only, but to all who should believe, of all nations, in all ages. Blessed with faithful Abraham; accepted of God in the same way.

Galatians 3:14

The blessing of Abraham; that which God promised to him and to all believers, justification through faith.

Galatians 3:16-18

His seed; Christ, as the head of his church; and through him, all believers, who constitute his body.

He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; he does not make the promise to Abraham's seeds, as if he were speaking of the many individual children of Abraham; in other words, were making the promise to each one of the many who are his children by outward descent.

But as of one, And to thy seed; he makes the promise, as speaking of one, to one seed of Abraham.

Which is Christ; that is, this one seed that receives the promise is Christ, and in him all believers, who constitute his body. The covenant; with Abraham and his seed.

In Christ; as the promised seed.

The law; given to Moses. The covenant of God with Abraham was made and confirmed in Christ; and the laws which were afterwards given, were not designed to alter it or change its conditions, but to lead men to comply with them, and thus obtain its blessings. The inheritance; of the spiritual blessings promised to Abraham and his seed.

By promise; that the blessing should come, through Christ, to all who believe on him. As this promise was made and ratified long before the law was given, its blessings could not come from obedience to law.

Galatians 3:29

Christ's; united to Christ by believing on him.

Abraham's seed; for the one seed of Abraham to whom the promise was made is Christ, verse Ga 3:16. All, then, that are united to Christ by faith are, in and through him, Abraham's seed, and heirs of the promises made to Abraham. The rich spiritual blessings which God in his covenant with Abraham promised him and his seed, do not come by natural descent; they are not affected by age, rank, sex, or outward condition; but are the fruits of grace, given for Christ's sake to all who by believing on him become children of Abraham in the sense of the covenant, and thus possess the character and sustain the relation of those to whom the promises were made.