September 11, 2002 (10)
THE ETERNAL CITIZENSHIP. The possession of all who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. A citizenship, to which none other can be compared, for it is eternal and everlasting. Gal. 2:19 Every national of this heavenly and eternal country gain their position in the exact same manner. They are all children of the Lord by their faith in the Lord Jesus. Gal. 3:26 They have been baptized < into > Christ. They have been brought into Christ. They have become one with Him, by baptism, both by water and by Spirit. They have < put on > or clothed themselves with the Lord Jesus. They are clothed by and filled with the presence of the resurrected Christ of God. Gal. 3:27 This is the robe and the Spirit of His righteousness that is to be revealed in His church.
THE SEED OF ABRAHAM. An entitlement warranted, not by natural birth but by the new birth, spiritual birth. A government that recognizes neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free, male nor female, but a new creature. The natural is not to exist or be flaunted for it is valueless in the kingdom of God. The key to belonging to the kingdom of the Lord is in accepting and belonging to Christ, for then are you the seed of Abraham and heirs by reason of faith. Gal. 3:29 Abraham had neither the Law nor circumcision when the Lord called him. He went out and journeyed by faith. The promises of God are not of or by works, but by faith. Not all Israel are of Israel. In their journeys and times of captivity, they became a mixed multitude. Though forbidden, they mixed with other nations and became anything but true descendants of Abraham. Furthermore, Paul said that in Isaac the seed would be called. Isaac is a type of Christ. Rom. 9:6-7 In a stronger and more illuminating statement he said; that the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise, or of faith are the seed of promise. Rom. 9:8
THE TWO SEEDS. The flesh and the promise. Abraham and his two sons. One born of a slave woman who was also a foreigner. The other by a freewoman, one who was not under bondage. These represent two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which represents the law and the children of Hagar. Note the unexpected switch, Hagar, bondage, is symbolic of Jerusalem that now exists and is in slavery with her children. The emphasis of the scripture is not on that which is of this world and of the flesh. Too often our eyes are turned from the spiritual to the natural. Gal. 4:22-25. There is a New Jerusalem that should be the focus of our attention. For she represents the Bride of Christ and is the spiritual, eternal city of the most high. She is the Jerusalem from above and is the mother of all those who are of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. The promises are for the people of God after faith and not after natural birth. This includes all who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Gal. 4:26.