January 21, 2016 (Thursday)
Hebrews 11 lists those with faith. Beginning with Adam’s son, Abel, the writer tells of Enoch and Noah’s faith. Then the world was destroyed with a flood and had a new beginning with Noah and his family. Eventually, God chose one family as special, beginning with Abraham, his son, Isaac, and Isac’s son, Jacob. Their descendants are known today as “The Chosen People.” All the Jews of the world are descendants of this family.
Abraham was chosen by God to head this family. He was given a land but never possessed it himself, nor did his sons. Instead, they lived in tents and ultimately left the land of Canaan and lived in the land of Egypt for 400 years before resuming their mission to possess the promised land. The author of Hebrews tells us that their faith led them to long for a home in Heaven.
The Apostle Paul wrote that both Jews and Gentiles can become children of God by faith, as did Abraham. “Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6 NIV). Paul insisted that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith. He quoted Genesis 15:6 in several of his writings which became part of our New Testament.
Paul declared in Romans 1:16-17, “.. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed–a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
The Apostle continued in Romans 10, “As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”