"Abraham is our father," they answered.
"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did."
-- John 8:39
So what did Abraham do?
That's easy. Look back to his story recorded in the Old Testament in the book of Genesis.
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited to him as
righteousness. Genesis 15:6
Abram believed God. That faith made him righteous in the eyes of God.
Then over in the New Testament, 2000 years later, Paul reminds us: Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:3)
Abraham was given the free gift of righteousness because of his faith.
And Paul tells us in is letter to the church at Ephesus:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
So how was Abraham saved? Through faith (trust) in God's promises.
[By faith Noah...by faith Moses...by faith Jacob...by faith Joseph...by faith Rahab....read about all of these people of faith in Hebrews 11, in the New Testament.]
And how was Paul and the Ephesians saved? By faith in God's promises.
And how are we saved?
The same way -- through trust in God -- faith that He will keep His promises.
The Bible is all one story - from Genesis to Revelation - man comes back, restored to a relationship with God, through faith.
One story, and every page whispers the story of divine grace.
Every page whispers the miracle of Jesus!
No matter when we live our lives in this epic of mankind's history, we are still saved through faith.
Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ...and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace...
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.
Ephesians 2:12-19
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