Introduction
The blessing of Abraham has been found in the scriptures to be justification by faith but not the works of the law. In this edition of our newsletter, the blessing of Abraham, focusing on healing and deliverance, as the inheritance of the children of Abraham, is discussed.
Daughter of Abraham
“And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed
together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luk 13:11-13).
When Jesus did a good thing to this woman on a Sabbath day, the leaders in the Jewish synagogue became angry. The worshipers were cautioned to come for healing in the working days but not on the Sabbath. Jesus rebuked the man sharply calling him a hypocrite or a pretender because they could lead their animals out to where they could find water (Luk 13:14). Jesus, therefore, mentioned that if they could think about the welfare and the care of animals, ” ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? (Luk 13:16). From Jesus´ statements, this woman expressed faith in God, she was also a natural descent of Abraham.
Children but Not Dogs
Jesus demonstrated that through an expression of faith, `dogs` could become children of Abraham and receive his blessings. This is evidenced in the scriptures concerning the responses Jesus Christ gave to the Canaanite woman who requested healing for her sick daughter (Mat 15:22). Jesus was not prepared to heed her plea, so His disciples asked Him to send her away because she was crying after them. The answer that Jesus could give was that He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel. When the woman persisted in her request, she was greeted with a discouraging response from the Master, that, it is not right to give children´s food to dogs (Mat 15:22-26).
However, the Gentile woman gave a shockingly powerful feedback to Christ Jesus. She said, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table”. That is after the Jews have eaten to their fill, the Gentiles could eat the crumbs or the residue. It was this faith in the Messiah that positioned her at a level where she could be received and adopted as a child of Abraham. She acted in faith, believing to receive from Him. Then ” Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Mat 15:28). This woman, unlike the one afore-mentioned, though unqualified to be a daughter of Abraham, received her blessing because of her faith. So then, it is only faith that justifies the ungodly.
The Jews called the gentiles dogs, but in the eyes of God, it is those who have rejected Him, in their minds and hearts, are the dogs. Paul agrees with this claim because he emphatically warns believers in Christ to beware of dogs who think that they are of the circumcision (Php 3:2). He adds that believers in Christ are “the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh”. Therefore, in the end, it is the dogs, but not the Jews or the Gentiles, who would perish in the hellfire (Rev 22:15).
Salvation for Children of Abraham
Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was passing by and he wanted to see Him by all means possible. When
Jesus drew close to where he was, He saw him on a tree and asked him to come down because he would sleep in his house on that day. Zacchaeus came down and joyfully received Christ. All those who saw that Jesus was going to be hosted by Zacchaeus whispered: ” he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner” (Luk 19:1-7). Humans judged and condemned Zacchaeus but in his own heart, he had accepted the Christ as the only Savior of the world. He confessed that “and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold”. Jesus, therefore, told him that salvation has come to his house because Zacchaeus is also the son of Abraham. His neighbors saw him as a sinner but he expressed genuine faith and repentance in the Messiah and he was saved by Him because He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luk 19:8-9).
Conclusion
A person does not become a son or a daughter of Abraham by virtue of the place of his or her birth. It takes only faith in Christ to be justified with Abraham. It is only after a person has been justified and conferred with the righteousness of Christ that s/he obtains the blessing of Abraham. At the point of justification, the justified person receives salvation and healing and other things become bi-products.
Prayer: May the blessing of Abraham bring to you divine healing and protection from above. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!