The Thoughts of Wesley son of Cornelius

Throughout the Bible, God’s People have been pictured as a family—one body. As seen in the earlier passages, one key aspect of the family of God is the promise. The promise was first clearly stated to Abraham.

“The LORD said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’” (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

Peter would quote part of this promise to his Jewish listeners at the temple.

“And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your father. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” (Acts 3:25-26 NIV)

However, Paul would also apply the promise to the Gentiles.

“The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3:8-9 NIV)

Paul continues in his letter to the Galatians by saying:

“He [Christ] redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Galatians 3:14 NIV)

And could Paul be any clearer that the family of God, the assembly of God, is the People of God in the following passage?

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29 NASB)

With this said we can now return back to a previously quoted passage and understand it more completely.

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: ‘through Isaac your descendants will be named.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.” (Romans 9:6-8 NASB)