The Great Salvation/26

PROPOSITION 26.

The Gospel, as Embraced in the Promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is That the Righteous Through Christ Shall Inherit the Earth Forever

In regard to the covenants of promise in the gospel the Apostle Paul says: Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, * * * that at that time ye were without Christ, BEING ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL AND STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANTS OF PROMISE, HAVING NO HOPE, AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD" (Eph. 2:11, 12).

You will certainly see from this that whatever the commonwealth of Israel is and the covenants of promise are it is of vital importance that, instead of being aliens to them, we should become "fellowcitizens" (verse 19). Let the Word of God now decide what they are.

The Promises to Abraham

Gen. 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and from thy father’shouse, unto a land that I will show thee.

Verse 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing.

Verse 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came.

Verse 7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.

Gen. 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.

Verse 15: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.

Verse 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

Verse 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

Gen. 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Gen. 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine; the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty GOD; walk before me and be thou perfect.

Verse 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Verse 4 As for me behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Verse 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Verse 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

Verse 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Verse 8 And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan tot an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.

Gen. 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

Verse 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son.

Verse 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of HIS enemies.

Verse 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

The same promises were made to Isaac and to Jacob, as you will see by the following references: Gen. 26:2 - 4:28:3, 4, 13, 14.

Now you cannot fail to see that these promises assure to the fathers an inheritance in the earth --not a word in them of a promise of heaven. There is no use to deny these promises and you cannot misunderstand them. God made oath that He would fulfill them. Has he fulfilled them?