Inherited Faith?

Is it enough for our parents to believe in Jesus? Will our children be blessed with salvation in Christ because our parents believe in Jesus?

Some think so. The Jews certainly thought that their heritage and genealogy was of some great benefit to them; that God would remember the promises spoken to Abraham because they were Abraham's descendants. But did God promise to bless Abraham's descendants carte blanche? Paul said will all certainty that this indeed was a false and foolish assumption. Consider the following:

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." (Galatians 3:16; cf. v. 7)

Now notice Paul is making a great deal out of something small. He is specifically targeting the word "seed" as it is used in Genesis 12:7. He claims that the word is in the singular form, which can only refer to a single person. Yet he uses the plural form of "promise", which is "promises". His conclusion is quite bold: The promises God spoke to Abraham were spoken to Jesus Christ. Do you remember the promises spoken to Abraham? For the sake of time, lets just recall the one given in Genesis 12. 

"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3)

Now stop and consider the implication of this for a moment. If this is true then it means God spoke to his Son Jesus and told him to 1) leave his home land, 2) leave his Father's house, 3) go to a strange land, 4) God will bless his Son making his name great, 5) Jesus will be a blessing, 6) all those who believe in him will be blessed, but 7) all those who curse him will be cursed. If Paul is correct in his interpretation then it makes Abraham a type of Christ and the promise spoken to him a prophecy to be fulfilled in Christ.

Well, as it turns out that is what Jesus did. He indeed left his home in heaven, even leaving the home of his Father and the holy angels. Jesus came to a strange land, which is this Earth, and walked among us (cf. John 1:14). God the Father did make the name of his Son Jesus Christ great among all the nations of Earth. He is surely a blessing to those who believe on his name and a curse to those who believe not.

So what do you think? Did Paul miss the mark with this interpretation? or was he correct in saying, "to Abraham and his seed [Jesus Christ] were the promises made."

You are not blessed in Abraham; you are blessed being in Christ. Abraham was blessed and we share with him in blessing, but we are not blessed because we are in or from Abraham. Only those who are in Christ and of Christ will receive the inheritance of the promise. It was Jesus Christ that God was speaking to through Abraham in Genesis chapter twelve.

We can not inherit faith or the blessings of faith from our fathers or our mothers. Our faith in Jesus Christ must be our own. It must be genuine, meaning, we must believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If you are a parent, then it is your role to teach your children about Jesus so that they will grow in faith in him. They cannot inherit your faith; they must believe in him as well.

I would like to leave you with this encouraging thought:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

With love for you all,

Jay Silvas