Romans 4:16 (KJV) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Abraham is the 'prototype faith beleiver' for all men of faith of all dispensational ages.

Let me ask a question. If Abraham is as the father of ALL who believe God’s words, as Paul repeatedly told us;

• Did this not mean that he was as the father of even the Gentiles who believed in time past?
• Did this not mean that Abraham was as the father of those who believed during the Lord’s earthly ministry?
• Did this not mean that Abraham was as the father of those who believed during the Acts period? Or during today’s age of grace for “the body of Christ”?
• And does this not mean that Abraham is also be as the father of all those who will believe during Tribulation as well?

How can it not? Paul said Abraham is as the father of all who believe. Doesn’t the word ALL mean ALL? The fact that Abraham is the father of all who believe tells us that the means of justification was always by faith in what God says. This is the basis of the imputation of God’s righteousness upon that believer because of his or her faith.

Saints of Israel in “time past” were positionally righteous before God for their faith. That established their position to be saved. But their practice, their walk by faith, fell under the if/then principle because of their covenant relationship with God. God told then explicitly, depending upon how well they obeyed His Word, they would be blessed or cursed. The curses affected food, rain, livestock, birthrate and many critical items of life.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (KJV) Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; ²⁷ A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: ²⁸ And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Exodus 19:5 (KJV) Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

For us today, He does not curse us like fallen Israel. Rather, He rebukes us through His word, not circumstances. But for Israel, they were rebuked through His prophets, and He’d count their trespasses unto them. He’d charge them for their sins. He’d carry out judgments upon them on the Earth as chastisement. But that’s not how God operates today under the grace age program for the Gentile chruch, called "body of Christ".

Paul told the Acts period epistle believers in 2 Cor. 5:19 that God is not imputing or counting our trespasses unto us. He’s not charging us for our sins by carrying out judgments on us on the Earth. Why? Because they and we are not in a covenant relationship with God under the if/then principle of the Law.

Also, Christ died for us putting away all our sins once for all times. Why then should God punish us for sins when He’s already punished His Son for our sins?

The Distinction between Position and Practice.

Now we would today make a distinction for us between our position and our practice. Because of our faith in “the gospel of the grace of God” that saves us … we were spiritually transformed into new creatures (2Cor 5:17

Our Position: Paul says we are “complete in Him” and ‘forgiven all trespasses,’ “blessed with all spiritual blessings” and already “seated in the heavenly places’ in union with Christ. This is our standing before God positionally. We, because of our faith and because of what God made us in Christ, are positionally as righteous as Christ is… in the eyes of God the Father. Christ’s victory has become our victory. Christ’s glory has become our glory.

Our Practice: But we would also be careful to distinguish between our position with our practice as to our ‘walk.’ We need to align our earthly walk with our heavenly identity. We need to live like the saints God has made us to be “in Christ.” We need to “put off the old man” and “put on the new man” (cf. Col. 3:9-11), in order to produce holiness in our daily walk, how we live.

That distinction between position and practice would also need to be made for the OT saints in time past. Their position before God was one of being perfectly righteous because of their faith. That meant that they had eternal life and they had eternal security. But their practice, their walk as believers, was a completely different program from ours today since… we live under 100% pure grace. Their walk was to be guided by “the law of Moses.” Their walk, or their sanctified living, came under the if/then principle of the O.T. It came with blessing and cursing here on the Earth based upon the quality of their obedience to Him.

Moses said in Deut. 6:25, “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.”

Does this mean that they would obtain salvation by obeying the law? No, how is that possible? ‘For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness’ and Abraham is the father of all who believe!

Their works observing the law would only be accepted by God if those works were done out of faith. Under the law there were consequences for sins of the flesh while on the earth, but nothing could ever unsave them once they were declared righteous due to their faith before God.

Hebrews 11 is called the ‘Faith Hall of Fame,’ not the Faith Plus Works Hall of Fame! The Law was NOT the means of justification. The Law pertained to ‘sanctification, holy living.’ This is what Moses meant. If they observed His law, they would exhibit His righteousness in their lives, living rightly as God would have them to live. In this way they would be His peculiar people set apart from all the nations, and a glory to God as a witness to the world of His existence. They could only be true witnesses for God if they lived righteously by faith. Habakuk 2:4b, “The just shall live by faith.” The just, the justified, the righteous man, is defined by his faith alone!

His Temple:

Eph 2:18 For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

I love the illustration here about the temple, because this perfectly visualizes for us how we fit into the big picture of God’s eternal purpose. We have this gorgeous, glorious, holy temple in the Lord and this temple is filled with the entire household of God. Just imagine that there is a first floor for Israel because they have an earthly hope, and there is a second floor for “the Body of Christ” because we have a heavenly hope (cf. Titus 2:13).

Yet, we’re all in the same temple, part of the same household, because the chief cornerstone of everything is Christ. This is why Paul can write of those who were in Christ before him, because everyone in that temple is in Christ. Everyone in that temple, both the first floor and the second floor, are all part of the seed of Abraham, the father of us all, because of our faith. Everyone in that temple will be ministers for Christ in His kingdom. Israel on the first floor will be ministers on the Earth and “the Body of Christ” on the Second floor will be ministers from our Heavenly Seats “in Christ.”

I like to picture that the second floor is made of glass. We can see them, and they can see us, because we’re all part of the same family. And I like to picture that there are all these connections between the two floors, the support columns, if you will, that tie those two floors together.

One column is labeled Abraham, because he is ‘the model of faith sufficiency,’ as the father of us all. We all, everyone on both floors, had God’s ‘righteousness imputed to us because of faith’ … even though we have Two Different Callings, Hopes, and Eternal Destinies.

Another column is “the blood of Christ.” Israel’s Messiah is also our Savior and the blood that lays the foundation for the new covenant with Israel is the same blood that washed away all our sins and reconciled us to God, which also made us heirs of God to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed.

Another column is labeled “children of promise.” Just as Isaac was a child of the promise that God made to Abraham, we are the children of the promise God made to Himself.

Another column is labeled “grace.” Just as God extended grace to Abraham, blessing him because of his faith alone, so too, God has shown grace to us blessing us because of our faith.

And another column is labeled “kingdom.” Just as Israel will be ministers of His kingdom On Earth, so too, we of “His body” shall be Ministers Of His Kingdom From Our Heavenly Seats. Being of the One “family of God,” their kingdom is our kingdom, too.