Abraham Is The Father of All Who Believe

Many question what connection if any will exist in eternity between the righteous saved believers of the kingdom on earth and that of the righteous saved members of “His body” in “the heavenly places.”

Here Paul wrote that which he ‘received by divine revelation’ from the ascended Lord Jesus (cf. Gal. 1:12).

Romans 4:3-5 (KJV) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it [his faith] was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 4:3-5 (KJV)

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 [of Israel]; 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 believer’ for all men of faith of all dispensational ages.

Romans 4:11-12 (KJV)  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Now if Abraham is as the father of ALL who believe God’s words, as Paul repeatedly told us, then;

  • Didn’t this mean that Abraham was as the father of even the Gentiles who believed in time past?
  • Didn’t this mean that Abraham was as the father of those who believed during the Lord’s earthly ministry?
  • Didn’t this mean that Abraham was as the father of those who believed during the Acts period?
  • Didn’t this mean that Abraham was as the father of whoever will believe during today’s dispensation of the Mystery of “the body of Christ”?
  • And didn’t this mean that Abraham is also be as the father of all those who will believe during Tribulation as well?

Faith such as Abraham’s applies in Biblical every age and dispensation?

When Paul wrote that Abraham is as the father of ALL who believe, the word ALL means 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 has said to those of each dispensation; i.e., Adam, ‘don’t eat of that tree’; and to Noah ‘build the ark,’ etc. Faith is the basis of the imputation of God’s righteousness upon ALL believers.

Position and Practice:

The believing saints of Israel in “time past” were positionally righteous before God because of their faith. Faith established their position as saved ones. But their practice, that is their walk by faith, fell under the if / then principle due to Israel’s Deuteronomy covenant relationship with God (below). God told them explicitly, depending upon how well they obeyed His Word, … they would be blessed or cursed. These curses affected their 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 as He did fallen Israel. Rather, He rebukes us through His written word and our conscience, (not our circumstances). Israel was rebuked through His prophets, and He would count their trespasses unto them and censure them for their sins. He would carry out judgments upon them on the Earth as chastisement. Thankfully  that is not how God deals with us under today’s grace-age program for the Gentile church, that Paul called “the body of Christ.”

Paul in 2 Cor. 5:19 told the Acts period “Jew-first’ and Gentile believers that God did NOT impute or count their trespasses. He did not censure them for their sins by carrying out judgments on the Earth.

Why? Because they were not in a covenantal if/then performance based relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:19 (KJV) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world [kosmos] unto himself, not imputing [counting] their trespasses [sins] unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Romans 6:14b … for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

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.

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 His 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 Kingdom 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 His words.

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!

Now consider how His Temple Expressed In Heaven and On Earth Is One Temple:

Eph 2:18 For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye [Gentiles] 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 [spiritual] temple in the Lord:

Ephesians 2:21 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.

Paul’s illustration here about the temple perfectly visualizes for us how we fit into the big picture of God’s eternal purpose... to fill all in all. This glorious, Holy Temple in the Lord is filled with the whole “household of God” (Eph. 2:19, above).

It might help us to imagine a temple where 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 of His body have a heavenly hope (cf. Titus 2:13).

We are all part the same temple, part of the same “household of God,” because the chief cornerstone of the whole “household of God” is Christ. This is why Paul can write of those who were “in Christ” before him, because everyone in that eternal temple is “in Christ.” Everyone in that temple, both the first floor and the second floor, are all part of the ‘spiritual seed’ of Abraham, the father of us all, because of our like faith to that of Abraham. Everyone in that temple will be ministers for Christ in their sphere of His kingdom, either on earth or “in the heaven places.” Thus;

  • Israel on the first floor will be a Nation of “Priests” ministering ON THE EARTH (cf. Rev 1:6, 5:10).
  • “The Body of Christ” on the Second floor will be ministers from Our Heavenly Seat “in Christ.”

I like to picture that the second floor is made of glass. We will see them, and they can see us, because we’re all part of the same family of this one temple. And I like to picture that there are all these connections between the two floors; as the Support Columns, if you will. They tie the two floors together … as the whole “household of God” (Eph. 2:19) stands upon Blood of Christ and His Cross.

One supporting 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 of “His body” and Israel 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.

Paul wrote of the unity of the final, eternal, dispensation here in Ephesians 1:10.

Ephesians 1:10 (KJV) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: