ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD

Galatians 3:6-7 (KJV)

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

The subject I am attempting to explore right now is based out of Galatians 6:1 (KJV)

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

There is an assumption made in the verse that I believe is worthy of thought – the assumption is that a person can be spiritual and can know it.

I want to try to help us get a grip on identifying whether we are spiritual or not by examining the lives of key persons in the Bible, what was and was not spiritual about them.

None of us, I imagine, would argue that Abraham was not a spiritual man.

• ·   Abraham spoke with God
• ·   Abraham is called the friend of God
• ·   Abraham worshiped God, building several altars
• ·   Abraham prayed to God and got his prayers answers
• ·   Abraham obeyed God even when it must have been difficult to do so

But that thing which illuminates all of this, and is most explicitly said about Abraham is simply, “…Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

That simple description is repeated three times in the New Testament,

Galatians 3:6-7 (KJV)

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Romans 4:3 (KJV)

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

James 2:23 (KJV)

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

As well as once in the Old Testament,

Genesis 15:6 (KJV)

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

The story of Abraham begins in the book of Genesis chapter 12 and continues all the way through the New Testament. The last mention of him is in 1 Peter 3:6

The Bible says Abraham believed God. And it was that faith, which God accounted to him for righteousness and by which we may be may the children of Abraham.

I listed for you a number of remarkable things in Abraham’s life but I want to pocus on three areas in particular where Abraham believed God.

Abraham believed God first,

I. FOR A SPACE

Hebrews 11:8-10 (KJV)

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

A. Abraham’s first act of faith involved a walk.

He left all that he had ever known:

·   His home

·   His family

·   His place of employment

To go – well - he didn’t know where.

Mind you, he was no child.

By this time Abram was already married many years.

He had no children because, apparently, his wife was unable to bear children.

He left everything he was accustomed to and all that he was comfortable with to follow God and lead his wife into unknown adventures.

B. I know a little something about that.

It was May of 1981.

I was about to turn 23 years old when I left my job as an ironworker, to train for the ministry.

My wife and I had just lost the first of two children in miscarriages.

I packed up the little bit we had left into a 33ft park model trailer, I was making $50 per month payments on and hitched it to a 1979 Chevy pickup my father in law had paid off for me so it would not be repossessed.

And we headed off to Virginia.

Neither of us had ever been to Virginia. We had no idea what we were getting in to.

·   We suffered flat tires on the pickup

·   A blinding snow storm in Wyoming and

·   Ended up in Westminster, Colorado, just north of Denver.

We stopped in Denver so I could try to get an ironworking job there. I didn’t know if I would get one, but my union dispatch hall had told me there was work in Denver and in Houston.

They advised me to go to Denver and, if I did not have a job in 7 days, figure I was half way to Houston.

I got a job on the 7^th day and never made it to Virginia at all!

All along the way Anita kept a sweet spirit and reminded me that we were on an adventure.

C. Abraham left the Ur of Chaldees and ended up in the Promised Land.

But I want you to notice that Israel was not his final destination.

Hebrews 11:10 (KJV)

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

·   Abraham wasn’t home when he got to Israel.

·   He was home when he got glory.

Abraham believed God secondly,

II. FOR A SEED

Romans 4:18-20 (KJV)

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

A. I was in Bible College when I heard about these preachers of the past who had “life verses.”

You know? A Bible verse they had picked out to describe their life and relationship with God.

I decided I wanted one for myself – but how do you pick one?

If you do it too lightly, it might not be the one you stick with. How weird would that be to change your life verse mid life?

I was doing my regular devotional reading one day when I came across Romans 4:20

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.

I feel like I did not find that verse but that it found me.

I’ve staggered a few times since, but I have never given up on the ideal of that verse.

B. What Abraham didn’t stagger over was a promise of a baby for he and Sarah.

Mind you, we know that Abraham and Sarah did “sway a bit” if they did not fully “stagger.”

Sarah proposed, and Abraham agreed, to try to have a son through another woman.

The act was immoral, and it did not work out well at all.

There is no question that Abraham failed in the issue with Hagar and Ishmael.

But I want you to notice that:

·   He never quit God

·   He never stopped listening to God

·   He never stopped worshiping God

·   He never stopped praying to God

He did go down to Egypt a couple of times, but

·   He never returned to his old home or way of life

And in God’s own time, God gave them a son, Isaac.

You know, life throws at us some pretty tough things sometimes.

·   Some of us have faced disappointments and discouragements that are nearly unbearable.

·   Some of us carry loads that are unimaginable.

·   Some of us have heartaches locked away in our souls that someone else couldn’t possibly live with

Abraham believed God despite it all and just never quit on God.

Abraham believed God thirdly,

III. FOR A SAVIOUR

Galatians 3:16 (KJV)

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.

Remember I said that Abraham wasn’t home when he got to Israel?

He looked for a city whose builder and maker was God.

Abraham really never got his promised son when Isaac was born.

There was no way that a nation that came from Abraham’s children; even through a child so miraculously given as Isaac was, could be a blessing to the nations of the world.

Abraham knew something else was at play in the promise from God.

We know that promise was fulfilled, not in Isaac, but in a son of Abraham’s seed that would come thousands of years later, Jesus Christ.

·   Jesus Christ blesses all nations with the promise of salvation for all who will believe in Him and call upon Him.

·   Jesus Christ blesses all nations by reconciling the saved of every nation to God the Father and

·   Jesus Christ blesses all nations by making of all those who are saved a peculiar people, a new kind of people, united in a local church

One of our greatest troubles today is that we Christians think it is our business to bless everybody.

·   They ought to be blessed with how holy we are

·   They ought to be blessed with how kind we are

·   They ought to be blessed with how evangelistic we are

Truth is, we’re just supposed to be the conduit that gets Jesus Christ to them.

If they are blessed, it will be Jesus who does the blessing.

Conclusion

What does Abraham teach us about being spiritual?

He teaches us that being spiritual is, first and foremost, not about works but about faith.

A spiritual person is a believing person.

He trusts God for things that, may appear to be just earthy,

·   a home,

·   a piece of property,

·   a little baby to round out the family

in reality he has his eyes fixed on things much grander, much more meaningful and much farther into the eternal future.

A spiritual person walks with God every day, and he is blessed for it.

But he knows the real blessings only happen after he crosses to the other side of eternity.

And he is happy to wait for them there.

THE TYPES OF MONEY MEN

Proverbs 2:1-5 (KJV)

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

I want to go through Proverbs studying the subject of stewardship – money and finances. I want to work from the beginning to the end of Proverbs rather than just bring one or two messages on each topic found in Proverbs.

Having said that, I do think it would be good for us to become familiar with several key subjects:

I have found thirteen kinds of people in the Proverbs as they relate to the subject of money.

I have separated them first of all into six contrasting pairs and then categorized them into three groups.

First of all we have what I will call,

*I. A STATE

Proverbs 22:2 (KJV)

The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

The first contrast is between the: 

A. Poor

And the

B. Rich

Our world will sometimes call them social classes and will probably add a middle class in there.

It can sometimes seem like,

• • The poor want everything given to them
• • The rich don’t want to give anything to anybody so
• • The middle get stuck carrying the load for everybody

Regardless of what is our social class, the same Lord is over us all.

We will find out from the book of Proverbs that both riches and poverty are relative states.

*II. A SPIRIT

People come to think of their possessions in different ways depending upon the sort of spirit they have.

A. Financing

Proverbs 22:7 (KJV)

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The first spirit I want to point out is:

Borrower

versus the 

Lender

Some people make every financial decision based upon whether or not they can get a loan for it.

Other people only use financing when it can advance their interests.

*B. Generosity

Proverbs 11:24 (KJV)

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

The second spirit is 

Liberal

versus the 

Stingy

Some people earn only for themselves and lose the wealth that others would have cheerfully provided them.

Others freely give of themselves and earn a wealth of riches from those who come to appreciate them.

*C. Charity

Proverbs 19:17 (KJV)

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Evil Eye

versus the 

Pity

Caring for others is one way to worship the Lord.

*D. Heart

Proverbs 15:27 (KJV)

He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.

Greedy

versus the 

Contentedness

One of the things that I became convinced of last year, as I preached on the subject of happiness, is that contentment is an equivalent of happiness.

The person who never has enough is just about the unhappiest person alive.

*III. A SEPARATION

My last group doesn’t possess such a neat contrast.

First of all, I felt like I need to bunch three similar things together as one:

A. Sluggard/ Slothful/ Sleeper

Then, there was another characteristic that I thought belonged here,

B. Hasty

Because it contrasted to the same thing, 

C. Diligent

The one who is: 

• • reticent to act, 
• • slow to act or 
• • does not act

Is in just about the same boat as the one who acts too quickly and without studying a thing out before he acts.

The answer is diligence.

Which just means steady, meticulous, persistent action toward an observable goal.

The Lord willing we will begin next week at the beginning of Proverbs, or near it, to try to discern all the wisdom of Proverbs concerning money and finances. 

SO – YOU THINK YOU ARE SPIRITUAL?

Genesis 10:8-11 (KJV)

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

In Galatians 6:1 (KJV) we read these words,

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

I am intrigued by those words, “ye which are spiritual” because it implies, insists really, that there are spiritual people and that they can know who they are.

I can be spiritual and I can know it.

So can you.

What we have undertake to do this year is to go through the Bible looking at those persons that we might rightfully assume are spiritual in the yes of the Lord and through them discover what it means to be spiritual.

But to be honest, when I read this verse, I am almost always prone to think back to an interview I heard on the radio, probably in the mid-90’s.

I can’t remember who it was now, some well-known entertainer, who was being interviewed.

At some point during the interview he said, I am a very spiritual person.

It shocked me because I knew his reputation to be absolutely not holy.

But then he went on to explain what he meant by spiritual.

·   He didn’t mean he was a Christian

·   He didn’t mean he was a church-goer

·   He didn’t mean religious

·   He didn’t even mean he believed in a higher power

All he meant was something to the effect that he believed living beings could connect on a level deeper than physical.

We can love and we can hate and therefore we are spiritual beings.

I think I am stating the obvious when I say that it obviously not what the Bible means when it defines a person as spiritual.

I don’t think it should surprise us that unbiblical ideas of what it means to be spiritual have existed for much longer than the last couple of decades.

What I want to do this morning is present to you five personalities in the book of Genesis who, though likely thinking they were spiritual, were not in the Biblical sense of the Word.

It will get this unpleasant topic covered in one fell swoop so we can move on to happier, if not perfect subjects in the future.

I. NIMROD

Genesis 10:8-11 (KJV)

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

Nimrod is the guy who is going to try to get to heaven without God.

He’s going to try to do it without any sort of religion.

The Bible says he was a mighty hunter.

He reminds me of the

·   self made,

·   earthy

·   man’s man,

sort of person.

He doesn’t need God.

He views religion as a crutch.

He isn’t afraid of death or hell or anything else.

On the other hand, it’s not like he would mind having it better on the other side – if there is another side.

This guy can call it whatever he wants to call it.

He might not call it heaven. It might be

·   Nirvana

·   Paradise or just

·   Better than suffering here

Nimrod was that sort of man.

Notice that the Bible says the beginning of his kingdom was Babel.

Genesis chapter 11 tells us where Babel came from.

Genesis 11:1-4 (KJV)

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Genesis 11:6-9 (KJV)

And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Because the beginning of his kingdom was called Babel and because Babel was founded after God confounded the languages of all the people, we can say that Nimrod was the leader of this group.

Nimrod’s plan was to unite the people together and work their own way to heaven.

Nimrod represents someone like the guy I heard on the radio so many years ago.

·   He was famous

·   He was influential and

·   He thought he could do with God

I know I can’t prove this other than by simply believing what the Bible says, but I am convinced that everyone wants something better on the other side of the grave.

Frankly, the Bible is the only source we can turn to concerning the issues of what’s on the other side that can prove what it teaches because it’s subject – Jesus Christ – died, and rose again.

And did so in such a way that it is irrefutable that he did it.

Nimrod is the guy who is trying to get to heaven without God.

II. LOT

Genesis 13:8-13 (KJV)

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Lot was the nephew of Abraham.

He is the one member of Abraham’s family[1] that was blessed to enter into the Promised Land with him.

Remember how God made Abraham stop in Haran before entering the Promised Land because his father was with him?

·   He couldn’t take his father or his brothers.

·   He did get to take Lot into the Promised Land

And Lot was blessed there. The Bible says, Genesis 13:5-6 (KJV)

And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

In fact, the Bible calls Lot just and righteous.

 2 Peter 2:7-8 (KJV)

And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

In our terms, we would say that Lot was saved.

But he vexed his own soul.

The word vexed means, afflicted, cursed.

It doesn’t mean he lost his salvation – it means he was a miserable man.

He vexed his soul by joining up with

·   filthiness,

·   wickedness and

·   unlawfulness

One of the jobs of the preacher is to warn people not to get entangled with the things of this world.

It is very often the most unpopular thing we do.

People call us:

·   Judgmental

·   Unloving and

·   Legalistic

All we are trying to do is keep people who are Christians from vexing themselves and making themselves miserable.

Believe me, in 33 years of pastoring, I have watched some very happy people become very unhappy, all because they chose to give up what they knew the Bible taught them.

Lot is the Christian who has compromised with the world and made himself miserable.

III. ISHMAEL

Genesis 16:3-11 (KJV)

And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

God had made Abraham a promise that, when they got to the Promised Land, God would make of them and great nation and give them children as many as the stars in the sky.

Trouble is, Sarah could not conceive.

They trusted the Lord and waited on him for a time, but eventually they caved.

Sarah, so desperate for a child, offered her handmaid to her husband. He could have relations with her and, if they had a child, Sarah would claim it as her own.

Anyone could have guessed that it wouldn’t work out.

Sarah got jealous of Hagar and tried to run her off.

There was a child conceived. God told Sarah to name him Ishmael.

While I used Ishmael’s name as my heading title, the story is really more about Hagar because of Galatians 4:22-31 (KJV)

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Ishmael represents religion – trying to be spiritual by good works and personal effort.

You see, God had made a promise to Abraham and Sarah; they would have children.

But God did not tell them when.

When God did not give them what God promised them when they thought God should give it to them, they decided to keep God’s promise for Him.

And all it did is cause problems.

In this world there are only two sorts of relationships with God:

·   That relationship which is build by trusting God and

·   That relationship which is built by doing good things for God

·   The first one of those two is called faith

·   The second is called works.

And you can name it anything you want – any religions you want.

·   It can be Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism

·   It can be Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness

·   It can be trusting baptism, or catechism or christening

The Bible says to cast all of that out and do just one thing, believe God’s promise for salvation

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Nothing else can make a person right with God.

IV. ESAU

Genesis 25:24-33 (KJV)

And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

Esau and Jacob were twins, though technically Esau was the older because he was born first.

Esau was his daddy’s favorite.

·   He was an outdoorsman

·   Smelly

·   A man’s man

He came from a good family. Isaac, his father, was the promised child of Abraham and Sarah.

But Esau had a major problem – he had no interest in spiritual things.

Being the oldest, it was going to fall to him one day to lead God’s family.

That meant nothing to him – he wanted immediate pleasure.

He sold to his brother what was an eternal blessing, for one bowl of soup.

I see people all the time who spoil the blessings God has for them for a moment’s pleasure – a one time taste of sin.

·   Nimrod is the one who wants heaven without God

·   Lot is the one who vexes his soul with worldiness

·   Ishmael is the one who represents religion instead of a real relationship with Jesus Christ

·   Esau is the one who throws all God’s blessings away for a moment of sin

Finally there are

V. CHILDREN OF KETURAH

Genesis 25:1-5 (KJV)

Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

Abraham remarried after Sarah died and had half a dozen children by this wife.

Frankly, nothing good can be said of any of them.

These are the people who bought Joseph when his brothers sold him as a slave.

These people were a constant enemy against the Jews in the Promised Land.

They are, the foundational families of Islam who all claim Abraham as their father – but not Sarah and their mother.

What we learn from them is this:

Nobody has a relationship with God just because their parents do.

·   Doesn’t matter if you grew up in church

·   Doesn’t matter if you learned all the Bible stories

·   Doesn’t matter if you could get up and preach better than I can

What matters is your heart.

Has there ever been a time in your life when in the sincerity of your heart and soul you approached the throne of God’s grace and

·   Confessed to Him that you are a sinner

·   Acknowledged to Him that you deserve judgment for that sin

·   Believed in your heart the gospel of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus and then

·   Called upon Jesus Christ and asked him to save you?

Only those who have done that are the Biblical children of God and

Only those have a certain claim to a home in heaven when they die.

But even they can make themselves miserable by compromising with the world or choosing the pleasure of a moment’s sin instead of the joys of obeying God’s Word.

---

[1] Excluding Abraham’s wife.