"Blessed to be a blessing". (Study 1)
We asked how it was that we could claim the promise of Abraham for ourselves, far removed from him in time and space. Romans 4:11-17 tells us that we are Abraham's children if we display the same faith he had unto salvation. We also are saved by God's promise to Abraham because it was from the Jewish people that the Christ was born (c.f. Ro 9:5). So the blessings to "all the families of the earth" through Abraham come to us both physically (in Christ's human descent) and spiritually.
The connection between this promise to Abraham and the Great Commission in Matt 28:18-20 is simply that it is through the making of disciples (one-off baptism and continuous 'teaching to observe' Jesus' commands) that the blessings to the world are realized.
We Christians therefore are not merely the recipients and end-products of the promised blessing - we are the vehicles - the means by which the blessing to the world is put in effect. We pass on what we have received. In doing this, we give freely what we have received freely (Matt 10:8). This does not mean that those who preach the gospel should not make their living from the gospel (I Cor 9:9ff, Matt 10:10). It means that we received the gospel out of the free grace of God, not because we deserved it. We therefore must preach it in an attitude of grace to others, knowing that they, like us, are also undeserving. We do not know whom God will choose to save.
The way to look at how it can be that we can apply the part of the promise to Abraham that "those who bless us will be blessed and those who dishonour us will be cursed" is to realize that we, as representatives of Christ and agents of the blessing to the world will be a testimony that brings life or death to others (1 Co 2:16). Insofar as we are persecuted or welcomed by others because of Christ alone, those who persecute or welcome us will be judged (Matt 10:11-15). So we should strive to live so that we are not criticized or persecuted for doing stupid or wicked things, but only because of our Christian testimony (2 Pe 4:15-16).
We spent time thinking about the sovereign grace of God before the foundation of the world in saving us "to the praise of His glory/glorious grace.God does not give everyone equal opportunities to be saved. In that sense He is 'unfair'. But He is never unjust. It is His divine prerogative to save whomever He wishes, and to justifiably punish those He does not save. (Ro 9:18). God's mission in this world is to set apart a people for Himself (Tit 2:14, 1 Pet 2:9) for His glory.
We also had a meditation on John 15:16. Here Jesus presents prayer not as the way in which we are to bear spiritual fruit (= doing and being all Christ asks us to do and be), but as the goal of our discipleship. Jesus chooses us, that we bear fruit, that our prayers may be answered. This verse then implies that prayer is a God-ordained means of accomplishing God's will in the world. We should always be on the lookout for things to pray about that only disciples will pray about!
The connection between this promise to Abraham and the Great Commission in Matt 28:18-20 is simply that it is through the making of disciples (one-off baptism and continuous 'teaching to observe' Jesus' commands) that the blessings to the world are realized.
We Christians therefore are not merely the recipients and end-products of the promised blessing - we are the vehicles - the means by which the blessing to the world is put in effect. We pass on what we have received. In doing this, we give freely what we have received freely (Matt 10:8). This does not mean that those who preach the gospel should not make their living from the gospel (I Cor 9:9ff, Matt 10:10). It means that we received the gospel out of the free grace of God, not because we deserved it. We therefore must preach it in an attitude of grace to others, knowing that they, like us, are also undeserving. We do not know whom God will choose to save.
The way to look at how it can be that we can apply the part of the promise to Abraham that "those who bless us will be blessed and those who dishonour us will be cursed" is to realize that we, as representatives of Christ and agents of the blessing to the world will be a testimony that brings life or death to others (1 Co 2:16). Insofar as we are persecuted or welcomed by others because of Christ alone, those who persecute or welcome us will be judged (Matt 10:11-15). So we should strive to live so that we are not criticized or persecuted for doing stupid or wicked things, but only because of our Christian testimony (2 Pe 4:15-16).
We spent time thinking about the sovereign grace of God before the foundation of the world in saving us "to the praise of His glory/glorious grace.God does not give everyone equal opportunities to be saved. In that sense He is 'unfair'. But He is never unjust. It is His divine prerogative to save whomever He wishes, and to justifiably punish those He does not save. (Ro 9:18). God's mission in this world is to set apart a people for Himself (Tit 2:14, 1 Pet 2:9) for His glory.
We also had a meditation on John 15:16. Here Jesus presents prayer not as the way in which we are to bear spiritual fruit (= doing and being all Christ asks us to do and be), but as the goal of our discipleship. Jesus chooses us, that we bear fruit, that our prayers may be answered. This verse then implies that prayer is a God-ordained means of accomplishing God's will in the world. We should always be on the lookout for things to pray about that only disciples will pray about!
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