We Receive It As His Heirs.

'The seed.

The reader of the Old Testament might easily conclude that “the seed” to whom the promises were made included only the literal descendants of Abraham. But the term was soon restricted, and was shown to refer, not to all who descended from Abraham, but to those descending from him through one of his sons, Isaac.

And in the New Testament it is shown that the term refers primarily to Christ, the real child of promise, and secondarily to all who are Christ’s by faith. Thus it is said:— “He is not a Jew which is one outwardly; . . But he is a Jew which is one inwardly.” Rom. 2:28, 29.

And again: “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel; neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children; but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Rom. 9:6-8.

Therefore the true heirs of the promise are not counted by natural descent, but are of all nationalities, as the apostle says:— “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

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And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3:28, 29.

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world; but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Eph. 2:11-13.

The Gentiles were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise;” but the gospel of Christ is the means of their naturalization, so that now they belong to the true Israel of God if they are of faith, and are “fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” Eph. 3:6.

The token.

When the covenant was made with Abraham a sign, or token, was given to him. The Lord said to him: “Every man-child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.” Gen. 17:10, 11.

This more than any other one thing was a mark of separation between the Jews and the Gentiles. And this, from its terms, was confined to the male portion of the children of Abraham, “Every man-child among you.”

But in the New Testament everything on this subject is different, both in substance and manner. As we have seen that he is not a Jew, or child of Abraham, who is one outwardly, so “neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. . . . Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Rom. 2:28, 29.

“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” Col. 2:11.

Circumcision was called “a token of the covenant;” in the New Testament it is called a sign and a seal; Rom. 4:11.

Rom 4:11  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

And the seal, or circumcision, of the New Testament is further explained as follows: “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy

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Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance.” Eph. 1:13, 14.

The earnest is the same as the seal or token. Again it is written:— “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Eph. 4:30.

“Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” 2 Cor. 1:22.

This is the circumcision of the heart, in the spirit; the true token or sign of our heirship. And as it was said to Abraham that the uncircumcised man-child should be cut off—he had no part in the covenant; so it is now said, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.” Rom. 8:9.

He has not the seal or token of the covenant, and has no part in the covenant.

Now mark the analogy. All Christians believe that the seed or children of Abraham, and circumcision, have a place in the gospel; that they are brought over into this dispensation; only they are enlarged in their terms, and made to apply to those and that to which they did not seem to apply when first the covenant was made. Now an enlargement of them is the very opposite of nullifying them, or having them expire by limitation. But if they to whom a certain promise is made, and the token or assurance of that promise, are brought into the New Testament, why not also the promise itself? And if the terms of the other are enlarged, it is only reasonable to expect that of this they would be also. And thus we find it written: “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Rom. 4:13. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5.

We fully believe, as before remarked, that God’s original purpose in the creation of the earth will be fulfilled; that the restoration of the earth from the curse, from thorns and thistles, and from everything that could annoy its inhabitants, was included in the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent; or, in the words of the New Testament, that Christ should destroy the works of the devil. The “first dominion” given to man shall be returned to him, but the promise of restoration was made to and through Abraham and his seed, and we receive it as his heirs. The meek shall inherit the

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earth. To inherit is to possess by heirship; but our heirship is solely of Abraham our father.

(To be continued)

(Excerpt from-) THE ATONEMENT PART SECOND:

THE ATONEMENT AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE

 (1884)

BY   ELDER J. H. WAGGONER