The Jewish people had a strong conviction that, being natural descendants of Abraham, life eternal was a sure result. They said to Christ: “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man.” Christ answered them that the true children of Abraham would do the works of Abraham (John 8:33, 39). Paul adds: “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). The surprise of Nicodemus to the declaration of Christ, “you must be born again,” was a reflection of that wrong idea. Are we children of Abraham?

If we are really Abraham’s children, we will develop strong faith in Christ and our lifestyle will be characterized by humble submission and obedience to the word of God as was Abraham’s. The Bible declares that when Abraham was called by God to leave his relatives to go to an area totally unknown to him, “he went out, not knowing whither he went” (Hebrews 11:8). When “he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, . . . accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” (verses 17, 19).

“Abraham believed God. How do we know that he believed? His works testified to the character of his faith, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness.

“We need the faith of Abraham in our day, to lighten the darkness that gathers around us, shutting out the sweet sunlight of God’s love and dwarfing spiritual growth. Our faith should be prolific of good works; for faith without works is dead. Every duty performed, every sacrifice made in the name of Jesus, brings an exceeding great reward. In the very act of duty, God speaks and gives His blessing.”1

Are we happy to fellowship with the “children of Abraham?” Paul says that we shouldn’t forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but [rather] exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

The same writer says that we should “follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). What does it mean to be holy? This is a very important question since we hope to “see the Lord” very soon, and the apostle says that without holiness no one will see the Lord. This point also is considered in this issue of the Reformation Herald.

Should we as individuals, family, and church be well-organized? Let us remember that order and organization is the law of heaven, and we should be much closer to the order and system adopted by the Lord in heaven.

Another vital question: How is God purifying His church? Since the Bible says that God will have a church without spot or wrinkle, how can we as a people reach that ideal state? It does pay to read carefully this subject and take it into serious consideration.

It will be well with us if we take seriously the words of Christ in Matthew 7:24–27: “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” What kind of builders are we?