As we continue to travel the road to the resurrection—we must stop and visit with Abraham. He’s not only part of our spiritual family…he has a lot to tell us about who we are in Christ and how we got there. When we think about the covenant of grace we enjoy with Christ…it has its roots in the covenant that God made with Abraham. A covenant built on a promise from God. A promise of new life in a new land in perfect fellowship with the living God.

God’s promise was to bless Abraham. Bless those who blessed him and eventually, bless the whole world through him. To be blessed by God is to experience His favor. In other words—enjoy His grace. For Example: Noah found favor in the eyes of God and escaped the flood (Gen 6:8). David enjoyed God’s favor (Acts 7:46). Isaiah proclaimed the year of God’s favor (Is 61:2). Mary found favor with God (Luke 1:30). And, Jesus said He was the fulfillment of God’s favor (Luke 4:18-21).

The promise God made to Abraham featured a land that would be filled with people who would enjoy the favor of the one true God. There’s nothing about these people that would say they deserved to be in this land or that they could ever acquire this land on their own. As a matter of fact—they would not even know where this land is located if it were not for God.

When God calls Abraham to go to this land, it’s an act of grace that will require both faith and obedience on Abraham’s part if he is to ever see this place (Heb 11:8). Church, the same thing can be said of us. The Bible says there is a city whose architect and builder is God (Heb 11:10) and everyone who inhabits that city will be there only as a result of God’s grace through personal faith and obedience (Eph 2:8).

Notice if you will the similarities between Abraham’s covenant and the covenant we enjoy with Jesus Christ. There are at least 5 things we can draw from our Scripture passage this morning.

1. The call extended to Abraham.

The narrator says nothing about Abraham being special or better than anyone else. He just says that God extended a call to him that not only had the prospect of changing his life…but the lives of his descendants forever (12:1).

Just like Noah before him…God plans to do something amazing in and through Abraham’s life. Notice who’s taking the initiative here…it’s the Lord. This is true by the way in our lives as well. John 6:44 tells us that no can come to Christ unless the God the Father draws them. In other words…He takes the initiative.

Think back for a moment on your own call to salvation. Who extended the lifeline to whom? It was God who took the initiative. He was the one that began to open your heart and mind to His love, to His grace, and to His mercy. It was God who began to make you aware of your sin and need for a Savior.  It was God who offered the prospect of a changed life.

2. The challenge Abraham faced.

God’s call on Abraham’s life brought a whole host of personal and family challenges he would have to face. Following God’s will always have its challenges! God asked Abraham to leave everything and go to a place where he had never been. For Abraham to leave his country, his countrymen and his family meant that he was walking away from everything that represented safety and security.

This would mean his life would no longer be governed by familiar things. How many here can say faith in Christ has taken you from the familiar things of your past to some unfamiliar things in the present? Your no longer who you used to be (2 Cor 5:17).

The Bible says in Romans 8:29 that we are to be conformed into the image of God’s Son. In order for this to happen—we’ll have to be molded, shaped and even stretched by God’s Spirit. This process will be challenging and comforting, delightful and difficult, painful and pleasant. But—in the end we’ll be more like Christ.

3. The commitment Abraham demonstrated.

The narrator simply says in verse 4 that Abraham left as the Lord had told him. This statement pretty much says that Abraham is all in. It’s like the line in a hymn we sing at times that says, “where ever you lead I’ll follow.”

Abraham had heard the voice of God concerning a promise and he followed it. What’s interesting though—is he does this without getting a lot of specific details or a timeframe. ( he and wife have no child – there are people living in the land – etc) What little information he does have is not very conducive for making a life changing decision. But the Bible says, “Abraham believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (15:6). 

At the moment of salvation you’ll not have all the answers, you’ll not even have all the questions—but you will have a Savior who does. When we commit our lives to Christ and determine in our heart wherever He leads we’ll follow…know this, it will prove to be an interesting journey. What about your Christian life?

4. The righteousness credited to Abraham.

The sum total of Abraham’s life testifies that he was in a right relationship with God. We see this revealed in the way God blessed him and those around him. But—this doesn’t mean that he was perfect or never did anything wrong in the eyes of God…he did! (For ex: Lying about Sarah in Egypt – Hagar)

What we learn from Abraham is that he truly believed the God who made him a promise would and could keep it. In-spite of everything he did to help God out. The righteousness credited to Abraham is a demonstration of God’s grace in the O.T. The same way it is when He extends grace to someone in N.T. times.

Abraham—just like all in Adam’s line, was a sinner. He had no claim to God’s grace by way of anything he did with his hands or could ever do by his own design. Without the grace of God he was without hope just like everyone else.

That’s why—just like Abraham, we need to have the righteousness of God credited to us. The amazing thing is—we receive righteousness the same way Abraham did…by believing in God. Believing that the God of John 3:16 will and can keep His promise to all who trust Him.   

5. The covenant confirmed with a sign.

Abraham still doesn’t have a child by Sarah yet he believed that God was going to keep His promise. His faith in God’s covenant has remained so firm that God institutes circumcision as sign of affirmation. When Abraham circumcises himself he is affirming his absolute faith in God. The visible mark in his flesh signifies an invisible decision he made in his heart.

This is similar to what we do today when we give our heart to Christ. When we enter the waters of baptism—it’s a visible means of signifying an invisible decision we made in our heart.

When a believer is baptized they are confirming that God can keep His promise. And, at the same time—the believer is confirming that He will. As we close this morning—let’s consider the question, “What does the covenant with Abraham tell us about the resurrection?”

Jesus told His disciples that He was going to be killed and that He could and He would return from the grave. And the Bible tells us that’s exactly what He did…keep His promise. By keeping His promise…He offers us hope of life after death as well.

Like Abraham—we’re called by God, challenged by God, asked to commit to God, credited with righteousness by God and then told to confirm our participation in God’s covenant of grace by the sign of baptism.    

It’s at that point we being to live the life of promise. (Holiness)

We’re not given all the details…but we are given a timeframe. (Eternal)

But—most of all, the covenant tells us that the God who will offer us hope…can!