37 lines
4.4 KiB
HTML
37 lines
4.4 KiB
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<script src="./js/MainHeader.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div class="head">
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Day By Day By Grace
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Bob Hoekstra
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July 29
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<h1>More on God's Children by God's Promises</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>Those who are the children of the <b>flesh</b>, these are <b>not</b> the children of God; but the children of the <b>promise</b> are counted as the seed. For this is the <b>word of promise</b>: "At this time I <b>will come</b> and Sarah <b>shall have a son</b>"…Now <b>we</b>, brethren, as Isaac was, are <b>children of promise</b>…<b>As</b> you have therefore <b>received</b> Christ Jesus the Lord, <b>so walk</b> in Him."</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Rom', 9, '8-9');">Romans 9:8-9</a>; <a onClick="return mV('Gal', 4, '28-28');">Galatians 4:28</a>; and <a onClick="return mV('Col', 2, '6-6');">Colossians 2:6</a>)</div>
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<p>Once again, our verses reveal a <b>God of promises</b>, who brings forth spiritual <b>children of promise</b>. This truth not only dictates how we <b>enter</b> the family of God, it also determines how we are to <b>live</b> as the children of God.</p>
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<p>Ishmael could not be counted as the true seed of Abraham, because he was the product of fleshly ingenuity. <i>"Those who are the children of the <b>flesh</b>, these are <b>not</b> the children of God."</i> Only Isaac could be called the true seed. <i>"But the children of the <b>promise</b> are counted as the seed."</i> This is true concerning us as well. We became God's children through <b>faith</b> in the promise of the gospel. <i>"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who <b>believe</b> in His name"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 1, '12-12');">John 1:12</a>). We could not be saved by any fleshly provision: <i>"Who were born, <b>not</b> of <b>blood</b>, <b>nor</b> of the <b>will</b> of the <b>flesh</b>, <b>nor</b> of the <b>will</b> of <b>man</b>, but <b>of God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 1, '13-13');">John 1:13</a>). Isaac was born through faith in the promises of God. <i>"For this is the <b>word of promise</b>: 'At this time I <b>will come</b> and Sarah <b>shall have a son</b>.'"</i> We also were born again through faith in the promises of God. <i>"Now <b>we</b>, brethren, as Isaac was, are <b>children of promise</b>."</i></p>
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<p>Children of promise are <b>spiritually birthed by promise</b> and <b>spiritually developed by promise</b>. Now that we have been born into God's family by faith in His promises, we are to live day by day in the <b>same way</b> that we became His children. <i>"<b>As</b> you have therefore <b>received</b> Christ Jesus the Lord, <b>so walk</b> in Him."</i> The parallel is simple and straightforward: <i>"<b>As</b>… <b>so</b>."</i> <b>As</b> we were <b>saved</b>, <b>so</b> we are to <b>walk</b>. We started out with the Lord by <b>faith</b> in the <b>life-giving promise</b> of the gospel. <i>"And this is the <b>promise</b> that He has <b>promised</b> us—<b>eternal life</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('1Jo', 2, '25-25');">1 John 2:25</a>). We are to live each day by <b>faith</b> in the <b>life-developing promises</b> that are inherent to the gospel. <i>"He who <b>believes in Me</b>, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart <b>will flow rivers of living water</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 7, '38-38');">John 7:38</a>).</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a child of promise—born again through faith in Your life-giving promises. O Lord, teach me to live day by day in this same manner—sustained and transformed by trusting in Your life-developing promises, Amen.</div>
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<a href="./devotions/daybyday/07/0728.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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