Consider the scriptures
#19 – Galatians 3:26-29
Galatians 3:26-29 KJV – “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
We are adopted into the family of God when we believe in Christ Jesus by faith. It does not say that everyone is a child of God. It qualifies that the children of God are those that have placed their faith in Jesus.
It goes on to say, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Baptized here is referring to water baptism, which shows an individual’s public expression of their commitment to Christ.
When it says, “put on Christ”, it is similar to saying that a person is putting in a garment or clothing, but on a spiritual level it represents putting on immortality or being clothed in righteousness.
The scriptures then show that we should assume no disqualifications to those who are in Christ. Regardless of racial, physical, cultural and status, those that have placed their faith in Christ are His.
Lastly, it makes an interesting distinction that if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Jesus is Abraham’s seed.
What are we heirs of? We are heirs of Christ Jesus, and the blessing of Abraham is the Holy Spirit. We can receive Him because we placed our Faith in Jesus and in doing so have put on the “new nature”, the Holy Spirit of promise.
Compare this to the Jews that Jesus was talking with in John 8:31-37. They claimed to be Abraham’s seed and said they had never been in bondage before.
They didn’t realize that Jesus was saying that they were in bondage to sin, not man. He then goes on to explain that if being Abraham’s seed could have set them free from sin, then they would be free indeed. They needed to acknowledge that their true heritage was to be the spiritual seed of Abraham through Christ Jesus in order to be freed from the bondage of sin.
Their sin remained and they were the children of the Devil.
We have a greater heritage than theirs in Christ Jesus. We have accepted by faith the Son of God who sets us free indeed from the bondage of sin and we can live for Him boldly because of the promise of the Holy Spirit that’s given to us without measure.