the bride of Christ

[Fez]

This is an important discussion, please try not to make it too personal. It would be a pity to close it right now.

[Openly Curious]

1.  Openly Curious, I have referenced Gen. 22 more than once in this thread regarding God swearing by himself.  You simply missed the references.

 

You have only referenced Genesis 22 only once in this entire thread in the which you introduced that passage for the first time in post 381. In the which you took Genesis 22:15-17 then followed it with Genesis 15. The passage in Genesis 22:15-17 said this,

"And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time. And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not with held thy only son....That in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, And in thy "seed" (Christ) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice."

This passage in Genesis 22 absolutely does not say that God made a covenant with Himself. It just simply means that what God had spoken and "promised" to give to Abraham in the covenant that was made to him in Genesis 15, that God swore or made an "oath" with his own self which bound him to his own words that he spoke to Abraham in the covenant of promise. God bound himself with an oath to keep his words as God does not lie. The oath that God swore in Genesis 22 confirmed the covenant promises God had given to Abraham in Genesis 15. There was no greater witness that God could make an oath with that would hold him to his words except himself which would make his words binding in the promises he made to Abraham in the covenant. The covenant with Abraham in Gen 15 was "confirmed" by the "oath" which God swore in Genesis 22. The covenant was "confirmed by the oath" God had sworn.

There is a big difference between an "oath" and a "covenant".

Scripture does not say nor imply that God made a covenant with Himself as you have repeatedly said. But it says that God made an oath with himself "confirming" the covenant promises with Abraham as he has sworn to do because he didn't with hold he only son from him when he tested Abraham's faith in Genesis 22, the covenant promises were "confirmed by the oath God swore".

Hebrews 6:13-20 - For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily "swear" by the greater: and an "oath for confirmation" is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed by an oath That two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whiter the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Mechisedec.

[Guest shiloh357]

I remember reverencing it more than once, but whatever.   The point is that promise was reconfirmed to Abraham by virtue a covenant that Abraham had no responsibility to keep because the covenant was not ultimately with him, but was between the Father the Son. 

[Openly Curious]

There is difference between an oath and covenant.

God did not make a covenant with Himself.

The promises were not "re-confirmed" they were confirmed.

It was not as you've stated "reconfirmed by virtue of a covenant" but the covenant was confirmed by the oath God swore".

I've never said once that Abraham had to "keep" the covenant of promise. I've never said that because there were "no laws" in that covenant to abide by or keep. God gave no laws to Abraham to follow it was a covenant of promises that was confirmed by an oath that God made because Abraham did not with hold his only son when God tested him. The "promises" in that covenant to Abraham in Gen 15 were to Abraham to inherit. And it was not because the covenant was ultimately made between God the Father and the Son and not with Abraham as you stated. There was no responsibility on Abraham's part because there were no laws given in the covenant of promise God made with him for Abraham to follow only promises were in that covenant.

IF the covenant of promise was between God the Father and God the Son then the only ones that could inherit anything would be God the Father or God the Son as there would be nothing promised to anyone else and God doesn't need to promise Himself anything to inherit HE already owns everything and created everything that is. So what you are saying does not even make spiritual or natural sense.

Throughout the scriptures it tells us directly how God kept his promises in the covenant with Abraham. God promised Abraham he would make a great nation from his descendants. God fullfilled that promise when Jacob and his 11 sons were forced to go down into Egypt during the famine that was on the whole earth to be cared for by Joseph who was also a son of Jacob whom God raised up. It was there that the family of Jacob in Goshen Abraham descendants grew mightily into a great nation. They were only 70 of Abraham's descendants that went to Egypt during the faminine as Joseph was already there. But when they the descendants of Abraham came out of Egypt they had increased and their were 600,000 that came out of bondage on foot and that was just the men.

That great nation was Israel. That promise God gave he kept and it has been fulfilled.

The land promise was fulfilled when the children of Israel finally went into the promise land and took possession of it during the time of Joshua. The land of Canaan was the land Abraham's descendants inherited as God brought that promise to pass. This promise God gave he kept and it has been fulfilled. The land of Canaan was divided up among the tribes of Israel when they went in and possessed the land of their inheritance given to them by God.

There was a Spiritual Promise God made to Abraham also and it has been fulfilled that promise was "And in you ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed". This promise is not to one single family and their descendants nor is it confined to any one single nation such as just the Israelites or Israel. But this promise made to Abraham was to "ALL" the families of the earth. In this particular spiritual promise to Abraham it holds the oppurtunity for "all" not just Abraham's descendants. Just what did God do what did he offer or what gift did he make available within this promise of covenant with Abraham to bless "all the families of the earth"? Scripture says this in...

Acts 3:24-26 - Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days, You are the sons of the prophets. and of the "covenant" which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your "seed" all the families of the earth shall be blessed...To you first, God having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

Galatians 3:7-9 - Therefore know that "only" those who are of faith are the sons (heirs) of Abraham. And the scriptures, "foreseeing" that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, Saying "In you all the nations shall be blessed...So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Galatians 3:13-18 - Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us (for it is written, (Deut 21:23)"Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren I speak in the manner of men. Though it is only a "MAN'S covenant, Yet if it is confirmed. no one annuls or adds to it...

Now to Abraham and his SEED were the promises made. HE DID NOT SAY, "AND TO SEED(S) (his descendants) as of many, But As Of "ONE", "And to your seed,"? WHO IS CHRIST And this I say, that the law which was four hundred thirty years later, cannot annul the "covenant" that was "confirmed" before by God in Christ, that it should make the the promise of no effect. For if the "INHERITANCE" is of the law, it is no longer of promise: But God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Those scriptures make it pretty clear God fulfilled this spiritual promise made to Abraham in the covenant of promise which "INCLUDED ALL" the families of the earth when He sent Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world.

So whatever one's national origin you can hear the gospel and believe the gospel and obey the gospel and become a "Partaker" in the "Spiritual Promise God made to Abraham in which everyone is included not just Abraham's descendants all nation were included. The promises God made with Abraham in Genesis 12 are fulfilled and are not future fulfillments to come. God formed a great nation which was Israel being Abraham's descendants or offspring. God already gave the children of Israel the land of Canaan as their inheritance in Joshua's time which they divided among the tribes of Israel (Abraham's descendants} when they finally went into the land of Canaan to possess it... Then Christ came as apostle Paul said...

Galatians 3:26-28 - For ye are "ALL" sons (HEIRS) of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as "many" of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free, their is neither male nor female for you are "ALL" one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM"S SEED, AND HEIRS "ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE"

The Body of Christ is made up of everyone who will accept Christ through faith as everybody from every nation has been included in the oath of promise that was made to Abraham there are no exclusions and all become HEIRS and sons of God through faith as scripture shows. Understanding of the the covenant promises given to Abraham you can understand just who is the body of Christ the Church of today in this dispensation of grace as "everyone has been included whosoever will" in the "Spiritual Promise" of blessings God made with Abraham that the blessing would come upon all nations through his seed being Christ at his birth his coming into the world it was the fulfillment of that spiritual promise in the "covenant".

God has a nation today a body of believers who have came from all walks of life from every creed and color their is and Peter wrote to the believers and told them "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God has his own special peole that "you" personally whoever you are may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9). Some would try to divide Christ's glorious body in which he washed with his own blood. But all of us as believers are heirs with faithful Abraham their is no division of the promises and inheritance through Jesus Christ our Lord. God has done all he promised. Joshua in his time in Joshua 24 said these words "not one thing has failed" speaking of all the thingst God had promised the children of Israel. God has used the nation of Israel as God had a purpose and a plan that plan led to Jesus Christ...so today, whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved. This is the great mystery spoken of in the book of Ephesians that has been revealed to the Church. Don't let anyone steal or try to talk you out of your inheritance in God. Christ gave Himself that he might present us a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle.

The mystery of the Church is not a mystery anymore it has been hidden in times past but has been revealed to the saints which is Christ in us the hope of glory and as many as walk according to this rule to the new man created in Christ Jesus are the rightful heirs given to Abraham no matter their nationality or orign and the peace of God be on them.

The covenant of promises were between God and Abraham and was not made between the Father and the Son.

If the covenant is between God the Father and the Son then their would absolutely be no inheritance for Abraham to inherit or for anyone else because God wouldn't have promised him anything and scripture verifies that he did make promises to Abraham in the covenant. And the promise of the promised seed of Abraham being Christ would include anyone from any nation into the blessings of Abraham being anyone who would be baptized into Christ by faith they would also be the heirs of the spiritual promise and blessing being included in the spiritual blessings that came through Jesus.