How Can Anyone Be Saved?

     Obey the law? Be a descendent of Abraham? Human effort?

     In Galatians chapter 3...relying on the law leaves people "cursed." If we obey it perfectly, welcome to heaven. But none of us can do that. Neither can any of us be holy enough to pass through the "pearly gates." 

      If we're "children" of Abraham - that is, like him in faith and obedience, no matter what - we are blessed, closer to the promise. Not home yet (as a home run doesn't count until the batter crosses home plate). There was considerable disobedience and disbelief during the centuries of Jacob/Israel's descendants. God allowed - or led? - the Romans to scatter "his" people. 

     Today, there are still Abraham descendants who are not believers. Maybe the Holocaust resulted in unbelief. Understandable. Then again, the horrible Holocaust led survivors to reestablish the nation of Israel ... believers or not ... three years after the war.  

      What did God say to Abraham? Translated from Hebrew into English, through your offspring, all nations on earth (or, believers in all nations) will be blessed (eventually) because you have obeyed me. - Moses, in Genesis 22:18.  

     God didn't say the "descendants." He said "offspring" (as translated). (Offspring could be plural. In this case...?)     

     In the New Testament, Galatians 3, Paul wrote, "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel (good news) in advance to Abraham - verse 6.    

     In verse 16: The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed (One version of ancient Hebrew has a word translated offspring or seed). The Scripture does not say "and to his seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed, meaning one person, who is Christ. 

 To be continued Wednesday