Scripture

Galatians 3:28-29 (NLT)

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Consider

What was God’s promise to Abraham, and what can it mean for us?

God’s Old Testament covenant with Abraham was twofold. There was the material promise that Abraham would father a great nation and inherit property in the land of Canaan. More important for us was the spiritual promise that through Abraham’s descendants all the nations of the world would be blessed.

Jesus Christ, the holy fruit of Abraham’s bloodline, fulfilled this second promise of blessing through his earthly ministry, death, and resurrection. As followers of Christ, you and I accept the responsibility of inheritance that Jesus bequeathed. We carry the hope and the power of the gospel into the world around us—into our families, our friendships, our neighborhoods, our business relationships. We are the new covenant heirs of God’s promise to Abraham and the couriers of blessing to our twenty-first-century peers.

To be carriers of God’s blessing to people, especially to those who offend or abuse us, is a difficult responsibility. Fortunately, Christ knows we cannot meet this responsibility on our own and has sent us a Helper. When we yield ourselves to Christ’s lordship, even in the midst of a painful conflict, the Holy Spirit can soften our hearts and refocus our desires. The perfect righteousness of Christ empowers us to do what is right and good even though our efforts may be misunderstood or rejected.

As heirs of God’s promise, we bless others not with our own goodness but with the goodness of Christ who lives in us. We bring people face-to-face with the eternal One who touches and heals them through our acts of obedience. When we show kindness and patience, it is Christ’s nature they see. When we forgive, it is Christ’s forgiveness that opens their hearts. When we love, it is the compassion of Christ that mends their brokenness and leads them to repentance.

Pray

FATHER, I marvel that you choose to bless the world through my imperfect obedience. Make me a worthy heir of your promise to Abraham, that I may serve you with greater love and faithfulness. Help me to love the people you have placed in my life, especially those I would rather curse than bless. Purify my heart and reshape my thoughts to conform ever more closely to yours.

Reflect

Genesis 12:2-3;  2 Peter 1:3-4

Ponder

Based on the way you handle conflict, how would others describe the nature of Christ who lives in you?