That is, those who are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
Truth to Learn
Works of the flesh are ineffective in God’s record book.
Behind the Words
The word translated “promise” is epangelia, which is made up of epi, used as an intensifier, and angelō, meaning “to tell” or “to declare.” Hence, epangelia refers to “a very strong message, a summons, or a promise.”
“Counted” is from the Greek word logidzomai, which we have looked at before. It is an accounting term which means “to credit something to someone’s account.” It is sometimes translated as “impute” or “reckon.” It is an action of God in which He legally declares some characteristic to be applied to someone’s account.
Meaning Explained
Now Paul gets back to imputation. Remember that concept? A few chapters back Paul told us that our righteousness is not earned; rather it is imputed, or credited to us, by a stroke of God’s pen in his personal record book of our lives. He does not do it because we deserve it or because of anything we have done, but because it was His choice. Because Abraham believed God’s promise, righteousness was imputed to him:
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3)
In the same way Paul is telling his Jewish brothers that they are not considered God’s children simply because they are the descendants of Abraham, since that privilege should have gone to his first born son, Ishmael. Instead, Paul tells them, and us, that the children of promise are imputed, or reckoned, as the inheriting children.
The point is that God chose Isaac to be a “child of Abraham,” not Ishmael. Ishmael was the child by natural process. He was the result of Abraham’s (and Sarah’s) own efforts. Their works of the flesh produced the first child, but Isaac was the result of faith. Long after Abraham and Sarah were past the age of producing a child by their own actions, God brought forth Isaac because Abraham believed the promise that God had given him. Isaac was the child of promise and he came as a result of faith.
But that’s not fair, is it? Ishmael was the first born, so he should have received the inheritance. He should have been Abraham’s heir. But it wasn’t up to Abraham, Isaac, or Ishmael to choose, it was up to God. He chose Isaac just as he chooses those who are to be His spiritual children today.
So you see, in the final analysis it is God’s choice that matters, not ours. That’s election! And it’s not the only example of it given to us in the Bible or even here in the book of Romans. Paul will give us more examples as we move on.
Application
Unfortunately, there are many who call themselves Christians today who have achieved that status through works of their flesh. In God’s book, however, only those who have believed His promise that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses them of their sin are declared to be His children. These are the children of the promise and they are saved through faith and faith alone.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved