Daily Devotional for Thursday, January 2

Who Saved Abraham?

"Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ;' Galatians 3:15,16.

Never put your signature on anything you have not read first. Too often people enter into a contract without a full understanding of their obligations. Failure to read the fine print canleadto painful consequences. There arenumerous stories about people who have lost money andproperty due to a failure to read and understand the fine print in the contract that they are signing.

Today's passage draws a comparison between the binding contracts of men and the promises (covenants) of God. As the written agreements of men are binding (verse 15), so much more so are the covenants of God (verse 16). While contracts are binding, covenants are more so. Consider these distinctions: (1) While a contract is legally binding, a covenant is a spiritual agreement. (2) A contract is signed, while a covenant is sealed.

(3) If one party in a contract fails, the contract is broken. In a covenant, the promise stands even if one party fails in their obligations. God promised Abraham to bless (save) the human race through a Savior that would descend through his seed (see Genesis 12:2). This covenant was not dependent upon the performance of man but rather the faithfulness of God. Who saved Abraham? Precisely the one indicated by God in His covenant: Jesus Christ, who descended, after forty-two generations, from Abraham (see Matthew 1:1-16).

FINAL THOUGHT

This world is full of liars and deceivers. When God makes you a promise, He can be trusted.

Place your faith in the promises of God and the Savior He has provided.

John Nations