“The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.” Galatians 3:7
Within less than 24 hours, Tucker knew exactly what feet were the “go-to feet.” Just after one night of being with us, Tucker, our new yellow lab pup, knew what feet to follow. It’s hard to imagine what it must feel like for a pup when it’s taken away from the familiar surroundings of its mom and siblings. We felt sad for him that first night, watching him roam aimlessly around the living room, searching for anything that looked familiar. It was cute, but sad, watching his reaction as he kept seeing his reflection in the glass doors of the entertainment center, probably thinking, “I see a puppy that looks like me, it must be behind those doors.” But, in less than a day, we feel so much better for him as we’re seeing him get more comfortable in his new surroundings and finding safety, comfort, and happiness just following our feet.
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatian Church, wanted them to know that it wasn’t their pedigree that allowed them to claim the title of “children of Abraham.” Paul wanted them to understand that anyone could be considered a “child of Abraham,” whether born a Jew or not, just simply by following in the footsteps of Abraham regarding faith. Paul defined a “child of Abraham” as one who has put their faith in God for their righteousness, or what he called “righteousness by faith.” Paul writes in Galatians 3:6, “In the same way, ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith’.”
What Paul made clear to them, and to us today, is that by simply believing, one is made right with God. For us, it’s all made possible by putting our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. And, as an added bonus, Paul goes on to say in verse twenty-nine that all those who follow in Abraham’s footsteps of faith will “share the same blessing Abraham received.”
Today you can happily follow the feet of Abraham to the place of safety and security, found by faith in God’s grace!