When someone start talking of blessing, suddenly the picture comes to our minds are, health, wealth, and prosperity here in this earthly life. Most of the time we never think about the actual meaning of blessing in biblical perspective. Our understanding of the blessing is purely material, like big houses, big cars, and a lavish life style. We have been taught in such a way by our teachers and we have understood in the same way. Modern day preachers are more fond of this health, wealth and prosperity teachings.

 

I am not against a good healthy, or a financially sound living or a biblical prosperity in this life. But I am quite concerned about our emphasis. What is our priority?  Our forefathers were very poor in their generation, yet they did not give so much emphasis on this materialistic propaganda, rather they prioritized their life with biblical revelations, that they stood for a holy and separated (from the worldly desires) living style according to the scripture. They were very content people and had strong faith in God. And they whole heartedly trusted in their Provider. They neither trusted in the provisions nor they desired the things which were visible, but they purely preached and expected the unseen blessed eternity. Their minds were never attached towards the earthly prosperity. They simply trusted and prayed to God the Father for their daily needs.

Now after few generations the situation totally changed and now we have enough and more. And the funny part is that, now our emphasis is on the physical blessings and prosperity teachings. What is the force which drives our Christian life today? I feel it is a contradiction. When we were poor materially, we trusted God and were contented in God and He provided for our needs. But when we have enough or more, we deviated from our main goal and started to focus on the physical prosperity and a comfortable life on earth. It clearly shows our discontentment in God and a deviation towards the desires of this world, which blinded our eyes.

 

What we are called for? Surely to be blessed. But what is that blessing?

 

Is that physical and financial prosperity?

 

Surely our God is so concerned about you and me as an individual, as a family and He will provide all our needs in His time….the time is so important. We cannot expect everything in our appointed time, but God will provide everything which is directly or indirectly related to our physical and spiritual needs in His right time, and that is our best. He is a good father who knows the needs and troubles of His children, even before we pray.

 

But this modern day preachers ask us to name and claim the blessings of Abraham...as they understood and they teach us that the blessings of Abraham towards us are more on physical and earthly nature. Shall we read certain passages from scripture, to see what are the blessings God has promised to Abraham, which we the born again children can enjoy in this world

 

Galatians 3:6-9 says………

Abraham “BELIEVED GOD, and it was counted to him as righteousness”. Know then that it is those of FAITH who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that GOD WOULD JUSTIFY THE GENTILES BY FAITH, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “IN YOU SHALL ALL THE NATIONS BE BLESSED.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 

 

When reading this passage, there is no need of further explanation, because it is so clear to understand that “Justification of the gentiles by faith is the abrahamic blessing towards us, that’s what the gospel preached beforehand to Abraham, saying, “IN YOU SHALL ALL THE NATIONS BE BLESSED.”  

 

“So then, those who have the same faith (which justify) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of              faith”. Genealogically we are not Jews and we are gentiles and naturally the sons of this world. But by FAITH we have access towards God the Father by believing in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus on Calvary cross. Through this FAITH we become children of God and partakers in all the Abrahamic blessings stated in the scripture, which are purely spiritual. Let us see few more scriptural passages.

And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

(Genesis 15:6 ESV)…  What he believed and how it becomes righteousness?

Abraham believed in GOD who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things which do not exist. In other words Abraham believed in the sovereignty of our GOD, as he understood and believed that God can do anything HE wants in my life; I have no doubt in that, but the same time HE is the sovereign God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist

For the PROMISE TO ABRAHAM AND HIS OFFSPRING that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, FULLY CONVINCED THAT GOD WAS ABLE TO DO WHAT HE HAD PROMISED. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.      (Romans 4:13-25 ESV)

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offspring’s,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is CHRIST.(Galatians 3:16 ESV)

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:29 ESV)

How the MYSTERY was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.(Ephesians 3:3-6)ESV)

In conclusion I feel it is not a biblical teaching to highlight the Abrahamic blessings as material blessing in Christ Jesus. So my beloved brothers and sisters shall we clearly focus our life towards Christ according to the scripture…the present generation is making a number of teachers and leaders for their own convenience…to distract our focus from the real Jesus, to make us fail in our race…Satan is so cleaver and even trying to capture Gods chosen ones with different and extra biblical teachings and ideas…My dear brothers and sisters, let us keep our faith and fight for it …be wise,,…may God bless you all