ARE YOU A BLESSING TO OTHERS? A STUDY OF ABRAHAM’S COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (GENESIS 12:1-3)

Dear Members in Christ,

Are you a blessing to others? A study of Abraham’s covenant relationship with God (Genesis 12:1-3)

The relationship between the Christian and the Lord is a personal relationship, and this relationship is based upon a covenant with God; with it comes blessings for faithful and the obedient child of God. Is this blessing to the Christian also effectual to others around the believer? The Bible gives us an example of how God had blessed Abraham, and God had promised Abraham that he (Abraham) will be a blessing. 

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” Genesis 12:2

Abraham was promised a posterity of great magnitude. Thus, God promises that Abraham’s descendants will be a great nation; and also, God promises that He will make Abraham’s name great. The word translated as great can mean excellent or large in esteem and honor. Truly, we see this great honor expressed in Romans 4:16 when referring to the faith of Abraham who is described the “father of us all”

God had also promised that the spiritual blessing which Abraham inherits by faith in God’s promises will translate into blessings for others. In a general sense, we are all blessed with spiritual life and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, born in the lineage of Abraham, for God had said, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:18).

A. God blessed Abraham – Thou shalt be a blessing

Truly Abraham is blessed by God. Thus far, we know that when God made a covenant with Abraham, God also blessed Abraham. God had made good His promise, for Abraham’s descendants and for his name. Without a doubt, Abraham’s name is great, for we who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are deemed as children of Abraham for the epistle to the Galatians attest, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7).

In addition to that, God also said to Abraham “thou shalt be a blessing”. The Bible tells us that when God blessed Abraham, He also promised that “thou shalt be a blessing”. What does this mean that Abraham will be a blessing to others?

Commentators give this phrase a wide spectrum of meaning. The main idea expressed is that the Messiah will come from Abraham’s lineage, therefore, Abraham can be said to be a blessing to others. Also, by exercising faith in the Lord God, Abraham became a pattern for all who come to know salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, by his example he is a blessing to others. Therefore, it is evident that because of God’s blessing upon him, Abraham became a blessing to others. But how does this lesson apply to us?

B. Should every Christian be a blessing to others?

As we read of God’s call to Abraham and Abraham’s submission to the covenant with God, the question which begs asking is, “does this apply for every person whose faith and trust is in the salvation of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?” Is this true for every Christian? Should each one of us be a blessing to others?

The answer is yes. Whilst we may not have the great magnitude of blessings which God has bestowed upon Abraham (whose name was made great) each of us in our little ways can be a blessing to others. The Bible shows us that a believing wife can be a blessing to the husband and children. This was what the Apostle Paul wrote,     

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.” 1 Corinthians 7:14

The Apostle Paul taught this in the context of the blessing of the knowledge of salvation which the wife can potentially bring to the unbelieving husband. And the godly influence of the believing mother over her children, such that the Bible says of the children, “now are they holy.” 

Another example is that of the salvation of the Philippian jailor in Acts 16:31. In this example, the salvation of the Philippian jailor brought also his entire household to know faith in the Lord Jesus.

Dearly beloved, each one of us can be a blessing to others. There are practical ways we can do so. Firstly, we can share the Gospel with the unbelieving friends and members of our families. Secondly, each of us can live a good testimony of our faith in service and personal devotion. This testimony can be an encouragement to others to live and walk close to the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Finally, we can be ambassadors for Christ, for the Bible teaches us that, “we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Dear brothers and sisters, you can serve Christ by leading a soul to Christ, or by shepherding a lost sheep back to the fold. May we all do our part and be a blessing to others, and glorify our father in heaven. Amen.   

In His Service,
Rev. Lim Seh Beng, Pastor