Judaizers and legalists assumed they would inherit the promises of Abraham, because they were his natural offspring and they kept the law. Paul makes it clear that, depending upon law-keeping for righteousness, they were in fact disinherited. Only the children of Abraham by faith inherit the promises!
It is bitterly ironic that it was Jewish people under the law who should be so disinherited - for they exalted in their pride of descent and in the Mosaic law. But they are not alone: all legalist religionists suffer the same sad fate.
The Lord Jesus Himself had warned of such a fate for all who trust in self-righteousness. He announced that vile sinners would receive mercy for the asking, but smug legalists would not.
God's casting out of the legalists is a merciful move, because it clears the decks for sinners to be received by faith. Jews cast out, and Gentiles never in, are now subject to being received by God as His true people by faith in His Son the Savior!
Now God calls from among all sinners who are not His people, Jews and Gentiles, and all who trust in Jesus are adopted as His true people. By casting out the legalists, a host of faithful people may be brought in to Christ.
Even those who have been cut off, cast out, declared "not my people" by God - even those children born of the flesh can be born anew by the Holy Ghost of promise, and made to inherit all the blessings of God.
We were all born of the flesh - Jews and Gentiles - with no hope of salvation, because we all trusted in our own works to save us.
But the Holy Ghost can raise us from the dead to new life in Jesus, and by faith we become, no longer children of the bondwoman, but free!
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
