Episode I GOD’S GOOD CREATION In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Episode II OUR REBELLION Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” She took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband. So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden. Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. God saw how corrupt the earth had become.

Episode III GOD’S SOLUTION The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

“Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them “Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:5-6)

“This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.” (Gen. 17:10-11)

“Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (Gen. 17:14)

God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Ex. 2:24)

You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago. (Micah 7:19-20)

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matt. 1:1)

And do not think you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father,” for I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. (Matt. 3:9)

WE ARE ABRAHAM’S FAMILY Episode IV WE ARE ABRAHAM’S FAMILY So also, Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

What is Paul Saying? This fulfills God’s promise to Abraham We are a family of faith We receive the Holy Spirit by faith