How to inherit the blessing of Abraham

Believer, rest in Christ is not inactivity. Rest in Christ is Holy Spirit-directed activity. This way - being utterly dependent on Christ and putting no confidence in our will-power to keep the Law or produce fruit by human effort aka arm of flesh, we get to bear fruit that is like Isaac and not Ishmael that was the result of Abraham (Faith) and Sarah's (Grace) faithless connivance that produced Ishmael (work/fruit of the Law) through Hagar (Law.). See Hagar and Sarah typified as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4-

21 "Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. ...

28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also."

See the New Living Translation of verses 28-29: “And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.”

Understand that "walk in the flesh" or “..according to the flesh” simply means “by human effort." It does not mean committing sins with reckless abandon or not giving a hoot about God as false doctrine preachers teach. We see an explanation of walking "according to the flesh" in the account of the births of Ishmael and Isaac in verse 28-29 of Galatians 4 already quoted above. Ishmael was born according to the flesh aka by human effort; Isaac was born according to the Spirit, and with the Spirit of the Lord, our salvation from sin and death is neither by might nor by power.

God does not recognize “arm of flesh" fruit that is produced through human striving at having a relationship with Hagar aka (a type of the Law.) Even though these works can be seen by the world, God does not recognize them. See God's word to Abraham in Genesis 22:2 -

"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac--and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

Abraham had two sons when God gave him this instruction. God does not recognize fruit from human effort at keeping the Law (Hagar) aka arm of flesh.

Ishmael could not inherit the promise that God made to Abraham. Only Isaac who was borne by Grace (Sarah) through Faith (Abraham) and not by works of the Law (Hagar) qualified. Only Isaac who was born after his parents were utterly powerless to produce fruit by their own human striving inherited the promise. Likewise, for all today, only those who are saved by Grace through Faith and not by works qualify for the blessing of Abraham.See Ephesians 2:8-9 says:

"For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9 not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]."

Like Ishmael who was a product of Hagar (a type of the Law,) those who claim to be saved by Grace through Faith yet depend on their human effort-driven attempts at keeping the Law and good works to bear fruit to God cannot inherit the blessing of Abraham. God does not recognize such works. Remember Genesis 21 -

8 "When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.[b] 10 So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”

11 This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12 But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 13 But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”

Galatians 3:29 tells us: "If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised."

The descendants of Abraham (all who are in Christ) that get to inherit the promise come from the fruit of Grace (Sarah) through Faith (Abraham); no Law (Hagar) involved. Just as Hagar (Law) and Ishmael (fruit of law-keeping) were separated from Sarah (Grace,) all those who are trying to get right with God by having a relationship with the Law and keeping it have been cut off from Christ - Galatians 5:4 -

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the Law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace.” Galatians 5:4.

You know your works are of human striving when you can boast about them or even think that you can do them by your own will-power, the same way Peter boasted in his own strength to not deny Jesus. He ended up doing just that three times.

The reason why many are not committing particular sins and seem to be doing great at keeping the Law is because they have not been tempted beyond what they can bear. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them or imagine that they can keep the Ten Commandments.This is why we who believe in Jesus Christ are not held captive by sins and addictions: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13-

12 "So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."

If God was not filtering and screening, we'd all be wallowing in heinous sins. But we often think we did good all by ourselves. To the one who thinks he is “good”, can overcome temptation by himself and imagines that he can keep the Ten Commandments to notch up points of righteousness with God - you who don't know what will happen within the hour - Peter too thought he would never deny Jesus, until his circumstances changed:

After Peter boasted in his own strength (the arm of flesh) at not denying Jesus (the 9th commandment: You shall not bear false witness,) Satan asked for him to sift him like wheat, and he lied profusely. Boasting in one's ability to keep the Law or do anything at all gives Satan the opportunity to sift a person like wheat. Satan and his "pastor" agents know this so they are always pressuring churchgoers to depend on their will-power to keep the Law, get right with God and be free from earthly ills e.g. fast for 70 days to be delivered from generational and other curses- this when Christ hung on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the Law (see Galatians 3:13.) There is nothing like generational curse in the life of a believer in Christ. God help the one that thinks he can stand in his own will- power when Satan comes a-sifting. The arm of flesh will fail. Law and Grace don't mix. One is either saved by Grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9) or not saved at all. The Law is not of faith.

Beloved of God, never trust yourself. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Right believing always produces right living.