Are You A Child of Promise?

“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” – Romans 4:16-17

When Paul writes in Romans 4:17, “In the presence of Him whom he believed—God,” he draws our attention to a powerful truth: salvation is not just a theological concept, it’s a personal transaction between the sinner and a holy God. Abraham stood before God, not with achievements or credentials, but with faith. And God saw him—not just as he was, but as he would be. Though Abraham was old, childless, and surrounded by impossibilities, God called him “a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5). Why? Because God sees the end from the beginning. He calls things that do not exist as though they did. Abraham’s faith was not blind optimism—it was trust in the One who gives life to the dead and speaks worlds into being.

This same God who saw Abraham’s future sees yours. He saw you before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5), called you by name (Isaiah 40:26), and gave you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Just as He brought life to Sarah’s barren womb and raised Isaac from near death (Hebrews 11:11–19), He has brought you from spiritual death to life in Christ. You’ve been given righteousness—not your own, but His. A righteousness authored by God, marked by sinless perfection, and secured forever (Psalm 119:142; Isaiah 51:8). Jesus bore your sins, fulfilled the penalty, and clothed you in His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). And because of that, God doesn’t just see you as forgiven—He sees you as glorified (Romans 8:30). It’s so certain, He speaks of it in the past tense.

So how should you live in light of this? With confidence, not in yourself, but in the God who finishes what He starts (Philippians 1:6). If you’ve been born again, you are secure—not because you hold tightly to Him, but because He holds tightly to you (John 10:28–29). You can’t jump out of His hand, because “no one”—not even you—can snatch you away. Let this truth shape your walk today. When doubts creep in, remember Abraham. When you feel unseen, remember that God sees you from start to finish. And when you wonder if you’ll make it, remember: you already have. You are justified, sanctified, and glorified in Christ. Live like a child of promise—because that’s exactly who you are

“…the difference between sanctification and glory is one of degree only, not one of kind. Sanctification is progressive conformity to the mind or image of Christ here and now; glory is perfect conformity to the image of Christ there and then. Sanctification is glory begun; glory is sanctification consummated. Paul looks forward to the consummation of the work of grace – a consummation guaranteed by its inception: ‘he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.’” – F.F. Bruce