Abraham grew up in Ur of the Chaldeans worshiping the various pagan gods of that culture. But the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Abraham and said,

Genesis 12:1-2
1 . . . "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "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. (NIV)

So Abraham left, and the Lord was with Abraham as he traveled to the promised land. One day Abraham mentioned to the Lord that he did not have any children in spite of the promise of Genesis 12:2. The Lord Jesus confirmed the promise and said that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven. Then one of the great events of human history occurred.

Genesis 15:6
6 And Abraham believed in the LORD, and the LORD accounted it to him for righteousness.

Years later the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3 that God can not give salvation to those who do good works because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But after quoting Genesis 15:6, Paul said that God will save anyone who has faith like that of Abraham. When people simply believe what God says, God counts that for righteousness.

What has God been saying since Jesus died on the cross of Calvary? Before Paul was saved, the apostles simply preached that Jesus had come back from the dead, and was, therefore, still Israel’s Messiah. During the Acts period, the Apostle Paul revealed that Jesus Christ died for our sins to bring eternal life in accordance with the hope of the New Covenant Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 50-52
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (NKJ)

In Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, Paul revealed the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ and said that members of the Church receive salvation and experience all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

Ephesians 1:3,7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (NKJ)

Ephesians 2:4-7
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (NKJ)

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/