The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-07
Dr. Dickerson Speaks of the
 Jewish Father
HIS FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
Bod Blessed Him on Account of Ills Plety and Made Him a Bless Ing Unto All Ma
 tons.

inson preach at the First Baptist church yesterday on the text. Know therefore that they that are of faith the same are sons of Abraham''-Gal. 3:7.
 Dr. Dickinson showed that the religion of Israel not only found it's source but also its high-water mark In the piety of Abraham, whom all subsequent gener- ations of his children regarded as the representative righteous man. friend of God and father of the believing Jesus Himself also approved this estimate of Abraham's piety and numbered him with these who shall sit down in his Kingdom as partakers of Messiah's blessings. He also says that Abraham saw Messiah's day and was glad" which can only mean that his piety was of the same kind as that he himself was introducing. The re- ligion of Abraham and that which the Gospel preached was so much the same that Paul declares that the Scriptures preached the Gospel before hand unto him. All the great doctrines of Christian ity are to be found in the religion of Abraham. We find Gods soverign grace in His call. Gods providential care In his career, Gods direct and free fellowship with him without intermediates, Gods Justification of him because of his faith, Gods blessing him and making him blessing to all nations-each and all of these are fundamental clements of the Gospel.
 Pride of Jews.
 The Jews prided themselves that they were natural descendants of this father of the faithful and thereon claimed spe- cial divine favcr and religious standing as their peculiar and exclusive right. The rabbis taught that descent from Abraham implies heirship to all that Abraham was in religion. Just as many respectable Christians today deceive themselves into thinking that episcopal, baptismal or ecclesiastical succession from the apostles make them heirs to apostolic Christian ity. They answered John the Baptist's call to repentance, that they had Abra- ham to their fathers and hence need net repent. whereupon John replied that from these stones.'
 Our Lord also rebuked this same con- ceit when He said to the Roman Cen turion that they should come from the east and the west and sit with Abraham in the kingdom;'' therein stating that the Gentiles would inherit with Abraham the blessings of Gods kingdom. and not Jews as such.
 When Paul established Gentle churches in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. in the Province of Salatia, the Judaizing Christians followed him preaching that Gentiles who had been baptized must also be cifcumcised and become Jews to inherit the blessings promised in Abra- ham. That those promises were exclu- svely for the Jews, Abraham and his seed. so the Gentle Christians must be- come Jews to inherit them. Against this teaching was written the passage from which our text is taken. and Paul would have them know that not natural descent nor ecclesiastical connections, but like precious faith in Christ made them heirs and sons of Abraham.
 Law of Adoption.
 The argument is based on the Greek law of adoption. wherein every one who has no son by nature was required to adopt one to perpetuate his family in the event of his death. A sonless head Of household owed 1t to the daughters, slaves and others whose interests were dependent on the integrity of the house. hold, to provide for its continuance in me event of his death by designating an heir to his position as batter familias
 This he did by publicly procIafming one as his son and having that fact entered In the public records. When that adop- ton was once made. no one--not even the testator himself = could revoke 1t. In Greek jaw the son and the heir was one and the same person always; hence to inherit meant to adopt and to adopt meant to inherit. If man was heir he must also be son. But the inheritance not only carried with 1t the estate, but the obligation to keep up the family cult or religion, that the gods might not be deprived by the death of the testator of the worship that was their due. Hence along with the estate the heir succeeded to the religion of the household
 So the apostle argues in the text as follows: Abrahams religion was one of justification by faith. flor he believed God and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Therefore all who in- herit Abraham's religion of faith are sons of Abraham. for only sons can in- herit So one gets to be an heir to the blessings promised to Abraham by in- heriting his religion of justification by faith.
 Great Religious Truths.
 From this argument we gather the following gleat religious truths:
 common trust in God makes all Chris tians kin. It matters not how they may be separated in time, space, or racial and socia. walls if they have like precious faith in God they are equally kin Faith in God Is the great bond that unites men in the family of God and makes them sons of Abraham. We inherit the bless ings of the household of faith by be- coming believers ourselves. Paul says now we sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ and they that are of faith the same are sons of Abraham. In this age when people are trying to claim a special heritage to Apostolic Christianity by all manner of historical succession through ordination baptism or church ed loud, that 1t is through having in ourselves the Apostles piety and faith that we may claim to be their sons Iris through the adoption by faith that the family of God perpetuates itself. And fortuitous circumstances of history has brought to do with it. Without faith you would not be a son of Peter If you could trace your family tree right back to him as one of your great grandfathers. With his faith you would be his son, If you had no other connection with him.
 It is like precious faith adopting us into the household of God that makes us all equally heirs to the promised blessings. Some Christians seem to think that be- they