“The Lord had said to Abram, “get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

God Told Abram To Do One Thing and God Would Do Eight

What God told Abraham to do was not a test of his salvation, but a test of his discipleship, his love and commitment to follow God. He was to leave everything, the security of his country, relatives, closest family, finances, and home. Only Abraham could do this part. God could not. Yet, the eight blessings God would give to Abraham, Abraham could not do. Only God could. Abraham had to put God above everything, every place, and every person. He was to leave his mother, father, sisters, brothers, all kin, country, and possessions.

Every one of us, who know our call and want to pursue a life dedicated to God, and the bringing of freedom to others, have the same responsibility. This is the beginning step and test of our calling, our ministry. God places disciples, mature believers, into the ministry. Disciples put God’s work above everything and everybody.

This happens in marriage. We forsake parents (Genesis 2:24). This happened with Elisha. He forsook his home, country, and parents (1 Kings 19:19-21). God progressively leads you out (your security) then in (security in God). Total dependence on God cannot come without turning loose of total dependence on home, family, friends, and possessions. God wants to be your family, your friend, provider of all things, and heaven be your home country. The further you go with God, the less options you have. But the more peace and contentment you have.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and a His righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Jesus’ Cross and Your Cross

“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”  (Luke 14:25-27, 33)

Jesus is speaking of your cross, not His cross. This, like Abraham, is not a test of your salvation, but a test of your discipleship. The crowds following Jesus were already saved. They were excited to be a part of His crowd, in essence they were groupies. But Jesus does not just want followers, feeling popular because you call Jesus your Savior. He wants to be your Lord and soul provider. He wants to be everything in your life. There are two dedications to Jesus: one at salvation and one at accepting responsibility to become a disciple. Hence, two crosses - Jesus’ cross and yours.

Jesus’ cross is for salvation. Your cross is for discipleship. Without your cross, you cannot be Jesus’ disciple. Jesus’ cross is sin, sickness, poverty, and Satan’s curses. Your cross is anything standing in your way of serving God. What was on Jesus’ cross will never be on yours, your sins, sicknesses, and every curse from Satan. What is on your cross was never on His. You cannot bear what He bore on His cross. He will never bear what is on your cross. Jesus' cross was your redemption. Your cross is responsibility and accountability to God.

Jesus’ cross was for the death of sin. Your cross is for flesh to die on.  Your cross is not for your salvation. Your cross is something you are free to pick up, free to lay down, or free to never pick up at all. What always comes after crucifixion is resurrection. Salvation brings eternal freedom. But it is not the only freedom you will experience. The result of paying the cost of discipleship brings another resurrection and another freedom. This is daily freedom. This was what Jesus meant when He said, “if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (really free) (John 8:36).

God’s challenge to Abraham is faced every day by every new convert. And the rewards of accepting the challenge have not changed either. What God did for Abraham; he will do for us.

“So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

Disciples Have New Friends and a New Family

Jesus said our new families are those who do the will of the Father, other disciples of Jesus.

“But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:48-50).

God may call you back to the city you left, maybe not. Even if you are not in a pulpit ministry, being open to the Holy Spirit for your location is very important. You must be willing to go wherever God leads. The words of the song become truer. “If the wind goes where you send it, so will I.” “If you left the grave behind you, so will I.” “If you put heaven in front of you, so will I.”

Abraham was only partially obedient and kept trying to rescue himself before he utterly depended on God. Abraham’s blessings could have come quicker with full surrender to the Lord and His plan.  He eventually saw the fulfillment. The next eight blessings are based on Abrahams’ obedience to one command, leave everything, and totally depend on Me.

God’s Eight Blessings – The Number of New Beginnings

1.      I Will Show You a Land. This is a more precise leading of the Holy Spirit.  Guidance tomorrow is largely based on obedience today.  If you wonder why God is not speaking now, go back and check if you are doing what He told you to last.  Continued and increasingly accurate guidance is a monopoly for disciples.  “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

2.      I Will Make You a Great Nation.  God would do something big in Abraham for now and into eternity. Old Testament prophets, New Testament apostles, Moody, Spurgeon, Whitfield, and others still speak today. A life totally given to God will leave ripples on the water of time when they die. God took something already inside Abraham and brought it out. God produced two races from Abraham, one natural and one spiritual. Israel was the natural nation, compared to the sands of the earth (Genesis 13:16). Believers from all times and nations form the spiritual kingdom and are compared to the stars of heaven (Genesis 15:5).  Both kingdoms have continued past Abraham's death. He only saw the beginning of the promise. So did David, so did Jesus, and so will you.  “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise” (Hebrews 11:39).

3.      I Will Bless You.  For Abraham, this promise was connected to obedience.  Some blessings are gifts.  But most blessings, in the Christian life, are rewards for obedience.  These blessings will be visibly rewarded to us in heaven at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Then Abraham had to accept the will of God and walk in it.  So do we with the many promised blessings of obedience found in the Word of God, “that the blessing of Abraham might (not will) come upon the Gentiles” (Galatians 3:14).

4.      I Will Make Your Name Great. This was Abraham’s reputation in the earth as a follower of God. So, it is with us. Dignity is restored as reproach is taken and forgotten. God’s priorities do not include titles given by men, such as prophet, or doctor, etc. Even without earned degrees, God can still make your name great before people. All He asks of you is simple abandonment to His call and will.  Men love titles, saying “Titles give prestige, power, and help open doors.” If God cannot open a door, how will a title? When God makes your name great, a title is not important. One translation of Exodus 18:21, hating covetousness, was better translated, not seeking titles. Why do we need to add the title Doctor to Billy Graham, Dwight L. Moody, Oral Roberts, Paul, or Jesus? God made their name great.

5.      I Will Make You a Blessing.  Don’t try to increase yourself.  Abraham was blessed by God to be a blessing.  A motive to be a giver of God’s blessings made Abraham wealthy.  People rejoiced to see Abraham coming.  Abraham’s motto had to be, “Lord, if you are going to bless anyone, bless them through me.”

6.      I Will Bless Those Who Bless You.  Because the Lord was his Savior and his protector, Abraham would see others blessed who blessed him.  To bless Abraham was to bless the Lord.  Abraham became a blessing to others. This meant people were blessed to be around Abraham. This is blessings by association. Lot was blessed being with Abraham.  Joseph was a blessing to Potiphar. And 1 Corinthians 7:14, the unbelieving husband and the children are blessed by a believing wife. Your job is blessed to have you there. You bring blessings by showing up and living for Jesus.

7.      I Will Curse Those Who Curse You.  The Lord was Abraham’s protector.  Those who curse the Lord brings a curse on themselves.  Those who curse God’s people, Israel, as well as God’s disciples bring a curse on themselves.  God promised to protect us.  We do not have to do it ourselves.  When we are attacked, God can defend Himself and God will defend us.  The army surrounding Elisha surrounds us.  When Satan or the world sends a curse at us who are devoted to God, it will not stick.  “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight” (Proverbs 26:2).

8.      In You Shall all Families of the Earth be Blessed.  Abraham did not live long enough to see the promises entirely fulfilled.  His life is an example of faith today to all nations.  He is the father of all who believe, not just to the Jew.  Our life can be an example and a blessing to others even after we are gone.  Our life is more than physical.  Our reputation, words, and deeds continue to live on.