It is not so that God was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  God IS the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…God is not a God of the dead.  To be spiritually dead, one is not alive unto God.  Jesus said “… Except a man be born of water (natural birth) and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” John 3:5  For all who are born again, God IS their God.  Whether it be this side of glory or after death, every Believer is a Child of the Resurrection and can die no more.

“³⁵ But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the Resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: ³⁶ Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the Children of God, being the Children of the Resurrection.

³⁷ Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

³⁸ For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.” Luke 20:35-38

 

The Sadducees did not believe in the Resurrection from the dead and therefore gave a hypothetical scenario to prove their argument.  Just as many today preach from their vain visions and philosophies, the Sadducees scenario of the 7 brothers marrying the same wife “according to Scripture” was indeed Truth (Deuteronomy 25:5).

However, the Sadducees, who were supposed to be experts of the Scripture, assumed that the Children of the Resurrection (Believers) would also marry in Heaven.  This assumption by the Sadducees was nothing more than a vain philosophy; a scenario presented to prove their doctrine but was not written in the Bible of that day (the Old Testament).  In their argument, they failed to realize the error in their interpreting of Scripture.

“⁴ And when the Lord saw that he (Moses) turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. ⁵ And He (God) said, Draw not near hither: put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is Holy ground. ⁶ Moreover He said, I AM the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” Exodus 3:4-6

Jesus caused the Sadducees to know the error of their doctrine (denying the Resurrection), not by the arguing vain scenarios but by presenting a solid Truth according to the Word of God. God IS (present tense) the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and every other born again Believer.

“²³ But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; ²⁴ But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

The New Testament Believer practicing Jewish feasts and festivals is a perfect example of one of the many scenarios the religious present to Believers causing them to stumble. 40 days of purpose is another popular scenario.  Just as the Sadducees of old, these scenarios are sprinkled with Scripture to deceive the very elect.

Don’t be distracted by arguing vain scenarios.  Preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. For some, Who Jesus is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for the sinner and break the power of sin for the Believer, the Gospel will cause them to stumble.  They will reject the Truth; seeing they see not. They do not reject Jesus because they stumble but they stumble because they reject Him.

For others, Jesus Christ and Him crucified is foolishness.  Sadly, many of them have “moved on” to vain scenarios and left their first love.

However, for those of us who are saved, Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the power of God in our lives (1 Corinthians 1:18).  Be determined to know nothing else.  We ARE a Child of the Resurrection. GLORY!!

-Donna Clark Warren