Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

Today, the Doctrine of Man, Part 28.

For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonablefaith.org.

As we continue to bring our Defenders lessons to you from my home office, I'm glad that you could join us today.

Last time, I explained that Protestants and Catholics agree on the necessity of God's prevenient grace in the process of salvation, and I think quite rightly so.

I then proceeded to argue that the Catholic view is correct that at some point

along the line, human beings have the freedom either to exceed to the working of God's grace and to let it have its effect,

or to resist it and refuse to let God's grace of salvation produce its effect in a person's life.

With respect to Romans 9, I argued that the burden of that chapter is not to narrow down the scope of salvation to a select few,

but rather to broaden it out, to include Gentiles as well as ethnic Jews.

God is sovereign and has mercy upon whom ever he wills. And who is it that God

has chosen to have mercy on? Those who have faith in Christ Jesus. So it is through faith

that one becomes a true child of Abraham, a member of that elect

body that will inherit the kingdom of God.

If you look at the book of Galatians, which is almost like a pre-seed of Paul's argument in Romans, you see this very nicely

summarized in Galatians 3 verses 6 to 9. Galatians 3 versus 6 to 9. Paul writes,

Thus Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

So you see that it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham,

saying, in you shall all the nations be blessed. So then, it is men of faith who are blessed with Abraham

who had faith. So, who are blessed with Abraham who had faith.

So, who are the true sons of Abraham?

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