THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM

Rom 4:18-25

Abraham was a man of great faith. The scriptures call him the father of all believers (Rom 4:11-12) and the friend of God (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23). On what was Abraham’s faith founded? What were his principles? The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. If you want to receive any blessing from God, you should believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Heb 11:6)

1 God spoke to him

(He believed God’s words)

The first principle is that faith stands firmly on God’s word. For a man of faith the word of God always settles the matter, whatever the circumstances may be. What God says is true and we ought to obey. True faith is obedience to God’s word. How much do you value God’s word? Is it a question of life and death for you? Abraham believed God and did what God told him to do. Unbelief is disobedience. It is refusing to believe that what God says is true. It is making God a liar. (1 John 5:10). And we know that God cannot lie. It is impossible for him to lie (Heb 6:18). God’s word is truth. Unbelief is sin.

When God told Abraham to leave his country, he did so without arguing. When God promised him a son, he believed in spite of his age. We have a full description of Abraham’s faith in Rom 4:18-25.

God spoke to him. Have God spoken to you? Have you heard His voice in your heart? God speaks to us through his servants; we can hear his voice by listening to an anointed sermon or reading an article like this one. We can hear God’s voice by reading the Bible. He speaks to us by His holy-Spirit who dwells in us. I know when God speaks to me. I receive a testimony of the Holy Spirit in my heart and I can say beyond the shadow of a doubt that God has spoken to me. When I have received the word of God, I have a mighty conviction in my heart and I become bold. When I haven’t heard his voice, I feel weak and am not prepared to do anything. Always act upon his word; otherwise it is presumption, not faith.

2 God gave him a vision

Visions are born out of faith in God’s word. What you perceive in your spirit when you close your eyes is more important and override what your physical eyes can see. Faith is the assurance, the confirmation in our heart, the title-deed of the things we hope for. The conviction of the reality of these things even though we do not see them. Faith is perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses. What is your vision? Your life goals? What do you see right now, victory or defeat? This is the difference between winners and losers.

Listen to God’s words to Abraham in Genesis 13:14-17: “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring for ever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go; walk through the length and breadth of the hand, for I am giving it to you.”

And in Genesis 15:5 God took him outside and said: “look up at the heavens and count the star- if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “so shall your offspring be.”

You can clearly see in those words that God was trying to give Abraham a clear vision of what he had in store for him. True faith comes from God’s word. It’s receiving from God a vision. And even if it seems impossible, it will come to pass. God’s word cannot fail. God has done great and marvelous things for our church, my family and myself. We never rushed in anything before receiving the word of God and a clear vision of what he wants us to do. I urge you in Jesus name, believe what God is telling you through his word, believe what the Holy-Spirit is telling you, and it will come to pass. Your dream will come true. Nothing is impossible to God. Everything is possible to him that believes.

3 The strength of Abraham’s faith

(i). He voiced out what he believed.

When God has spoken to you and the word of God has created a spiritual vision in your spirit, the next step is to voice one what you believe. It is at that point that so many children of God fail. Abraham did not consider the facts that his senses were telling him. Faith and human senses look in opposite directions. Faith and human logical reasoning cannot agree. In many circumstances I have really done violence to my logical reasoning to keep on believing the word of God and the vision He had given me. The life of faith goes beyond human senses, beyond human reasoning, beyond the dimension of space and time. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Rom 4:18-21)

Many people fear to tell others what God has told them. They find many reasons not to do it. I have never hesitated to proclaim to my team members and to the church what God has put in my heart. Of course, I always wait for the right time to do it, but I never hesitate. Sometimes it makes people laugh because it seems so impossible, and every time the dream has become true. By now they have learned to take seriously what I tell them. We must be bold and not hesitate to voice out what the Holy-Spirit puts on our heart. It is at that time that the power of God is released and miracles occur.

The most important features in Abraham’s life concerning this principle is the change of his name from Abram to Abraham which mean father of many. He had no children and was called “father of many”. What contradiction! He had to believe the word of God even though the reality of his life was telling him the contrary. Everybody called him Abraham, “father of many”. He had to accept as a fact what was yet to come years after.

(ii) God’s word versus man’s senses.

If you want to receive God’s blessing and see miracles in your life, you must learn to stand firmly on God’s word even when your senses tell you exactly the opposite. Faith and human senses go in opposite directions. Human logical reasoning can really hinder and block your faith. As Abraham, keep on believing in spite of all what you can see or hear. Abraham’s faith is a perfect example of this principle.

4 The test of faith.

God tested Abraham’s faith when he commanded him to do something completely contrary to common sense and to the vision he had given him. The command to offer up Isaac, the promised son, went against his fatherly love. However, he obeyed because he was absolutely convinced that God would do as He had told him and that the dream would come true. And when he was at the point to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, the angel of the Lord stopped him. In like manner our faith will also be tested. As for Abraham, the strength of your faith will come out during theses time of trials. True faith cannot be stopped by any hindrances. True faith will overcome all adverse circumstances. A man of faith just cannot give up.

5. Praises and worship

Abraham was not deterred by his physical weaknesses, his senses and his logical reasoning. He gave glory to God, praised and thanked Him. There is power in praise.

Believe and your dream will come true even though it seems humanly impossible.

I pray for you.

God bless you

Br Willy.