HOW FAITH COMES (2)

“He did not waver at the PROMISE of GOD through unbelief, but was STRENGTHENED in FAITH, giving Glory to God” – Romans 4:20

Hearing, believing, and trusting fully on the Promises of God’s Word is HOW FAITH COMES: “He did not waver at the PROMISE of GOD through unbelief, but was STRENGTHENED in FAITH, giving Glory to God, and being FULLY PERSUADED that what He had PROMISED He was also able to PERFORM” (Rom.4: 20-21). Abraham received Faith and was strengthened in the same, as he embraced the Promise of God without doubt or wavering through unbelief. Faith comes, is strengthened, and grows by the Word of God. That is, Bible Faith, as distinct from mere natural human faith, which everybody has, whether saved or unsaved.

Romans 4 clarifies how our Faith and God’s Grace are involved in Salvation, although even this Faith is a provision of God’s Grace (Eph. 2: 8-10.) Through Abraham we see that salvation comes by Faith not works, and from Grace not the Law. The passage shows Abraham’s example of Faith, results of his faith, and how that example could apply to out own lives. When, from a human standpoint it seemed that Abraham’s hope to be the father of many nations seemed to be hopeless, he believed it would happen because God said it would! Faith says about itself everything that the Words says, because FAITH in GOD is FAITH in HIS WORD!

The object of Abraham’s Faith – what he put his faith in – was the promise that God had made, that he would be the father of many nations when he was yet childless and old. Abraham’s Faith was in the faithfulness and omnipotence of God to fulfil His promise: “who, contrary to hope, in hope BELIEVED, so that he became the father of many nations, according to WHAT WAS SPOKEN, “So shall your descendants be” (v.18). Faith came and was reinforced by “what was spoken” – the Promise of God’s Word, as recorded back in Genesis 15: 5-6. What seemed impossible humanly speaking, Abraham believed because God had said it.

In addition, Abraham did not become weak in faith (v.19). He did not allow doubt to creep in and undermine his Faith in God’s ability to fulfil what he promised. For many years, Abraham had been trusting God, believing in the God “who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (v.17b). The scriptures didn’t suggest that Abraham saw God perform a miracle at this point, or raise someone from the dead. Yet, he believed that God was capable of doing such things, and behaved according to his belief: “BY FAITH Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the PROMISES offered up his only begotten son...concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead...” (Heb.11:17, 19a).

Abraham’s Faith did nit allow him to become discouraged when he considered his own natural weakness as an old man of about a hundred years old when God came to him and promised a son through Sarah. Because Abraham believed that God would do what He promised, is Faith did not falter even when he considered his old ‘dead’ body, as his natural procreative power was now gone! This fact did not lessen his Faith because his Faith was in the God who had created him and all things. He didn’t go back and forth between Faith and doubt. The Faith of Abraham was marked by his giving Glory to God.

Faith means that we’re confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see, but which the Word of God affirms or has promised. Faith gives substance to things hoped for (Heb.11:1). There is a vast difference between believing with our heart and just believing what our physical senses may tell us. Faith grasps the unrealities of hope and brings them into the realm of reality.