Abraham’s Faith and Obedience, Pt. 2
Abraham is mentioned seventy-four times in the NT; he is second only to Moses.
Abraham is the only person in the Bible who is called a friend of God (James 2:23), perhaps the highest honor anyone can receive. Although he was not perfect in his walk with God, scripture records him as God’s friend and his “friend forever” (2 Chr. 20:7).
Abraham is the father of faith and the faithful. Faith is exemplified throughout his life. Even when Abraham was weak in faith, God saw him as a person of faith.
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith, therefore, is a firm conviction concerning things unseen and a confident expectation of future fulfillment. Faith trusts God for everything, while hope looks toward the future and trusts God for it.
In Heb.11:1, the Greek word hypóstasis is translated as substance (assurance). It means “a standing under,” technical sense of “title deed.” Faith is holding on to the “title deed” (the promise), assured that what is unseen will be realized.
From this “friend of God,” we learn that faith is not perfect character or integrity. Instead, it is simply taking God at His word and trusting Him. By doing so, Abraham became the model of faith for all believers.
Through their journey, Abraham and Sarah learned to trust and obey God despite their imperfections and struggles.
Abraham believed God’s promise (Heb. 11:8-12, 13-16)
In Gen. 12, God promised to make Abram a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him. But Sarah was barren!
It would be 25 years since the Lord first spoke to Abraham and Sarah, but God …
Gen. 18:14: “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Gen. 21:1: “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.” At the set time, Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac!
Abraham and Sarah’s son of promise, and the promise of many descendants, was to rest upon El-Shaddai, not their perfection or human efforts! Their future prosperity and posterity were not found in their ability but in God’s ability. So, it is for you and me.
What if your answer to a promise impacts another generation? It’s worth the wait!
I like what David wrote in Psalm 27 about the importance of waiting on God:
Wait (in faith) upon the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say upon the Lord. Ps. 27:14 NKJV
The English word wait translates from the Hebrew word qavah, which means wait, but it also means to twist around who and what was promised.
So, as we wait or twist ourselves around the Lord and His promises, we become one with Him and His Word. Faith is strengthened as we wait upon Him! (Isaiah 40:31).
Abraham and Sarah had to believe and align their lives with God’s promise to fulfill it. Prophecy reveals the perfect heart of Father God—His love and goodness.
Abraham discovered God as a Father who deeply loves us. God communicates His vision to us through love—not demand. It’s an invitation to journey with Him. He builds us up through His revealed promises and inspires us to partner with Him to impact our world.
Faith’s worship and walk depend not on answered or unanswered prayers. Whether or not we receive what we “confess” or ask for should not change our behavior or attitude. Faith holds on in hope regardless! (Heb. 11:13-16)
Abraham and Sarah dwelt by faith in the land of promise, even when hope was faint.
Just as Sarah was called to believe that God would give her a child even though she was elderly and barren, Abraham had been called to believe that God would give him a homeland even though he was a wandering stranger, a nomad with no fixed abode.1
They never possessed the land, only a cave, but they had the son of promise, Isaac.
Faith was demonstrated through their belief in the Creator God and looking in the distance for the promise of more than just a family but of the eternal city God is creating.
Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have! Rom. 4:18 NLT
Impossible circumstances didn’t bring Abraham into unbelief; his faith was strengthened as he awaited God’s promise. Abraham’s faith grew stronger rather than weaker. He continued to give glory to God as he waited for the promise.
A prophetic promise enables you to see when circumstances cloud the promise. Like a marathon runner getting a drink, hearing God’s voice (promise) refreshes and strengthens you to keep running your race.
If you need more faith, look upon Jesus! Don’t lean on your senses; look to Jesus and trust His promises! Sense knowledge faith insists on seeing and understanding before believing. Real faith is built on God’s word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Jesus had no consciousness of the need for love or faith. He was one with the Father, and the fullness of God dwelt in Him. He was complete love and faith!
1 John 4:16 says that “…God is love. He that abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (NKJV)
We abide and live from God’s love daily! The nature of God dominates us, which is love and faith. We are in Him, and through Christ, the fullness of God’s nature abides in us.
God is a loving Father! Identity, calling, and destiny are discovered through a Father-Son relationship that is love-based.
Love says, “I’ll prefer others over myself.” Love says, “I’ll be a conduit of God’s love, forgiveness, and acceptance of others.” Love says, “I’ll not judge others and keep account of wrongs.”
Faith says, “Jesus is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Faith says, “He will never leave nor forsake me—ever!” Faith says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” (Phil. 4:13)
How do we get to this place of faith and trust? Relationship! The listening heart is close to the Lord, hearing and seeing what the Lord is revealing and promising. Trusting God has a loving Father.
Faith occurs when we cease trying to do something ourselves and trust God to fulfill the promise. God expects us to believe, obey, and act as He leads.
Rom. 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (NKJV)
It doesn’t say “from having heard” but by “hearing.” A God-breathed word in the present tense is ready for God’s deposit of faith. Hearing presently is a key to faith!
Faith that hears, believes, and obeys God’s promises isn’t always easy. It involves trust, patience, and a willingness to take risks. It means waiting upon God and believing in God’s goodness when we might be tempted to give up. Use your promise as prayer!
Faith is fastened to the heavenly realm, moving from the invisible toward the visible. Unbelief is attached to the natural or sense realm.
Have you ever lost hope in a promise? I’m sure we all have.
Did you know God’s promises are intended to build hope and faith? Consider what the Lord spoke to the Israelites who were led away into Babylonian captivity:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer. 29:11 NKJV
Plans of good… hope and a future. The Lord uses the revelation of His goodness and hope to sustain us while we wait in faith!
God reveals His promises through His written word and revelation by the Holy Spirit to give you, and I hope!
9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Cor. 2:9-10 NKJV
The Holy Spirit reveals God’s plans … to give you hope. God reveals by His Spirit things that your eye hasn’t seen—things God has prepared beforehand for you.
Your mind can’t conceive it, but the Spirit reveals God’s plans for you. Your mind will eventually believe and receive the reality of God’s plans.
I have discovered that I can confidently believe the promise if I can see what God offers. This is not a mind trick but learning to understand the Holy Spirit’s revelation.
Final Thoughts
Abraham was a man who heard God’s voice and obeyed.
Abraham believed in what God spoke. Based on God’s character and nature, he was convinced that if God promised something, God had the ability and desire to bring it to pass.
Reflection Points:
Believe in God’s promises to you—in His written word and those He has spoken to your heart. Obey what He has revealed. He knows how and when to bring His promises to you to pass—you don’t!
Do not fear when God’s promise and leading take you in a direction you don’t understand. God knows what He is doing—trust Him! Faith embraces adventure!
Footnote
1 Tom Wright, Hebrews for Everyone (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 132.
