Characteristics of Faith, Pt. 4
The past three weeks have included discussions about the characteristics of faith. I’ve examined how faith hears, sees, and speaks.
Last week, we discussed how faith speaks. When God’s faith is active, proclaiming faith over your circumstances boldly declares heaven’s reality. Faith states, “I’m about to speak something I don’t fully understand, but I trust God’s revealed will and will declare it!”
Today, I want to discuss how faith endures and receives. Using Abraham and Sarah as examples of faith and patience, I will examine these vital principles of faith.
Abraham’s Faith and Obedience (Heb. 11:8-16)
Abraham is mentioned 74 times in the NT, ranking second only to Moses.
Abraham is the only person in the Bible referred to as a friend of God (Jam. 2:23)—perhaps the highest honor someone can receive. Although his relationship with God was not perfect, scripture describes him not only as God’s friend but also as his “friend forever.”
Abraham is the father of faith and the faithful. His life exemplifies faith. Even when he struggled with his faith, God regarded Abraham as a person of faith.
From this “friend of God,” we understand that faith does not require perfect character or actions. Rather, it is about accepting God at His word and placing trust in Him. By embracing this, Abraham became a model of faith for all believers.
Through their journey, Abraham and Sarah discovered that they could trust and obey God. They weren’t perfect, but they maintained their trust in God throughout the process. God calls the faithful, not the perfect. God qualifies the called as they endeavor to trust and obey Him.
Abraham and Sarah needed to align their lives with God’s prophetic promise to witness its fulfillment. Prophecy reveals the perfect heart of Father God—His love and goodness.
God promised to create a great nation from Abram and, through him, bless all the families of the earth. Nearly 24 years had passed since the Lord first spoke to Abraham and Sarah, but God:
“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. 18:10-14 NKJV
“1 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.” Gen. 21:1-2 NIV
God made Sarah laugh, and everyone who heard about this miraculous child laughed along with her!
There is a “set-time” with God. It may take 25 years; trust Him! He is God Almighty, El-Shaddai, “the all-powerful God who is enough! He is able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves!”
Abraham and Sarah’s son of promise—and the promise of many descendants—was grounded in El-Shaddai—Almighty God! Their future prosperity and posterity depended not on their abilities, but on God’s power. The same holds true for you and me.
Abraham discovered God as a Father—One who deeply loves us. God communicates vision through love, rather than through demands. It’s an invitation to journey with Him. He builds us up through His revealed promise and inspires us to partner with Him to make a difference in our world.
The journey begins with recognizing God as our loving Father. He holds our future and our best interests at heart. God’s love and presence empower us to truly know and trust Him. What a good God He is! His arms are always open to us, and He never holds back His love for us!
Abraham had faith in God’s promise and persevered to receive it.
“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” Heb. 11:9 NKJV
Abraham and his family lived by faith in the promised land. A prophetic promise helps you see when circumstances and delays obscure that promise.
Just as a marathon runner takes a drink, hearing God’s voice (promise) refreshes and strengthens you to keep running your race. Remember, faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17)!
“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
Difficult circumstances didn’t cause Abraham to waver in his belief; rather, his faith grew stronger as he patiently awaited God’s promise. That’s faith that endures!
Abraham’s faith grew stronger instead of weaker. He continued to glorify God as he awaited the promise. That’s patient endurance.
In 1995, after returning from Haiti as missionaries, we prayed for a home base and received a promise that God would provide us with a fully paid house in the future. This promise, nearly 30 years later, is coming to fruition! Enduring faith is essential to realize God’s promises.
Remember Abraham and Sarah, who waited 24 years!
Faith is trusting God to fulfill His promises, regardless of our efforts. God expects us to believe, obey, and act according to His guidance. A faith that listens, believes, and obeys God’s promises isn’t always easy.
It requires trust, patience, and a willingness to take risks. It involves waiting on God and believing in His goodness while others might easily give up.
Heb. 6:12 says, “…do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” NKJV
The Greek term makrothymía for patience refers to enduring patience and forbearance. It describes a state of remaining calm while awaiting an outcome, embodying patience, steadfastness, and endurance.
Patience undergirds faith and helps us endure. This type of faith is “proactive.” However, negative thinking and laziness hinder us from inheriting God’s promises. Notice that it says, “do not become sluggish (lazy)…”
If you allow yourself to become spiritually lazy and neglect your relationship with God, your spiritual endurance will weaken. If you continue to waver in your faith, you may miss out on God’s promise. You were not created for mediocrity but for victory! It requires faith that emerges from a close relationship with Jesus!
Faith receives the promise before it manifests in the natural realm.
Abraham and Sarah kept their hope alive with patience and endurance. As a result, they received the promised son and later the fulfillment of the descendants that God had promised.
“Now faith is the assurance [title deed, confirmation] of things hoped for [divinely guaranteed], and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” Heb. 11:1 AMPCE
Faith affirms spiritual promises as truth, regardless of our senses!
Faith “holds” in hope the promise like holding a title deed—such as a car or house title. Or like holding your ticket for a food order! It receives!
Faith perceives the promise fulfilled through alignment with hope. It entails an expectant anticipation of the promise’s reality before its manifestation occurs. Faith possesses substance. It compels us to act on God’s revealed truth with assurance of the answer.
We look to Jesus, our example, who works in us to grow our faith. We can remain hopeful because He is faithful to complete in us what He began at our conversion. Keep in mind that, as we patiently wait for God, there may be times when it seems like our prayers are unanswered. Trust God always!
Remember, God works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28)! Setbacks, delays, and health issues—nothing can stop God’s purpose as you continue to trust Him and believe His promises. Focus on what God has done and is doing now. Dismiss any critical reasoning that questions God—this is unbelief.
God tells the Jews in exile in Babylon that after 70 years, He will fulfill the promise made to them.
“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
Your past mistakes are not a problem for God! He declares even to the wayward, “I have plans of Good … hope and a future for you.” Here are two keys: depend on God’s goodness and maintain hope.
The Holy Spirit reveals the plans God has for you… to give you hope. God unveils through His Spirit things that your eyes haven’t seen—things He has prepared in advance for you (1 Cor. 2:9-10). Your mind can’t conceive them, but the Spirit uncovers those plans God has for you. Eventually, your mind will come to believe and understand the reality of God’s plans.
Prophecy reveals your Kingdom identity. You may have taken a wrong turn, but with God, your destiny is redeemable through surrender. He is a loving Father! Identity, calling, and destiny are discovered through a relationship with God, much like that of a parent to a child.
Final Thoughts
Abraham was a man who listened to God’s voice and followed it obediently.
Abraham believed in what God said. He was convinced, based on God’s character, that if God promised something, He would fulfill it.
He walked faithfully with God. This friendship forged a divine partnership that continues to influence our world. His life demonstrated that a relationship with God transcends our failures.
God chooses to work with those He considers friends, despite their mistakes, partnering with Him on earth.
Reflection Points:
Believe in God’s promises to you—both in His written word and in what He has spoken to your heart. Follow what He has revealed. He knows how and when to fulfill His promises to you—you don’t!
Do not fear when God’s promise and guidance lead you in a direction you don’t understand or when the promise is delayed. God knows what He is doing—trust Him! Faith embraces adventure!
“And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1 John 5:4b NKJV
God’s faith, active in a believer’s heart, is a faith that conquers the world (world systems and evil). It is a faith that perseveres, regardless of how dark it becomes or what challenges arise, and it remains confident that God will fulfill His promises.
Allow God to rekindle your heart with His promises to you, trust Him at His word, and act in faith on those promises! Despite the weariness of waiting, God desires to restore your faith in the commitments He has made!
