LESSONS
ABOUT FAITH LEARNED FROM ABRAHAM
Romans 4:1-8
A troubling thing to many Christians is the
question of whether or not they can be sure of their salvation. To put it
another way, “If God called right now do you believe you would go to Heaven?”
In the church it sometimes seems that in rejecting the extreme of the impossibility
of apostasy we overreact by adopting a probability of apostasy mentality. The
Father does not want a family of paranoid children (II Tim. 1:7; Eph. 3:12;
Heb. 4:15-16; 10:19-23, 35). Christians can and should have an assurance of
faith about their standing with their God. Let us, therefore, have a look at
Abraham, an example God Himself favors, to see how faith allows for assurance.
WHAT ABRAHAM FOUND IN HIMSELF…NOTHING!
1. According
to the flesh (i.e. of his own merit), Abraham had nothing to boast about before
God (Rom. 4:1-2; cf. Rom. 3:27-28).
2. It
was through belief
(the verb or action form of the noun faith) that Abraham was reckoned or
accounted
as being righteous (Rom.
4:3; cf. Gen. 15:6).
3. Abraham’s
righteous status before God was apart from any works of personal merit (Rom.
4:6-8; cf. Ps. 32:1-2).
DOES THAT MEAN WORKS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR SALVATION…NO IT DOES
NOT!
1. Of
greatest importance, the works of Christ were necessary for salvation to be
given to sinners and for God to remain just at the same time (Rom. 3:21-26).
2. “We
had a debt we could not pay, He paid a debt He did not owe.”
3. Additionally,
however, we are required to make a response to God’s offer if we are to be
saved—action is required of us (Acts 2:36-38; Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4).
4. But
this response is obviously not one of merit, in no way is it what we earn or
deserve (Rom. 3:23; Jas. 2:10).
5. But,
Abraham is not only the example of what is not earned by works of prideful
merit, he is also the example of the necessity of works that place faith in God
(Jas. 2:21-24).
6. It
is through these works of faith that we find the key in Christ for our
assurance before God.
A KEY OLD TESTAMENT VERSE AND THE LESSONS GOD TEACHES US THROUGH ITS
NEW TESTAMENT USES
1. As
we saw in Romans 4:3, the passage found in Genesis 15:6 is of great importance
in our understanding justification through faith.
2. This
key Old Testament verse is cited in the three most significant New Testament
chapters dealing with the subject of justification through faith—Romans 4,
Galatians 3, and James 2.
3. Romans
and James are especially useful for the purpose of this study because in them
we find applications of Genesis 15:6 to events in Abraham’s life other than to
the actual context of Genesis 15:6—Abraham fathering a child in his old age.
4. Romans
4:19-22 associates the thought of Genesis 15:6 to things found in Genesis 17
and 18—Sarah giving birth to a child in her old age.
5. James
2:21-24 applies the teaching of Genesis 15:6 to an event in Genesis 22—the
sacrifice of the very child of promise, Isaac.
6. The
implications of three different relationships to one particular text are
invaluable in demonstrating to us the nature of saving faith.
a. Over
a period of from 30 to 40 years Abraham’s faith allowed God to reckon him as
righteous by his accepting that he would father a child (Ch. 15), that Sarah
would give birth to a child (Chs. 17-18), and that Isaac, the very child, would
be sacrificed (Ch. 22).
b. In
fact, though not explicitly stated, it is nevertheless implied that Abraham was
acceptable to God through faith when he was sent to Canaan (Gen. 12:1-3).
c. Faith
is, therefore, not a onetime thing, it must be that which defines us before
God—there is no such thing as once saved always saved.
d. And
yet there is indeed security before God through faith.
e. In
Genesis 12:1-22:24 Abraham sins, in fact he tries to pass Sarah off as only his
sister even after accepting in faith that she would give birth to the child of
promise (Gen. 17-18 and 20).
f. Yet
his sins did not break his relationship with God, he stumbled and bumbled at
times, but he continues to be defined more by faith than by his lack of faith.
7. David’s
life gives us a parallel as we see that though he sinned many times, he
actually departed from God on only one occasion—with Uriah (I Kg. 15:5).
8. With
this agrees the New Covenant in I John 1:7 as we observe that even those who
walk in the light sin.
9. The
key, as we have suggested, is that faith defines the life of one who walks in
the light, while, of course, not that of one who walks in darkness (I Jn.
3:6-10).
THEREFORE…
1. In
Christ we do not have the burden of having to be saved by sinless perfection.
2. And
while we see that no onetime act can insure eternal salvation, we realize that
the way of faith certainly allows for confidence.
3. Imperfect
people get to go to Heaven through their continuing to move in the direction
pointed to by faith.
4. At
times it is two steps forward and one backward, but progress continues.
5. In
this we can further take heart through faith as we realize that a loving Father
wants us to make it successfully through this life (Rom. 5:6-10; 8:31-39; Matt.
7:7-11).
6. The
God Who has invested so much in us will not lightly abandon us (Jn. 3:16-17).
7. Keep
the faith!
Edwin
11/5/00
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