The Nature of Abraham’s Faith

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Introduction: We have seen that Paul chose Abraham as the supreme Old Testament example of saving faith. *He has shown that salvation is by faith, not by works and so there is no human boasting *He has shown that there is only one plan of salvation for all people, both the circumcised and the uncircumcised and that Abraham is God’s chosen example for both groups. He is the father of all those who believe. This final section gives us an important and additional insight into the gospel. God saves people where there is faith. He reckons righteousness where there is faith in Christ. But what kind of faith is it that brings salvation? This gets to the core of the question that is asked in the book of James. ESV James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? James was not in conflict with Paul. James is used by the Holy Spirit to clarify what kind of faith it is that God gives through regeneration. What he shows in our text is that God’s saving work comes by divine power not by human effort, and the faith that receives that work evidences that same power. I. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH (vs.17-21) He takes us to Genesis 17:5 ESV Genesis 17:5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. Remember what has happened by this time. Abram and Sarah tried to accomplish through human cleverness, and human ability what God had promised. Abram went into Sarah’s handmaid Hagar and fathered a child, Ishmael. But God would not confirm Abram’s plans and what he had produced by the flesh. No, the child of promise would be a child given by God’s power. Sarah would have this child even though she and Abram were both past childbearing age. Note: The syntax is best understood as “in the presence of the God…” being connected back to “that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring” (vs.16). The words in between form a parenthetical statement. NOW, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMER THAT EVERYTHING WE ARE SEEING ABOUT ABRAHAM IS SIMPLY MEANT TO POINT US TO GOD. Abraham is not the one on display in Abraham’s case. Abraham’s GOD is on display. What do these verses tell us about God? And how does Abraham demonstrate these things about God? HE IS THE GOD WHO GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD. ABRAHAM WOULD LATER EXPERIENCE THIS IN THE RETURN OF HIS SON ISAAC. ABRAHAM WOULD EXPERIENCE THIS IN HIS BODY (vs.19a) ABRAHAM HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED THIS IN HIS SOUL HE IS THE GOD WHO CALLS INTO EXISTENCE THE THINGS THAT DO NOT EXIST ABRAHAM KNEW THIS TO BE TRUE IN CREATION ABRAHAM KNEW THIS WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THE PROMISE TO BE FULFILLED TAKE NOTE OF THE CHARACTER OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH. A. HE BELIEVED GOD WHEN WHAT GOD PROMISED WAS HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE (Hope against hope) (vs.18) Note: “As he had been told.” John Calvin – “According to what had been said, &c. So have I preferred to render it, that it may be applied to the time of Abraham; for Paul meant to say, that Abraham, when many temptations were drawing him to despair, that he might not fail, turned his thoughts to what had been promised to him”1 B. HE BELIEVED GOD WITHOUT BECOMING WEAK IN FAITH (Allowing doubt to cloud or undermine belief) (vs.19) C. HE BELIEVED GOD DESPITE HIS OWN NATURAL WEAKNESS AND THE WEAKNESS OF SARAH (He was now physically as good as dead, his procreative power was gone, and Sarah’s womb was dead, she was sterile) (vs.19b) D. HE DID NOT WAVER IN HIS FAITH TOWARD GOD (vs.20-21) This might seem to be at odds with some of the things that read about Abraham in the book of Genesis. But unwavering faith is not the same as perfect faith. John MacArthur – “…struggling faith is not doubt, just as temptation to sin is not itself sin. The very fact that Abraham was trying to understand how God’s promise could be fulfilled indicates he was looking for a way of fulfillment, although he could not yet see a way. Weaker faith might have simply succumbed to doubt. Sincere struggling with spiritual problems comes from strong, godly faith. Such faith refuses to doubt and trusts in God’s promises, even when no way of fulfillment is humanly imaginable. God’s testing of His children’s faith is designed to strengthen their trust, and they should thank Him for it, hard as it seems to be at the time (see James 1:2–4). When Abraham was tested by God, he grew strong in faith.”2

Topics

• Faith