Faith Like Abraham
Abraham is our father in the faith. Romans 4:11-12 (HCSB) And
he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had
by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all
who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to
them also. And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only
circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father
Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised. Galatians 3:6-7 (HCSB) Just
as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, then understand
that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Should we not look to see
how he was justified to make sure we are his children?
Abram was called by God. Genesis 12:1-3 (HCSB) The LORD said
to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the
land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I
will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will
bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and
all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Abram obeyed God. Genesis 12:4-6 (HCSB) So Abram went, as
the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old
when he left Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions
they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out
for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed
through the land to the site of Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. At that time the
Canaanites were in the land.
Abram believed God. Genesis 15:2-6 (HCSB) But Abram said, “Lord
GOD, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is
Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring,
so a slave born in my house will be my heir.” Now the word of the LORD came to
him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body
will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count
the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring
will be that numerous.” Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him
as righteousness.
That last word, righteousness, is a Hebrew word which, in this
context, means vindicated by God; justified. This took place in conjunction
with Abram believing God – justification by faith.
So, what happened at the cross? Payment for sin was made. For all
the sheep of God, past and future, regarding the death and resurrection of
Christ. We see this in the record of Abraham, as noted in Hebrews 11:1-2 (HCSB)
Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is
not seen. For our ancestors won God’s approval by it. And in Hebrews
11:39-40 (HCSB) All these were approved through their faith,
but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something
better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us. The
opening and closing of this “faith chapter” show that the saints of God are
approved/justified by the faith He gives us.
This sequence, if you will, is what we see in the New Covenant
Scriptures:
Romans 3:24-26; (HCSB) They are justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented
Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His
righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously
committed. God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present
time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith
in Jesus. We are gifted grace and faith by God (Eph. 2:8) and through
these gifts we are justified. Not when Christ paid the price of our redemption
(which was required), but when we were given saving faith in Him. This is
portrayed in Romans 3:27-28, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 5:6-11, Romans 5:6-11, Galatians
2:15-16, and Galatians 3:23-24 as well. This is the same as we read about Abram
and the Old Covenant saints – justified/approved by faith; and that faith is a
gift of God so no one will boast in himself.
The death and resurrection of Christ and the giving of the Holy
Spirit sealed and secured the promise. As one song writer put it, “Before the
cross they were saved on credit; after the cross we’ve been saved on debit.”[1] Without
the propitiating death of Christ, nobody could be saved. He had to drink the
cup of wrath appointed us to complete the work of redemption promised so long
along to our earthly father in the faith, Abram – who believed God and was
justified by God.
[1] Shai Linne, Random Thoughts 3