The Faith of Abraham

Temple Baptist Church - 10-22-2017

Romans 4:1-25

Introduction:

A.  Abraham was the only man in the Bible called the friend of God.  He was a friend of God because of the greatness of his faith.  God honors faith!

B.  I want to take a short look at Abraham’s faith as he is the “father” of us all.  Look in verse 11.

Romans 4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

C.  Our faith is no different than that of Abraham.  Our walk of faith with God beings in the same way that our human walk begins, with baby steps and increases with age and use.

1.  Gentle Steps or Salvation’s Faith.  John 8:56  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 

a.  We are not sure when Abraham placed his personal faith in the Lord but this verse explains his personal faith in the coming of the Christ.  Our faith walk begins with salvation.

b.  We cannot walk with faith until we are in faith!  The first step we take is to trust Christ alone for our salvation.

c.  God is so very gentle and undemanding of new believers.  Too often, we require too much of them.  God places very little spiritual problems on their shoulders the same way that we place little or no responsibility on babies.

2.  Growing Steps or Sanctification’s Faith.  God begins to teach us spiritual responsibility.  Some new believers never learn to trust the Lord with their lives or livelihood.

a.  Sanctification’s Faith.  Genesis 15:7  And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

1)  God called Abraham to leave the Ur of the Chaldees, a heathen land, and come to Canaan, the land of promise.

2)  But, Canaan was a place of spiritual and physical warfare  .Canaan is a beautiful type of a victorious Christian life.  It is life of battles but also a life flowing with milk and honey.

b.  Tithing Faith.  Genesis 14:20  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

1)  Abraham understood that the tithe was the Lord’s and gave God Hid due.  God blessed Abraham for tithing.

2)  Another growing step is that of the tithe.  Two months after I was saved, Barbara and I began to tithe and have not missed in almost 41 years.  Tithing is both a thing of obedience and faith.  God said “prove me now herewith.”  Don’t wait until you are financially devastated.

c.  I could spend the night on Growing Steps of Faith.  In every aspect of our Christian life, God demands our obedience and still puts no more on us than we can bear.

3.  Great Steps or Impossibilities Faith. 

a.  Trusting Faith.  Trusting God to do the impossible in our lives.  Romans 4:18-21  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.  (19)  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:  (20)  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;  (21)  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

1)  When faced with human impossibility, Abraham believed God.  The conception and birth of Isaac was beyond human comprehension yet Abraham never wavered.

2)  As we grow in our faith, that faith is often tested as we face the impossible with hope.  There will come a time in your Christian growth when having done, you will just have to stand.

b.  Sacrificial Faith.  God asking us for our all.  Hebrews 11:17-19  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  (18)  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:  (19)  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

1)  There came a time when God asked Abraham for the most important thing in his life, Isaac.  What faith!  Abraham immediately obeyed God because, through baby steps to steps of impossibility, he found God faithful.

2)  God may one day require of us the best that we have.  If we can trust God with our eternity, can we not trust him with our temporal things?  If God takes that which is most important to us, will we continue to walk with Him in faith?