Abraham Walked With God In Faith

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-4-2023

Genesis 12:1-5

 

Introduction: 

 A.  Over the past couple of months, we have been looking at men in the Bible who walked with God in different times and various circumstances.  These men witness to us that we can walk with God in both the best and the most difficult times of life.

 

1.  Adam and Eve walked with the Voice of God in the Garden.

 

2.  Enoch walked with God in Consistency.

 

3.  Noah walked with God in Loneliness.

 

4.  Job walked with God in Confusion.

 

5.  This morning:  Abraham walked with God in Faith.

 

a.  A Faith that Walks with God - Hebrews 11:8-10  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.  (9)  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:  (10)  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 

b.  A Faith that Works for God - James 2:21-23  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  (22)  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  (23)  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

 

B.  The Book of James sets forth a faith that works! 

 

1.  Faith biblically defined: Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  (Substance – under, to stand staunch, Faith is the foundation on which we must stand.  Evidence – proof, conviction, to witness.)

 

2.  Faith biblically demanded - Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

C.  In chapter 2, James—through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost—called Abraham “the friend of God.”  Not “a friend of God,” but the Scripture used the definite article “the.”

 

James 2:21-23  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  (22)  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  (23)  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

 

D.  In life, you have many friends but most have what the young people called a “bestie!”  A bosom buddy for life.  Someone very special and especially close.  This is what the Holy Spirit said about Abraham!  This tells me some things about Abraham:

 

1.  Abraham loved the Lord. 

 

2.  Abraham believed the Lord.  

 

3.  Abraham followed the Lord.

 

E.  Abraham was not a perfect man.  God wants us to be perfect, but that perfection is impossible in the flesh and can be dangerous as it may become personal merit with God in our eyes.  God honors a faith that glorifies Him and not the man!  It was Abraham’s faith, not his works, that made him the friend of God.

 

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

1.  I am glad that God uses men who fail!  I believe that Abraham failed God when he lied about Sarah not being his wife.  I believe that Abraham failed when he allowed Lot’s inheritance to be south toward Sodom.  I believe that Abraham failed when he allowed Sarah to give him Hagar.

 

2.  I am glad that God does not fail those who follow Him and fail!

 

F.  This morning, we are going back to about 2000 BC.  Over 4000 years ago, God brought a man out of a heathen land and, by faith, made him the father of many nations.

 

G.  This is worthy of being quoted: “A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.”  I may be wrong, but I believe that a friend of mine, Pastor James Bowman, either quoted that or had it written in his bible.  I now have it written in mine.

 

H.  Abraham showed his faith in God in many ways, but I want to zero in on just a few instances:

 

1.  Abraham walked with God in Faith when he left the Ur of the Chaldees.  He did not know where he was going but he knew that God did!  The Sovereignty of God.

 

Genesis 12:1-3  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  (2)  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  (3)  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.  (Would you walk with God by faith if He called you to leave home, family, friends, and serve Him in another land?)

 

2.  Abraham walked with God in Confidence when he never questioned God.  He did not ask where, when, or how long.

 

Genesis 12:4-5  So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.  (5)  And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

 

3.  Abraham walked with God in Faith when he believed God for the Promised Seed.  He knew that he and Sarah could not physically have a child but he knew that God could do the impossible!  “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

 

Genesis 15:1-6  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.  (2)  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?  (3)  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.  (4)  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.  (5)  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  (6)  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.  (Not just for the promise of the Seed but also for the promise of his personal Salvation.)

 

Romans 4:17-22  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.  (18)  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.  (22)  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.  (Would you walk with God in faith if He promised you the impossible?)

 

4.  Abraham walked with God in Faith when he offered up Isaac as God commanded.  He knew that death was normally final but he also knew that God would resurrect Isaac from the dead because he was the promised seed and was childless!  We also must have faith in the resurrection of the Promised Seed.

 

Genesis 22:1-3  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  (2)  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  (3)  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

 

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.  (Would you walk with God in faith if He asked you to give Him the most important thing in your life?)

 

Conclusion:  Galatians 3:6-9  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  (7)  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.  (8)  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.  (9)  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Abraham Rejoiced to See My Day

Temple Baptist Church - 5-3-2023

John 8:56-59

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Over the last few weeks spent in the context of John, chapter 8, we have seen Abraham referred to several times.  Abraham is named 250 times in the Bible with 11 of those mentions in John, chapter 8.

 

B.  I want to move on from the lack of saving faith of these Jews who referenced Abraham and look at the importance of this great patriarch of the Old Testament.

 

C.  Who was this man important enough for God to name “Abraham’s Bosom” after him?  Bosom:

 

1.  Bosom – a bay.  A place of refuge from the storm; a place of calm and peace; a place of abiding.

 

2.  Bosom – a woman’s bosom; a place of comfort and safety for a child.

 

3.  Bosom – a bosom buddy or friend; closeness and love.

 

D.  Abraham’s Bosom – a place where the Old Testament saints found safety and comfort while awaiting the glorious resurrection of Christ Jesus.

 

E.  John 8:56  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

 

1.  Now Jesus told these unsaved Jews that Abraham was indeed their “father” as far as the flesh was concerned, but not their spiritual “father”. 

 

2.  “Abraham rejoiced to see my day”.  Hebrews speaks of the faith of the Old Testament Jews in chapter 11 as they looked forward in prophecy to the coming of the Seed of the Woman, the Lamb of God, and Israel’s Messiah.  As we look back to Christ and Calvary by faith, we are to rejoice also.

 

a)  Looking Forward – Hebrews 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

 

b)  Looking Back – Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

 

1 Peter 1:8-10  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:  (9)  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.  (10)  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

 

3.  Abraham “saw it, and was glad”.  “Oh happy day that fixed my choice!”  “Oh say but I’m glad, I’m glad!”

 

F.  What made Abraham so special, so necessary, so important?

 

1.  Abraham’s Person.

 

a.  Abraham: A Follower of God – Hebrews 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

 

b.  Abraham: A Father of Israel – Hebrews 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

 

c.  Abraham” A Friend of God – James 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

 

2.  Abraham’s Promise.

 

a.  The Promise of the Nation – Genesis 12:1-3  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  (2)  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 

 

b.  The Promise of the Saviour – Genesis 22:17-18  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;  (18)  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

 

c.  The Promise of the Seed – Genesis 15:5-6  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  (6)  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

 

3.  Abraham’s Position.  He is called the “Father” of our faith.  Romans 4:12  And the father of   circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

 

a.  Abraham believed in a Truth that could be Trusted – Romans 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

 

b.  Abraham had a Faith that could be Tested – Genesis 22:2-3  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  (3)  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

 

4.  Abraham’s Prophecy.

 

a.  A Lamb Prophesied– Genesis 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

 

b.  A Lamb Provided:

 

1)  In Abraham’s Day – Genesis 22:11-14  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  (12)  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.  (13)  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.  (14)  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

 

2)  In John’s Day – John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 

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.

The Gospel Preached Unto Abraham

Temple Baptist Church - 3-4-2020

Hebrews 11:13-19; Genesis 22:1-19

Introduction:

A.  Hebrews 11:13 - “These all died in faith!”

1.  An Evidential Faith.  Hebrews 11:1-3  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  (2)  For by it the elders obtained a good report.  (3)  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

2.  An Enduring Faith.  Hebrews 11:13a  These all died in faith

3.  An Embracing Faith.  Hebrews 11:13b  Not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

B.  In these verses, we find the amazing faith of Abraham mentioned.  This was no small act of faith that Abraham exercised in Genesis when God gave to him the promise of the “Seed.”  When we get to Genesis 22, we find the depth of his faith in the testing of the sacrifice of Isaac.

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.

Galatians 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

C.  God promised Abraham a son named Isaac through which the godly line would continue until the “Seed” should come which was Christ.  The Old Testament saint knew that the “Lamb of God” would one day come to take away (not simply atone) for the sins of the world.  Isaac had no children; therefore, he must continue to live in order to bring about the accomplishment of the “seed of the woman.”

D.  This meant that if Abraham sacrificed his son, then God would have to bring him back to life again.  What faith!

Turn to Genesis 22 with me.

1.  Pre-determination Plan – vs. 2 “offer him” - Acts 2:23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

1 Peter 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

2.  Pre-determined Person – vs. 2 “thine only son” - John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Matthew 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

3.  Pre-determined Place - Genesis 22:2-4  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  3  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.  4  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

Luke 23:33  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

4.  Pre-determined Price – vs. 2 “burnt offering” - Leviticus 17:11  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Hebrews 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

5.  Pre-determined Process – vs. 3 “clave the wood” - Galatians 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Philippians 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

6.  Pre-determined Pact – vs. 6 “both of them together” - John 8:29  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Isaiah 53:10-11  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

7.  Pre-determined Path – vs. 6 “the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son” - John 19:17  And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

Colossians 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

8.  Pre-determined Provision – vs. 8 “God will provide himself”- 1 Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Matthew 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

9.  Pre-determined Propitiation – vs. 13 “Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son” - 1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Hebrews 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

10.  Pre-determined Promise – vs. 19 “So Abraham returned unto his young men” -  1 Thessalonians 4:16-18   For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Abraham Walked With God In Faith

Temple Baptist Church - 1-29-2020

Hebrews 11:8-10

Introduction: 

A.  As we continue through God’s “Hall of Faith,” we find a man named Abraham.

1.  Abraham is called the “Father” of our faith.

2.  Abraham is called “the friend of God.”

3.  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are called the “Fathers” of the Jewish nation.

4.  Abraham was the first Hebrew while Jacob was the first Jew.

B.  As we studied in Genesis, Abraham-Isaac-Jacob were flawed men.

1.  Abraham failed God to lead him.  He went down to Egypt in a time of famine.  He also went to Gerar.

2.  Abraham failed God to feed him.  In famine, he left the place that God sent him to because he felt that God had blessed Egypt.

3.  Abraham failed God to protect him.  Twice, he and Sarah lied about their relationship, placing Sarah in jeopardy to protect Abraham.

4.  Abraham hearkened to the voice of his wife.  He took Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian handmaid to wife.  This brought about the birth of Ishmael, whose descendants continue to be as thorn in the flesh to everyone living about them.

C.  The “Hall of Faith” is not about perfect men, it is about men of Faith!

1.  God can use flawed men who are men of faith!

James 5:17-18  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  (18)  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

2.  There is an old saying: “God can take a crooked stick and draw a straight line!”

3.  God is no respecter of persons.  But He is a respecter of men of faith.

4.  God is pleased with man’s faith.

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

5.  God honors faith.  God uses flawed men because He honors their Faith!

D.  The Faith of Abraham:

1.  Abraham had Saving Faith – Romans 4:1-3  What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?  (2)  For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.  (3)  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  (He had nothing to glory in except God!)

a.  Abraham’s Faith was a Personal Faith.  “Abraham our father … hath found”

b.  Abraham’s Faith was a Glorifying Faith.  “he hath whereof to glory; but not before God”

c.  Abraham’s Faith was a Biblical Faith.  “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him”

d.  Abraham’s Faith was a Saving Faith.  “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God … counted unto him for righteousness”

2.  Abraham had Following Faith – Hebrews 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.  (Abraham did not know where he was going but he knew that God did!)

a.  The age of Abraham’s call.  Abraham is now 75 years and almost half of his life is gone.

b.  The place of Abraham’s call.  In the Ur of the Chaldees, a heathen land of idolatry.

c.  The answer of Abraham’s call.  His obedience was immediate, not delayed.

d.  The unquestioning obedience to Abraham’s call.  At his age to leave his people and the land of his birth to go to a land that he had never seen.

3.  Abraham had Enduring Faith – Hebrews 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:  (Abraham never returned to the place of his family.)

a.  Abraham sojourned in the land of promise.  “sojourned in the land of promise”  He remained faithful to his call.

b.  Abraham sojourned in a strange country.  “a strange country”  He remained where God placed him.  A place where he remained an outsider.

c.  Abraham raised his children there.  “dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob”  He did not go home to raise his children and grandchildren.

d.  Abraham gave his children his heritage.  “the heirs with him of the same promise”  Neither did his children returned to the land of the father’s nativity.

4.  Abraham had Financial Faith – Genesis 14:18-20  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.  (19)  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:  (20)  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.  (Abraham gave to God what belonged to Him because he knew where it all came from.)

a.  Abraham gave at the right place.  “the priest of the most high God”  In our economy, the local church.  Malachi 3:10.  Will a man rob God?  So many do.

b.  Abraham gave the right amount.  “tithes”  The tithe is the Lord’s!

c.  Abraham gave to the right Person.  “the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth”  All that we have belongs to God!

5.  Abraham had Strong Faith – Romans 4:19-21  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.  (Abraham believed God when all human hope was gone.)

a.  Abraham believed God!  “the promise of God”  If God says it, you can put it in the bank.

b.  Abraham believed the Impossible!  “an hundred years old … the deadness of Sara’s womb”  He was strong in faith.

c.  Abraham believed Unwaveringly.  “being fully persuaded”  He never doubted what God had promised.

6.  Abraham had Sacrificial Faith – Genesis 22:1-3  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  (2)  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  (3)  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Abraham believed God for the incomprehensible.)

a.  What God gave, God required.  “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest”  The most precious thing that God had given to Abraham, God required.

b.  Abraham was willing to give what God required.  “And Abraham rose up early in the morning … And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.”  I find no hesitancy in Abraham’s obedience.  What faith this required?

c.  Abraham knew that God would have to resurrect his son, Isaac, the child of promise.  “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” (Hebrews 11:19) 

7.  Abraham had Eternal Faith – Hebrews 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  (Abraham knew that God’s promise was sure and Abraham’s eternity was secured.)

Conclusion:  Galatians 3:6-9  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  (7)  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.  (8)  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.  (9)  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.