Know the facts about God, Abraham, and times past if you want to establish yourself in the faith. Do not base your spiritual beliefs on assumptions and what someone else told you. Know the facts and be fully confident in what you hear and believe. Look for God’s existence with a spiritual eye and see his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, which have existed since the creation of the world, in the things that were made (Rom. 1:20). By faith, we see the essence of God, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Celebrate the truth by asking the right questions. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh (Rom. 4:1)? Abraham gained nothing according to the flesh. He became righteous through faith and obedience. When God said: “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you” (Gen. 12:1), Abraham obeyed and eventually gained a nation.
By faith, Abraham received God’s mercy and grace to the point that he was declared righteous. With His omnipotent power, God gifted him with the courage to embark on a journey that affected the entire world for all time. Abraham’s willingness to leave his home set an example of obedience and faith worthy of emulation. Like Abraham, we are made righteous by faith and we have an opportunity to trust that faith as we make decisions to walk worthy of the calling God put on our lives. Look to Abraham, whom God separated from the people, and ask for an increase in faith.
Look to Abraham’s example of faith and strive to become comfortable with yourself and the Spirit of God. Be willing to embark on a similar journey and trust God, as Abraham did. We could say that Abraham trusted God with all his heart and did not lean to his understanding.
Abraham loved God even though he chose to lean to his understanding and allow trouble to enter his life. Even then, everything worked together for the good of those who loved the Lord. Lying brings trouble. Abraham misled King Abimelech of Gerar about Sarah being his sister instead of his wife because he assumed the fear of God was not in that place and he was afraid for their life. This deception could have destroyed the king and his people if not for God’s intervention in a dream. Because of God, the people were saved and Abraham left that place with an abundance of resources. This lets us know when we do wrong, wrongdoing affects others but is not always to death. It is often far-reaching but because God is sovereign, He intervenes when He chooses to do so. He did not choose to intervene when Sarah and Abraham brought another woman into their relationship, a decision that reached across time and continues to negatively influence our lives today.
Minister Nettie Pennington, Associate Minister, Springfield MB Church
