Abraham’s Faith – Romans 4:1-5

 As we have said a few times recently, one of the great heros of the Jews was their forefather Abraham. The Lord Jesus referred to that fact, but said that if they really knew Abraham, they would recognize Christ. Abraham wouldn’t go about trying to kill his Messiah as they were; he would embrace Him immediately. Therefore it might be concluded that those Jews weren’t really the spiritual children of Abraham.

I hope that you were listening as we read Galatians 3:6-14 a few minutes ago. “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 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. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 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: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” In that scripture Paul essentially says: there is only one way to have fellowship with God as Abraham did. It is not through blood-lines, works, or other kinds of obedience, connections, money or influence. The blessing that Abraham received was by the grace of God, and it was enjoyed by him through faith. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if we are Israelites or non-Israelites, the salvation of God is enjoyed by people today in exactly the same way that they were enjoyed by Abraham – by faith. The great lesson is this: It is important that we understand Abraham’s faith, because if we want to enjoy the same blessings, we have to have the same kind of faith.

There once was a fictitious character named Abe Smith. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts – his father was professor of Sociology at Harvard University. As he was growing up, young Abe believed everything that his agnostic father taught him. He listened to all the distinguished guests who visited their home, and became as indoctrinated in their idolatrous ideas as his father was. He was proud of his father, and proud of his own intellect, education and accomplishments. He began to pick up a few vices and bad habits, but he didn’t consider them too destructive, because he pictured himself to be better and stronger than all his peers. Then one day an acquaintance invited him to a little Baptist church on the other side of the city. He laughed at the idea of a simple Bible-based religion and considered it nothing more than a crutch or band-aide to help weak-minded people through the problems of their lives. Nevertheless he was bored that day, so he joined his friend in attending. As the not-very-eloquent preacher spoke from the Word of God, something strange and wonderful took place in the heart of young Abe Smith. He came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and he could hear the voice of the Lord speaking – down in the depths of his heart. God told him that his father’s philosophy was wrong, that a personal God does exist, and that Abe Smith was a sinner bound for Hell. He felt an inexplicable compulsion to leave his father’s unbelief and to travel into the uncharted territory of a Bible-based life. So he fell on his face before the God of that little church, confessing that he was a wicked sinner, and, using what little faith he possessed, asked the Lord for more light – more of the revelation of God.

On that day, a journey began which took that young man all the way to the Promised Land. Did he become a child of God on that very first Sunday? It’s not for me to say. Confessing that one is a sinner is not necessarily the same thing as full repentance before God. Did he understand and believe that Jesus Christ died as his vicarious sacrifice – as Abe’s substitute? Or was that something that came later? He might have become a child of God on the day months later when he was baptized, although it wasn’t because of his baptism. I can tell you with certainty that either on or soon after that confrontation with the Word of the Lord, Abe Smith repented of his sin and began to believe the Bible, trusting God to deliver him from his sin.

I hope that you know enough of the life of Abraham, to see a parallel between my little story that man’s life. Adding the testimony of the New Testament to the Old, we have Abraham mentioned as much, if not more, than any other person in Scripture. He is an excellent example of many significant personality traits. Abraham uplifts us and helps us to set our eyes on the skies, awaiting our Saviour. He looked for a city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He shows to us what faith is; and displays Christian victory. We can even learn from him when he is defeated by his own sin. Abraham rubbed elbows with kings and with the magnificent Melchizedek. He was a soldier who defeated one of strongest armies in world of that day. Yet he was sincerely humble, generous, hospitable and unpretentious. Then as we move into the New Testament his name almost becomes synonymous with Heaven itself. We have more Biblical grounds for tying Abraham to Glory than we do of Peter.

When did Abram become Abraham the child of God?“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?” Oh, how I wish that I could read this passage at the dinner table of every home in Post Falls. What Abraham learned is the most important lesson ever grasped by any human heart. He learned that if salvation and forgiveness of sin comes through doing things … If it comes by helping the sick, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked… Then he could boast before men – but not before God. God will allow no one to glory in themselves, or in their deeds, before His holy presence. And one simple reason is that there is no one on earth qualified to glory in themselves before Jehovah. We have no cause for glory. Abraham simply believed God, and that faith was accredited to him as though it was righteousness. The faith of Abraham was counted – imputed – to him as perfect righteousness. That is the meaning of the word “justification” – imputed righteousness. Or to use a somewhat simpler term – he was saved through his faith in the Lord. The righteousness of Christ was given to Abram by the grace of Almighty God. On the other hand, work brings rewards, out of a sense of debt, and has nothing to do with grace. But salvation from sin is all of grace or nothing at all. Abraham learned that laying aside everything that was personally his, he could trust – believe – God. And that was imputed unto him as righteousness.

Now what Old Testament passage did Paul quote in order substantiate this radical doctrine? You might want to turn to the Book of Genesis for the rest of this message. Let’s start in Genesis 15:6. “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. 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. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” I’m going to stick my neck on something for which I have only a little Biblical support. But I’m doing it for the sake a message – which I know is thoroughly Biblical. I’m not sure that I believe what I’m saying, but I’m going to espouse it for the sake of a greater point. For the sake of argument, let’s say that it was in Genesis 15 that Abraham became a saint of God. That could be the interpretation of the Apostle Paul. And if it is, it opens the doors to some applications of Paul’s basic theme.

There has only and ever been one way to be delivered from the condemnation of sin. It has nothing to do with our efforts, deeds or earthly relationships. Giving up sin, joining church, praying, serving; none of these can save a poor, lost sinner. “For by GRACE are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” We might say that Abraham was saved by grace through the faith that he evidenced in Genesis 15:6.

But let’s go back and see some of the things in Abraham’s life before Genesis 15.We are first introduced to that man in Genesis 12:1 three chapters earlier. There he was called, and in a sense commissioned, by the one True and Living God. Now there are several kinds of calls of the Bible. Some are irresistible and so deep in the heart that we always say “yes.” Other things that we describe as the call of God are general and universal. “The times of our ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” That is one of the calls of God – it is extended to everyone, and it is ignored by 98% or 99% of us. The very existence of the Ten Commandments is a call of God. It can be easily proven that obedience to these calls of God is always best. But that obedience doesn’t take anyone to Heaven. If Abraham had determined to stay in his home town of Ur – his name would have been buried long ago. His obedience to God’s call opened the door to every other blessing that he received. But leaving his home in Ur wasn’t what made him a child of God. We can go farther, if the world in general heeded the many calls of God this could be a great place to live. Without question I believe that every person in America owes it to themselves and their neighbors to obey the calls and commands of the Bible. Flee idolatry, put an end to abortion, stop theft; love thy neighbor as thyself and so on. And if God told us to leave our homes and to travel hundreds of miles – we ought do it. But let me point out that despite the benefits of that obedience it would do nothing for our souls. Abraham may have left Chaldea as a lost man, perhaps as a reformed idolater, but still hell-bound. His obedience did not change the condition of his heart. There are churches today filled with people who think that leaving their Ur makes them Christians. By reading the Bible and listening to the call of God not to do some things makes them Christians. By reading the Bible and listening to the call of God to do other things, makes them saints. These may be good and commendable, but they do not make a sinner a saint. Only the miraculous grace of God can effect any real change in a sinful heart.

Now, in Genesis 12:2-3; 12:7; 13:14-17 the Lord gave to Abraham certain special promises. “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: 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: 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.” “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.”

I’m sure that Abraham delighted in these promises; he praised this God who was becoming more familiar. And indeed we can and should praise the Lord for His promises, all of them. Those promises are like big modern supermarkets with everything from soup to nuts. Are you looking for promises about protection – we have them aplenty in Bible. Are you plagued about disease or death – there are promises in here about those. Heaven is promised: Yes, In the father’s house are many mansions, Christ went to prepare them. Some promises are obviously given to special people and cannot apply to you and me. The promises that Abraham received were like that – to him only. But there are plenty of others that are far more general. How many grieving children have been blessed by the promises of Psalm 23? “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…” Verily, verily not a single soul on this earth ever escapes the eye and presence of the Lord. But despite its beauty and power, there is no saving grace in that promise. When the Lord said to Abraham, “this land is my land, this land is your land,” that promise may have been made to a man who was yet bound for hell.

But Abraham built places of worship for the Lord in Genesis 12:7-8 and 13:18. The Jews have a tradition that when Abraham was called to leave Ur, he didn’t know Who it was Who had issued the order. They say that on the day he left he said, “I’m going to worship the stars.” But when the sun came up the stars all seemed to vanish – what a temporary god. So he said, “I’ll worship the sun – He is the one who called me.” But at the end of the day the sun went down and was replaced by the moon. He said, “I’m not going to worship a god that is around only half a day. I’m going to worship the moon who is here during night and sometimes even day.” But even the moon disappeared. Finally he decided I’m going to build an altar to worship Whomever called me. What if the altars Abraham first built in Canaan were no different than the worship of sun, moon and stars in other places and by other people. Just because people gather in the name of Jehovah and call themselves His witnesses doesn’t make it so. Just because someone lights a candle in a church that is called “Christian” doesn’t make it Christian. Just because people warm a pew in a Baptist church doesn’t make them Christians. It could be argued that Abraham, despite his altars, didn’t really know the Lord. Not only did he build altars, he was also a witness to Jehovah among the Canaanites. These people were not worshipers of the Lord, and every altar Abraham built pointed a finger to Him. Abraham was doing a missionary work for the glory of Christ, but he may not have even known Christ. Just because that man calls himself a servant of God, doesn’t really make him one. There have been hundreds if not thousands of preachers of evangelical truth who later came to realize that although they witnessed of it they had never partaken of it. There is a warning there for all of us. Your service for Christ means nothing without the reality of His grace.

You know, the Lord even built a hedge around Abraham and protected him. When that ambassador for God chose to lie about his marital status, he got into serious trouble. There was no reason in the world why his wife wasn’t stolen and Abraham murdered. No reason at all except the grace and protection of the Lord. When Abraham led his band of 318 servants and a few of the neighbors against the king of Shinar. That powerful and victorious early Babylonian army should have turned him into hamburger. But it was Abraham who was victorious by the protection and grace of the Lord. The prayers of many a wicked soul have been answered in the hospital. The Lord has His reasons for apparently granting some requests and denying others. But that doesn’t make that now-healthy person any more Christian than the mobster Scarface.

Abraham even displayed some very worthy Christlike characteristics. There was his willingness to obey the Father’s commands – He left Ur and later Haran. When the flocks of Lot grew so large that there was competition for grass and water it was Abraham who told Lot to take whatever pasturage that he chose. He was a peaceable man, hating any unnecessary fight, especially among brethren. After the battle against the invading four kings, Abraham earned a huge quantity of spoil. But he cared for none of those things; he wasn’t greedy in the slightest. All of these things were very commendable, but they did nothing for his soul’s salvation. No, Abraham was saved from his sin by simple faith in Jehovah.

It must be pointed out that Abraham even made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m not referring to taking his son, Isaac, to the top of Moriah there to slaughter him as a gift to God. I’m talking about that nasty subject of tithing. Even before Moses made tithing a Israelite statute, Abraham was tithing to Melchizedek. But his thanking and honoring God for His financial blessings didn’t redeem him either.

Abraham was saved from sin by believing and trusting the Lord. That is precisely the way that men and woman are redeemed today. If you have not been saved in this way, then you are still a child of the Devil and headed to hell.

With Genesis 15 I see a change in the life of Abraham.“If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.” But actually Abraham had been living a reasonably moral life even before his justification. The change that I primarily see is in his relationship to the Lord.

When Jehovah spoke to Abraham earlier, it sounded like a sea captain speaking to common sailor. “Hoist those sails, and set a course nor’ nor’west.” Get up and get going to a land that I’ll reveal to you later. I’m going to make you into a great nation of people, I’m going to give to your descendants all of the land to which I am taking you.

But then in chapter 15 there is a different relationship. The Lord spoke to Abram as a kind of friend and called him by name for the first time. Along with the unconditional and somewhat cold promises of blessings to his children. Now there were promises of a personal relationship – “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.”

As we read chapter 15 there is a friendship between deity and the redeemed sinner. Abraham really prays, and the two commune as Adam and the Lord must have done in Eden. And it is there that Abraham displays his faith in the Lord, along with his obedience. Later, in chapter 17 the Lord even reveals His precious name to the man. And there in verse 3 there is real worship, more than just an altar and church attendance. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him.”

This is what the people of our planet need; this is what you and I need.Everything that I have said about Abraham’s worship, tithing, obedience and so on are commendable. But what you and I need, what our society must have – go beyond these things. We need personal promises, and personal citizenship in Heaven. We need the ability to pray as a beloved child talks with his wonderful Father. Our world needs an answer to its problems, but more than that it needs a God of grace to meet us when our problems don’t resolve or dissolve. We need the grace of Christ.

If you this morning are clinging to things similar to Abraham’s promises or duties, I point you to Christ, He is “the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by him.” Have you really come to the father through Christ? Abraham’s faith was uncomplicated. Abraham’s faith, and nothing else, was accounted unto him for righteousness. The same kind of faith in us will be accounted to us in the same way.