16 and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 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.
Genesis 22:16-18
Why is Abraham’s faith so important? Abraham’s faith is important because it marks the beginning in history of the prophetic process of salvation. Although in the epistle to the Hebrews we find the record that there was faith in other men of God who existed before Abraham,[1] their faith not unlike that of Abraham, necessarily, served to establish the Will of God on earth,[2] thus making a difference between them, the sons of God, and the offspring of Cain, a generation eventually known as the ‘sons of men’, from whom eventually arise the ‘daughters of men’.[3] Note in the story that when the faith of the sons of God —the generation of Seth— was upset by the generational union with the daughters of men,[4] God arranged to destroy by a flood the apostate generation that arose from them; only Noah and his sons were saved to leave testimony to future generations that faith is a bond of communion with God, exclusively.
The faith of Abraham is important because it establishes on earth the value of justification by faith,
this is the difference between the faith of Abraham and the faith of the men of God who preceded him; the apostle Paul addressing the community of faith in Rome, writes to them and emphasizes that Abraham was justified for having believed God;[5] Thus faith justifies those who act by it, because it magnifies the Truth of the Promise, and to whom it gives it; then, by way of conclusion, the apostle adds, that faith opens up the operation of the Grace of God, which gives life and calls things that are not as they were.[6]
We see, then, that it is not only a matter of believing, but above all, of establishing on earth the value of the Word of God, so that through it others may be enlightened and know the God who is invisible to them.[7]
How is faith in Abraham defined? What we know about Abraham’s faith so far is that faith came about in him by the action of believing that God would make him a ‘father of multitudes’,[8] even though both he and his wife Sarah were old, and even though Sarah was a barren woman.[9]
Thus, in its basic definition, faith is believing in God’s promise, above all, believing even when there are natural impediments that prevent the emergence and development of the promise that God has promised.[10]
However, there are other definitions of greater spiritual transcendence that it is convenient for us to know. Reviewing the situation of Abraham’s life from the moment he received the promise, we observe that faith in Abraham did not only consist in believing God, as a punctual action, it consisted above all in acting according to what had been said about him, that is, that he would be “father of multitudes”, without really being so yet;[11] The story describes that from the moment he ‘believed’ in the promise of the Lord, Abraham ‘integrated’ a series of amendments to his way of life to ‘accommodate’ God’s promise to his existence; Abraham walked from that moment on not guided by a vision, Abraham lived as if he were already ‘father of multitudes’, this new way of life became the reality of his ‘walk’ in perfection before the Lord.[12]
To that end, Abraham’s acts of splitting a calf, a goat, and a ram in half and walking among them as a sign of the covenant,[13] along with the act of circumcision of the entire male population of his house,[14] the alteration of his name,[15] and other related acts,[16] are evidence of the amendments to his way of being and living that Abraham introduced as part of having ‘believed’ God’s promise.
Thus, it is clear that faith is not a punctual act, and that although it is born from the action of ‘believing’ the Word of God, faith is a transformation of conduct and form of life; no conviction is faith in itself if changes are not implanted in the form of being, faith is then to act according to the Word of promise that has been received.
Faith is a transformation of conduct and form of life; no conviction is faith in itself if changes are not implanted in the form of being, faith is then to act according to the Word of promise that has been received.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? … 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 2:20-26
Now, faith, though born in man who believes God’s promise, is not an attribute of human nature; faith is a divine attribute which is implanted in man when he ‘believes’ the Word-Promise,[17] the Spirit of Truth imparts it as a ‘measure’ of action;[18] and here the apostle Paul’s writing to the community of faith in Rome makes sense, when he said that justification is by faith, so that it may be known that justification is by the Grace of God, in order that each one who works for it may strive in faith to attain the promise of the Word.[19]
Thus, faith is a spiritual virtue that is established as a source of transformation and leads the believer to live according to the Will of God, as it is written, that the righteous shall live by faith.[20]
Thus, faith is not just a tool to ‘enable’ God’s promise, faith does not have an instrumental function; faith is the spiritual resource to live according to God’s Will.[21] Abraham did not see in his time the fulfillment that he would be ‘father of multitudes’, he even had to dismiss the first of his sons, Ishmael, and was almost about to sacrifice Isaac, in whom he had been told that through him he would have the fulfillment of the covenant of promise; nevertheless he did not hesitate to do so, because faith in Abraham did not consist in living by what had been promised to him, it consisted in living by pleasing God, thus establishing the most sublime definition of faith: faith is surrender without reserve, and without demanding to receive anything in return; and precisely because of this his faith, many years later, God himself coined the expression: ‘God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob’,[22] Jesus took this fact from Abraham and established by the expression the teaching that he who learns to live by faith lives forever before his Lord.[23]
Faith is the spiritual resource to live according to God’s Will
What else could we add? Faith is an active creed, it is consciousness of life; faith is to live on earth under the principles of life in Heaven, it is to live with the consciousness that we are pilgrims and upstarts on earth,[24] it is to be clear that there is an Almighty God in the Heavens before whom we will arrive one day, but before whom we move all the days of our earthly existence. Faith is a covenant before God, it requires a commitment to live by establishing facts of life according to faith;[25] only he who develops a commitment to life according to faith is the only one who can develop as a believer, the expression of Jesus clearly shows it, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.[26]
Faith is tried,[27] the purpose of trials to faith is to make sure that he who claims to walk by it is found worthy to be justified by it; if you have faith, strive not to let darkness override it with religious philosophy.
All biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version.
Pastor Pedro Montoya
Twitter: @pastormontoya
[1] Hebrews 11:2-7: 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report… 4 By faith Abel… 5By faith Enoch…. 7 By faith Noah,….
[2] Genesis 4:26: And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.
[3] Genesis 6:2: that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
[4] Ezra 9:2: For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
[5] Romans 4:3: For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
[6] Romans 4:16-17: 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (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.
[7] Genesis 21:22: And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
Genesis 23:6: Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchers bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulcher, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
[8] Genesis 17:4-5: 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
[9] Genesis 11:30: But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Genesis 18:11: Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
[10] Romans 4:11-16: 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: 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…. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
[11] Genesis 15:5-6: 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.
[12] Genesis 17:1 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.
[13] Genesis 15:9-17
[14] Genesis 17:23
[15] Genesis 17:5
[16] Genesis 22:1-7
[17] James 1:18-21: 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures… 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
[18] Romans 12:3: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
[19] Romans 4:16-20: 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,…. 20 he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
[20] Habakkuk 2:4: Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him:
but the just shall live by his faith.
Romans 1:17: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
[21] Genesis 17:1: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.
[22] Exodus 3:6: Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
[23] Matthew 22:32: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
[24] Hebrews 11:13
[25] 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.
[26] Luke 9:62
[27] James 1:3: knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
1 Peter 1:7: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
