Young People's Group

Following Abraham’s Example of Faith

by Pastor Mitch
August 21, 2015

Those Who Are Of The Same Faith As Abraham

Do you know that you have three “fathers” if you are a born again Christian? Firstly, you have your own human father. Secondly, you have God as your spiritual Father. Thirdly, you have Abraham as your father in terms of being the example of what it means to have true faith.

“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace … but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”

Romans 4:16

Paul wrote in Romans 4 to explain how justification does not come about through works but out of an objective faith as Abraham had. He had a faith that was according to the grace of God. It was through faith that God’s grace was extended to Abraham and it was accounted to him for righteousness. This grace is also available to us if we also have the same steps of faith as Abraham had (Romans 4:12). We too would be accounted for righteousness as he was. That is the reason why he is considered the father of us all. Out of this faith we can live and serve. How can we follow Abraham’s example of faith?

1. Basic Faith In God And His Promises

“(As it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him who he believed – God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did”

Romans 4:17

Abraham’s faith was based on the reality of a living God and the veracity of His promises. The Lord God said to Abraham that He would bless him and how, in him, all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). In the text of Genesis 17:5, the Lord said that he had already made Abraham a father of many nations. This promise, in God’s perspective, was as good as done. Abraham believed that God would keep it. He also believed in a living God and His attributes. He was conscious of His omnipresence. Everywhere he went, he would erect an altar to his living God (Genesis 13:18). Abraham’s faith was also in a God who is omnipotent. The Lord God is all-powerful and He is the one who makes alive the things that are dead and calls things that do not exist as though they already did. During the time of Genesis 17, there was no nation. Neither was there a son that belonged to Abraham and Sarah. And yet, he still believed that God could do the impossible even though he was 99 years old (Genesis 17:1). Such was the faith of Abraham.

2. Struggling Yet Growing Faith

“Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.'”

Romans 4:18

Abraham’s faith also consisted of the idea of hope. Hope is seeing things in the future with expectation and trust that they are as good as done. Initially, Abraham struggled in hope because as he grew older, the Lord still did not give him the child of promise. He struggled as he took things into his own hands when he allowed himself to listen to Sarah to have a child with Hagar (Genesis 16). He struggled even as situations in life were contrary to him having a child. But Abraham did not give up. It was upon this hope in the promise of God that he continued to exercise faith. There was this growing and continuing faith in the spoken word of God (Genesis 15:6). Abraham’s faith persevered despite his struggles and he held fast to God’s spoken word. Because he continued in faith, He did become the father of many nations. God’s promise was indeed fulfilled. Young people, let’s also seek to have the faith of our father Abraham. There will be struggles in life and ministry. Let’s overcome them by steadfastly hoping and believing in God and His promises. Let’s with faith see them being fulfilled in our life.

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