Words of Grace – April 10, 2014

Abraham was a man of faith. The question is asked in Romans 4:3, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God.”

Four times in the Bible we read that “Abraham believed God.” In addition to the book of Romans, the books of Genesis, Galatians, and James emphasize the same words.

There were those in the church of Rome who, according to Paul, had strong faith. There were others whose faith was said to be weak. Paul used Abraham as an example to encourage those who were weak in faith to become strong in faith.

“And being not weak in faith,” Abraham “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God” (Romans 4:19, 20).

Abraham’s faith was in the Word of God. He believed that what God promised to do, He would do. That’s what faith is: believing God’s Word. It is “being fully persuaded “that God is able to do what He promised to do. (v21)

A man prayed for faith, expecting that someday faith would come down and strike him like lightning. But faith did not seem to come until one day he read in the Bible: “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

He realized what he had done. He had closed his Bible as he prayed for faith. HE now opened his Bible and began to study it, and his faith has been growing ever since.