Faith To The Death!

Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. [Romans 9.7-8]

Faith is not something that is inherited. It has nothing to do with bloodline in that regard. If it did, then, as Paul states here, all of Abraham's children would be children of Promise.

Faith is obedience. Abraham's obedience of faith set the standard for faith - for undivided faith.

Another phrase I will use here that Abraham demonstrated to God on that mountain when he was about to kill and offer his son as a sacrifice, is "faith to the death." I think we should use this term instead of "undivided faith" because it more graphically describes the kind of faith (obedience) Abraham had.

In my mind, the only thing worse than dying oneself would be to witness (not to mention participate in) the death of one's own child. But it was here, in this unimaginable setting, that Abraham demonstrated faith to the death. Abraham had gone so far as to prepare the altar of sacrifice, bind Isaac and put him on it, and had knife-in-hand raised to strike the death blow. All the while, Abraham had previously told the other servants he and the boy would return after the sacrifice.

Faith to the death. Undivided faith. Do any of us really understand that kind of faith?

Jesus said, "Have faith in God..."

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. [Mark 11.22-24]

We know there were doctors in Jesus' time (Luke was a doctor), but Jesus never told a person, "Trust God and go to the doctor," did He? Let's get real. Jesus didn't say in the passage above, "Have faith in God and go get a shovel," did He? Where do we get off diluting faith with man's solution (our own or others') to a problem we are clearly within the realm of New Testament (Jesus') teaching to simply believe and speak for?

What if Abraham had said, "Yes, I will go God - and You know I certainly trust You - but I will bring a lamb from the flock just in case it is Your will for me to trust You but also have an option..." Ludicrous, you say? But is that not what we do when we pray for healing and then go see a doctor?

Until the world witnesses "faith to the death" commitment in followers of Christ, there is little likelihood of affecting them with the "Good News." In a world full of options and conveniences, what is worth dying for? The martyr Stephen's faithfulness to the Way was worth dying for. Stephen did not recant, did not cry, did not flinch - he preached the truth, looked to God and was brutally murdered. He did not say, "Hey, let's be reasonable - I am sure something can be worked out." He held to the message of Christ alone to the death. And, from that experience, one Saul of Tarsus was so deeply moved that he eventually was transformed into the beloved Apostle Paul who penned a large portion of the New Testament including all of today's OYCB reading.

God has never been an advocate of "God and <something else>." "God, guns and guts" did NOT procure the freedom enjoyed in the USA. It was God working in response to the prayers and faith of men of God like George Washington and others. To include anything with God is to cheapen and dilute God's role in it.

Abraham is known as the father of faith. He was undivided. He carried a faith to the death commitment.

Jesus brought salvation to the world. He was undivided. He carried a faith to the death commitment.

See the problem now with our "God and medicine" approach to health? As convinced as we might be that God uses medicine, unbelievers will be convinced that ONLY medicine did all the work. 

And, even if we die trusting God to heal us, our testimony of faith to the death, like Abraham, like Stephen, but most importantly like Jesus, is the most powerful tool we possess. But it must be markedly undivided - adamantly singular in its focus on God and God alone.

I challenge any person who ever reads these words to ask yourself, "Am I afraid to die for my faith?" because this is what is all boils down to. I encourage you to review what you believe - what you really believe - and, what you may not believe... I encourage you to trust in Christ and Christ alone, as He is the only Way to God. Have a testimony of faith, but understand that the most powerful testimony of faith is a testimony of faith to the death. I know this is contrary to every worldly idea of self and self-preservation, but it is the Way of Jesus - the Way of the Cross - the Way of true freedom from fear of sin and death...

Father, as foolish as I may be seen, I want my life to say "faith to the death!" to the world so that any and all who witness my life will glorify Jesus because of me. So be it.