We Don't Have Faith

And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. [Romans 4.22-25]

As much as I wanted to continue a thought from yesterday's writing, I elected to comment on this passage instead as it most likely serves a higher purpose.

Abraham believed God.

Look at verse 17:

That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. [Romans 4.17]

Abraham's faith in God was specific. He believed in God who brings the dead back to life and creates new things out of nothing.

Now, stay with me...

Abraham's faith was NOT abstract as many would like to believe. "Oh I have faith - I believe!" WHAT do you believe? Just hanging the word "Believe" on the wall is meaningless! A person has to believe IN something! Abraham believed God was a Raiser From The Dead! Abraham believed God needed NOTHING to create any and everything.

Compare what is said above to our faith today... We say absolutely stupid stuff like, "I believe God is my Healer, but He uses medicine." If Abraham's faith was consistent with that, he would NEVER have bound Isaac to the altar to sacrifice him, but instead set out searching for an animal to sacrifice! Dear reader, we MUST get it right on the subject of faith!

Faith is not what we call it, or deem it to be. Faith is what Abraham and Jesus demonstrated. Faith categorically refuses alternatives (Abraham) and can move mountains (Jesus). If we base our understanding of faith on our own experience, we have missed it altogether. God spoke all the universe into existence with a word and we are to operate in strict obedience to His pattern. That is faith. That is believing. That is the significance of Abraham coming down to the point of killing his son - because he knew death was nothing for God to overcome!

And then, when Jesus told us we could literally move mountains if we believe, we get all abstract because any other response just makes us too uncomfortable! If we really compare what we call faith today to Abraham or Jesus, we will have to admit WE DON'T HAVE FAITH!

Okay, maybe I should've just continued my thoughts from yesterday's writing after all... It seems all I do is cry "foul" every time I compare modern Christianity to the Word of God.

Father, may our eyes and ears be opened to see and hear the truth of Your Word. May we cease from judging the Word by our life experience and instead judge our life experience by Your Word!