Children Of Faith

And Abram believed the LORD, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. [Genesis 15.6]

Abraham (Abram): the Father of Faith...

So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. [Romans 4.16]

To be called "father," one must necessarily have children. Those children are identified by the inherent characteristics they share with their father: in this case, faith. They are children of faith.

Question: Is there enough evidence of faith in our lives to identify us as children of Abraham - children of faith? 

For the record, Paul described what that Abraham's faith actually looked like:

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]

So, to qualify as a "child of faith," one's faith must believe in the dead being raised and new things being created from nothing! This starts with believing that Jesus was raised from the dead and that God creates new life in us from the nothingness of our existence - but it does not stop there. As Jesus lived and worked above the natural limitations of life-as-we-know-it, so we are commissioned (commanded) to live likewise.

Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.11-12]

Regardless what nonsense the world and its religion have devised and propagandized to the contrary, true believers are to look and act like Jesus Who clearly defined Himself with these words and proved it with His actions:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” [Luke 4.18-19]

While I can empathize with those who feel slapped in the face by what is said here, I cannot sympathize with them by remaining in faithlessness. 

Faith is NOT abstract, but, to the contrary is very well-defined and identifiable. Of Abraham it was said he believed in raising the dead and creating something from nothing. How can we presume to be "children of Abraham" if we do not believe the same? WE CANNOT!

Let's just stop kidding ourselves (in reality, deceiving ourselves in accordance with the father of lies, Satan) and get real about what faith is. It will require a lot of repentance to get beyond the world's abstract view of faith and a lot of commitment to begin to actually walk in Jesus-like (Abraham-like (God-like)) faith. Hebrews 11 gives us all the encouragement we could ever need - even if our faith ends in death. The point is not whether we live or die however (as the world would have us believe), but whether we live by the powerful obedience of faith or in the powerless disobedience of fear.

If our faith does not reveal a belief in raising the dead and making something out of nothing, then it is not the faith of Abraham and consequently not the faith of Jesus. If we find ourselves in this situation, it is time for a change - a change that will make us look and act like Jesus!

Father, may we take Your Word seriously! Forgive us for our abstract view of faith that the world and its Satan-inspired powerless religion have promoted. May we be never be content until our lives are truly Christ-like! So be it.