The Faith of Abraham
Abraham is well known in scripture as the father of faith. Abraham was also the human beginning of the Jewish race. For both of these reasons, Paul uses Abraham as the first and truest example of faith.
Paul says of Abraham ‘He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were’ (Romans 4:17).
Abraham is said to believe in a God who does two things. Reversing the order:(1) a God who calls things that are not as if they were
Abraham believed God’s word that though he and his wife were extremely elderly, they would still have a child who would play a role in bringing blessing to the world. This was God’s first promise to them. God would fulfil His promise by calling things that are not as if they were, by creating the ability to reproduce when it had completely stopped.
(2) a God who gives life to the dead
Abraham and Sarah of course did have a child – Isaac. But there came a day when God severely tested Abraham’s love by asking him to sacrifice his son. Abraham obeyed and, at the last possible moment, God stopped him from sacrificing Isaac. Abraham still believed God’s promise to bring blessing to the nations through his family, which meant, through Isaac. He believed that if his son was killed, God would raise him from the dead. Abraham believed in a God who gives life to the dead.
Christians have the faith of Abraham. We believe in a God who calls things that are not as if they were. When God formed a body for His Son in Mary’s womb, this is exactly what God did.
We also believe in a God who gives life to the dead. When God raised Jesus from the dead this is exactly what God did.
So having the faith of Abraham is demonstrated by believing in Jesus’ virgin birth and resurrection from the dead.
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