Can you remember how the New Testament described ‘Abraham’ in Romans chapter 4? I guess you must have come across this description one way or the other while learning on faith. Now let’s read this description in the Bible (Romans 4). Follow carefully:
Vs 18: who against hope believed in hope…
Vs 19: and being NOT weak in faith…he considered NOT his own body now DEAD when he was about an hundred years old, NEITHER yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb….
Vs 20: he STAGGERED NOT at the promise of God through UNBELIEF,….but was STRONG in Faith…giving glory to God;
Vs 21: and being FULLY PERSUADED that, what he (God) had promised, He was able also to perform.
Hmm…. What came to your mind as you read those verses? Let me guess… You must have thought…Abraham really had an UNWAVERING Faith in God! Hmm… Now you are about to learn something extraordinary about Grace. Those verses above simply portrayed Abraham to be a man who never DOUBTED God!
‘…being NOT WEAK in faith…he CONSIDERED NOT his own body dead being an hundred years old….nor the DEADNESS of Sarah’s womb…..he STAGGERED NOT at God’s promises…..he was STRONG in faith…he was FULLY PERSUADED at God’s word…’
Hmm… These verses really show Abraham to be a man who had UNSHAKABLE faith in God! Wow! But… Let us visit the Old Testament in Genesis 17 to confirm how ‘true’ the record of Abraham in Romans 4 is! Now follow carefully as we read Abraham’s reactions to the wonderful promise of fruitfulness God just gave to him. Hmm…
‘Then Abraham fell upon his face and LAUGHED and said in his heart, shall a child be born unto him that is an HUNDRED YEARS OLD? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?’ (Genesis 17:17)
Wow! Are you seeing this? This is the same man that was recorded in Romans 4 (the New Testament) never to have STAGGERED at God’s promises! He is the one referred to as a man who never considered his own body dead neither that of Sarah! But… that’s not what I’m seeing in the actual story recorded in Genesis 17!!! In fact, let us read the next verse!
‘and Abraham said unto God, O that ISHMAEL might live before thee’! (Genesis 17:18)
Are you seeing this? This is the same Abraham that was reported never to have STAGGERED at God’s promise to give him Isaac! He was actually telling God to recommend Ishmael….and was reported in Rom 4:17 to be a man who against hope believe in hope!!! Hmm…
By now, I’m sure you will be wondering… What’s going on? Why this contrast? The answer is very simple!GRACE DOES NOT RECORD THE FAULTS OF A BELIEVER!!!
Hmm…. Now listen carefully: you don’t need to have a ‘perfect’ faith before God can qualify you for a miracle!
What Abraham had was a DOUBTFUL FAITH!!! He actually BELIEVED God in Genesis 15:6….and the Bible recorded that this ‘believing’ was counted unto him for righteousness! But in Genesis 17 we see clearly that the faith he had was an IMPERFECT FAITH!!! Hmm…
Listen: stop trying to ‘gather’ faith in order to show God that you believe in His word!!! Simply BELIEVE! And even though you still have doubts… GRACE will forgive the doubt… and answers your little FAITH!!!That is what GRACE does! Hmm….
Many are told that the reason God did not intervene in their situation was that they did not have ‘enough’ faith to move God! No!!!
Now listen carefully: …as long as you are focused on that your ‘LITTLE’ faith…though you still have doubts…GRACE will FORGIVE the doubts…and ANSWER your little faith!
Never you allow the devil deceive you that you have an ‘imperfect’ faith to get your miracles!!! NO! You don’t!
See, a man needed a miracle for his lunatic son and Jesus said to him….
‘all things are possible to him that believeth’! (Mark 9:23)
Hmm… Now see the man’s response in the next verse….
‘LORD, I believe, help thou mine UNBELIEF’!!! (Mark 9:24).
Wow! He believes… but also had unbelief!!! What an IMPERFECT faith! But what a JOY to see my ever-loving Saviour deliver that son from the lunatic spirit…without condemning his unbelief!!! GRACE will always FORGIVE the doubt and ANSWER that little faith you have! Hmm… When you understand this, you will cheaply win all the challenges confronting you!
Don’t disqualify yourself! Don’t focus on your DOUBTS! Focus on the GOODNESS of God… to FORGIVE your DOUBTS… and ANSWER your faith! Hmm… That thing you have been expecting God to do BUT you feel you don’t have enough faith to carry on… always remember… GRACE will FORGIVE the doubts… and ANSWER the faith!
Jesus is MORE INTERESTED in seeing you succeed even than you are!!! So don’t get discouraged! Rejoice!!! …for GRACE will FORGIVE the doubts…and ANSWER the faith!!! That’s how LOVING your Heavenly Father is! He is not blessing you based on your works! He is blessing you because you bear His name! (Isaiah 48:11). That is what GRACE does! Therefore REJOICE!!! Hallelujah!
Never forget that no matter the challenge you are going through…
GRACE will FORGIVE the doubts…and ANSWER the faith!!!
Amen.
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