Fully Convinced

Rom. 4:20-21

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."

Abraham was not justified by works, but by his faith. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. This opportunity to believe God is there for all. It requires no works but a simple belief. So why is this hard for so many people? Why does man like to do works and be rewarded for those works? I think because he can take pride in what he has accomplished and then offer it to God apart from anything that God has done for him. God says believing is a gift so that no man may boast!

Abraham was circumcised as a seal of his righteousness. The circumcision was not the act that made him right with God. The same goes for us who are circumcised in heart. Our circumcision is a seal of our salvation based on the gift of grace and faith. Certainly, we have in obedience to God cut away the desires for the flesh and replaced them with the grace and faith God has given us. Nothing man does can count as a way to heaven. It is all of God lest any man should boast.

The promise was to Abraham and his offspring that he would be father of many nations. This did not come because of his works, but it came through the righteousness of faith. In hope Abraham believed that he would have an heir. Even as years flew by, his faith did not weaken  When his body was old and when Sarah was beyond child bearing years, he still believed. No distrust made him waver concerning the promises of God. What a lesson to me! Distrust sounds like a horrible thing. To distrust God is heinous! Yet often that is what we do when we can't wait for God to work. 

Not only did he trust God implicitly, he grew strong in his faith and gave glory to God. He wasn't waiting passively, sitting and enduring. He trusted God to work in His time, and in the meantime, he would continue to live his life as someone who loved God. Certainly this should be an example for us The phrase it was counted to him is there for us as well. If we believe in Him, who was raised from the dead, delivered up for our sin, and raised for our justification, then it will be counted to us as righteousness. Abraham fully believed in the promise of God and that God was able to fulfill the promise in His time. Do we fully believe in the promises of the word? While we wait for God to answer specifically, do we continue to grow and bring glory to God?  

Father,

Abraham's life makes me think about so many things. Increase my faith so that I will have no distrust of You. I know Your promises are precious and very great. I want my belief in them to control my life.  Thank You for covering me in the righteousness of Jesus. 

In His name,

Amen