Faith Counted as Righteousness

In Genesis 15, Abram spoke with God concerning his covenant to bless him. Abram’s question to God was; how would this happen since you have not blessed me with a child? God then instructed Abram to look into the sky and see if it was possible for him to count the stars. God knew that there were too many stars for Abram to number. So the promise revealed that Abram’s offspring would be as many as the stars. Abram’s response was simple; he believed (Genesis 15:1-6).

Abram did not argue with God and he did not ask God for specifics or additional details. Abram simply believed with childlike faith, that what God had said was true. This was based on the relationship which Abram cultivated with God. One where he knew the voice of God and had confidence that what he said would come to pass.

Sometimes I ask God for more details and I sometimes ask him to show me when and where. God does not always answer and he does not always provide the reassurance that I need. There are days when the only response that I get is to wait or to be still. Those are the times when God is asking me to trust him even without the detail. I have to trust his character even when I can’t see the full picture.

When we are babes in Christ, God will provide the constant reassurance that we need. As we mature in him, he expects us to demonstrate the maturity which requires us to trust without knowing all of the details. In Hebrews 5, Paul warned against apostasy, which is losing our faith. Paul considered some saints “dull of hearing,” who should be mature enough to teach the word. Instead they were still dependent on others to teach them basic biblical principles. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

Let us remain in faith and ask God to increase our faith. Paul said that faith grows from hearing the word of God. Your faith will not grow without the word of God, a relationship and fellowship with God and other believers. When we assemble together, one person encourages and sharpens the other person’s faith. It is sometimes helpful to write down the things that you believe that God has promised to you. We also have to wait with patient endurance and trust God, even when things are delayed. Like a muscle, we also have to exercise our faith in order for it to grow and increase. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬).

A.P.-Y.