Faith Counted as Righteousness

At the age of 75, pagan and fatherless, Abram was told he would be made a great nation. Only a man, and not a follower of God, Abram did what any man would do and left Haran for Canaan (Genesis 12). Or did he? Would you leave your home, your people, and go to an unknown place with the promise that you would "make a great nation"?

Take note that this means leaving everything familiar, for the past seventy years. And not only that, but how would you ever make a great nation when you are 75 years old and fatherless? And why would you follow, the LORD, a God you had never served or worshipped because you and your people believed in other gods? Would you not at least want to do a little research or consult a few wise individuals before you uprooted everything familiar for a promise so far off and distant?

Abram did as instructed by God. With blind faith he left home, religion and his people for the Lord, not letting age or impossibilities hinder his decision. That is a man of faith. One that Romans says his "faith was counted as righteousness," just as ours can be (Romans 4:22). However, like any man, he was human and not perfect. Both he and Sarah laughed when the LORD told them they would have a child, Abraham at the age of 99. We see other times in the Word that Abraham lacked faith, and yet he is the biblical example of faith.

What does that say for us. We feel weak, we doubt, we struggle as Paul did and find ourselves doing the exact things we do not want to do. We are human, just like Abraham. We have made mistakes and we will make plenty more. Oh, but God is so much greater than our limitations. In Romans 4:24, we are told that our faith can also be counted as righteousness if we "believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord."

"He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust 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." Romans 4:20-23

Did the same Abraham in the verse above have moments of weakness? Yes, emphatically. He is the same man that Genesis 17:17 says fell on his face and laughed when God told him Sarah would bear him a son. The same man who slept with Sarah's maid servant to have a son since he could not humanly see how he could patiently wait for God to provide his means of making a great nation. How many times have you tried to do God's job or made life more difficult for yourself because you could not wait for God's answer or timing?

And, again, this man is considered most Christian's spiritual example of faith. God apparently wanted us to know that, however human we are, we also can have "faith counted as righteousness". Abraham, in his finite understanding, could not understand how God could do these thing with all his human limitations. Like you and I, he had moments of doubt, unsettledness and questioning; but, he kept his faith.

God knows what we are thinking. So why hide it? Talk it out with Him. Share your battles with your Father, but always go back to His promises. If you go back to the ways He has been faithful, you may have moments of weakness but you cannot stay there. There are times you want to scream or cry, and believe me I do let those tears flow. Yet you will find yourself so much more intimate with the Savior than you knew possible. And that ever constant truth that He is faithful, just won't seem to let you cry for long. Why shed tears when you know you will be saved?