Discovering Christianity through Abraham’s Faith

Romans 4:1-7

Jim Davis

Christianity must be understood in the context of Scripture as a whole for Christianity is borne out of those Scriptures. Trying to understand Christianity by peering through religious dogma or church doctrines or a few choice Bible verses is confusing. It limits one’s ability to see the bigger picture. 

A study of the church often leads many to the book of Acts. Why not? Acts covers the first thirty-five years of the history immediately following the death of Christ. But we must look beyond the book of Acts to understand the actions of the apostles. Studies of church history from our present time back through the book of Acts give us a limited view of Christianity. Throughout the book of Acts the apostles preached faith. Faith existed long before believers were called Christians. They preached the faith that existed long before Christians began assembling in fellowships. 

The book of Acts is about faith in God. The faith the apostles preached brought Christianity into focus through the history of God’s people from the beginning of time.  This faith cannot be understood without knowledge of the entirety of Scriptures from which faith was borne. 

Acts 6:7
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. NIV

Acts 11:22-24
22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. NIV

Acts 14:21-22
21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. NIV

Acts 14:26-28
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples. NIV

Acts 15:8-9
 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. NIV

Salvation cannot be truly understood without knowledge of God’s work in the lives of the faithful from a historical perspective. The apostles preached the faith that existed long before the book of Acts was written—long before the church as we know her existed. It was the faith that existed long before the first word of Scripture was written.  It was that faith that opened the door for the Gentile. Their hearts were purified by that faith. It is that faith that was delivered to the saints of old. It is that faith that saves today. It is the faith that brings you to Christ who is the very center of Christianity. It is that same faith that brought those first Christians into the body of Christ.

Faith Existed Long Before Scripture

The root of Christian faith preached by the apostles runs backward through the gospels—through the writings of Moses and the prophets—it penetrates the lives of those who lived prior to Moses and the prophets. Those who lived before Scripture was written give us an untouchable view of salvation by grace through faith. They give us a close look at faith without a written moral law. It was faith in the raw without a prescribed systematic religion. It is where we get a pristine foretaste of salvation by grace through faith. 

The Hebrew writer traces faith back to Abel (Hebrews 11). Paul traces the faith he preached to Abraham who lived before Scripture. Abraham’s life is a part of scripture. But he lived long before Scripture was written. Paul points those who possessed the Scriptures back to Abraham. He explains salvation by grace through faith before Scripture was written.

Romans 4:13-17
13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." 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. NIV

Salvation by grace was demonstrated by Abraham’s faith in God.  Paul writes, “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham” (Romans 4:16). Paul doesn’t hesitate to remind us that Christians are heirs according to the promise made to Abraham. Abraham is a living demonstration of God’s saving grace through faith. 

Paul writes to Jews whose faith is based upon the written word. He reminds them that Abraham’s faith was not based upon law or religious ritual. Somehow those who possess the scriptures have no idea what it means to live by faith. As the apostles preach faith throughout the first century world, they are persecuted by those whose faith was supposedly based upon Scripture. How could this be??? They were reading from the same Scripture. 

This should pose some heart rending questions. Can we get lost in a theology that seems to come straight out of Scripture without ever discovering faith? Could we get lost in Bible study without discovering faith? Could this happen to religious people of our day? Could this happen to church going people? How much of a leap would it take for us to go from being concerned about how to do church to learning to live by faith? 

The promise God made to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4) remains foundational to salvation by faith through grace. It is foundational for a solid faith in Christ. God gave us the whole Bible for a purpose. 

Genesis 12:1-5
12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 

2 "I will make you into a great nation 
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing. 
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth 
will be blessed through you." 

4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. NIV

The faith preached through the book of Acts is based upon these promises. It is solely through faith in Christ that we step out on the promises made to Abraham. The history from Abraham to Christ covers roughly 2000 years. It is this history that gives Christianity its true meaning. It is no accident that the New Testament writers pointed both Jews and Gentiles back to Abraham, for it is there that God demonstrates a pristine view of faith—the faith the apostles preached.

Abraham’s Faith was Based upon the Grace of God

God doesn’t get in a hurry when he seeks to bring us to himself. It was around 2000 years before a descendant of Abraham gave birth to Christ. He was the one through whom all families of the earth would be blessed. It seems like a long time, but God was faithful to his promise. The faith of the faithful during this time was based upon the promise God had made to Abraham. Our faith today continues to be based upon those same promises. 

Galatians 3:26-29
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NIV

The prophets were always pointing the Israelites back to Abraham—to what God did for him. It was to be a reminder of what God would do for them.

Isaiah 51:1-3
"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness 
and who seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut 
and to the quarry from which you were hewn; 
2 look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many. 
3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion 
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing. NIV

Strangely, the New Testament writers continue to point us to Abraham—his faith continues to allow believers to be born of the water and the Spirit today. If Abraham were alive looking through history at the promises God made to him, he would see Christians as heirs to those promises. There is no way we can understand faith in God’s promises until we come to understand the faith of Abraham. To understand what God did for Abraham and his descendants gives our faith depth. Abraham is the father of the faithful. To become a Christian—to become heirs with Abraham—we must have faith in the promises made to father Abraham. Christians are heirs of those promises God made to Abraham roughly 4,000 years ago. Christ is the fulfillment of those promises. If we belong to Christ we are Abraham’s seed.  

God gives us a pristine view of grace through faith before Scripture through the lives of Abraham’s descendants. The first thing God did was to bring Abraham to a point where he realized that it was impossible for him to do anything to bring about what God had promised. Abraham was like most of us. God promised to bless. He made his plans to make God’s blessing real. He simply asked God to bless his plan. It was unthinkable that a man ninety-nine years old could beget a child in the womb of his wife who was eighty-nine years old! Remember they knew nothing about Viagra or hormone therapy—they did know something about surrogate births. After all, from a reproductive point of view, both of them were as good as dead. But it wasn’t what God had in mind. 

Romans 4:18-25
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."   19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. NIV

God’s grace guides Abraham despite his misguided faith. God was patient when Abraham and Sarah were having trouble believing the impossible as they made their plans to make it all happen on their terms. Amazingly, God didn’t even interrupt their plans. God’s grace was not exhausted when they thought his plans were ludicrous. They believed God, but sought to work out the details for him. Faith and human ingenuity didn’t work. In spite of their misguided faith—grace prevailed. God’s grace brought them to a point where they had to believe against all hope. 

God brought them face to face with their inability to make it all happen. Yet, his grace salvaged the mess they put themselves in as they sought to work it out for themselves. God salvaged all those involved in the mess. God blessed Hagar and Ishmael. Hagar ought to encourage every one. God does not forsake when cast out.

As I read through Scripture I am amazed at how often those seeking God tried to make their own plans to bring about God’s promises. Many sought to live perfect lives. Many have sought to establish God’s kingdom according to their plans. Moses killed an Egyptian. Jonah refused to preach to Nineveh. Peter cut off a man’s ear. Paul had Stephen killed. Abraham laughed at God’s promise. Faith does not always make sense. Yet, those who faithfully seek God will find him. 

Genesis 17:17-18
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" NIV 

God’s grace is determined. How many times do we make our own plans expecting God to bless them simply because we believe in him? We believe in what God wants us to do. We make our plans to make it happen and expect faith to empower our actions. We have it all figured out. But God squelches our plans. His grace leads us through the impossible as he opens our eyes to his presence and his plans.

God’s grace is custom made for each one of us. Abraham was all alone. He had no one to look to but God. He didn’t have scripture. God made his life a part of Scripture. God’s grace was custom made for him. It brought him to the end of himself. It was there he finally saw that “God will provide,” as he attempted to offer the son of promise a sacrifice to God. I often wonder how Isaac felt as he lay bound on that alter—how often did he think of this ordeal throughout his life. 

God’s grace was not only extended to Abraham, but also to those hurt by his misguided faith. Hagar was deeply hurt by Abraham and Sarah’s plan. After Hagar’s conception Sarah became jealous and bitter. Sarah made Hagar’s life bitter. Hagar ran away. It was there God visited her.   

Genesis 16:9-14
9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." 10 The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." 

11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:

"You are now with child 
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael, 
for the LORD has heard of your misery. 
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone 
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility 
toward all his brothers." 

13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. NIV

These stories help us develop a real faith in God as they allow us to see the God who sees each of us. Hagar’s misery didn’t end here.  Sarah’s bitterness eventually drove Hagar and her son out of Abraham’s family after Isaac was born. Hagar was a part of the problem as she taunted Sarah about Ishmael being the first born. I can only wonder if Hagar misinterpreted God’s promised blessing to her and Ishmael. Did it lead her to taunt Sarah? Sarah was determined that Isaac would be the heir of Abraham’s blessedness. How painful it must have been when God told Abraham to obey Sarah’s instruction to send Hagar and his son away. Yet, God’s blessing remained upon each of them in spite of their human weakness. God’s grace was tailor made for each one of them. 

God’s grace uses our weakness to our advantage—to bring us to faith in him. God’s grace is so gracious that you begin to realize that God was the master over every dead end road you have taken. Those dead end roads may lead us to cry the cry of Naomi as she came to the end of herself, “God has made my life bitter.” As I study the book of Ruth, I realize God’s grace was the master of her bitter road. She experienced His grace. God’s grace may make us cry out with Solomon, “All is vanity and vexation of the spirit.” It eventually led him to declare the whole duty of man—fear God and keep his commandments. We may eventually cry out with Hagar, “I have now seen the One who sees me!”  Or it may the cry of Jonah, “God’s way makes me angry.” God’s purpose is to bring us to face to face with him as we face the impossible. The impossible we face is usually ourselves. Hopefully, we will proclaim with Abraham, “I know God will provide” as we learn that God’s grace is sufficient.

God’s grace is custom made for each of us to enable us to see the one who sees us.  One purpose of God’s law to the Jews was to bring them to depend upon God as they realized that no person could live a righteous life through obedience to the law. The Law should have brought them to a greater appreciation of God’s grace. Yet, the law intended for a blessing became a curse for the misguided. They sought righteousness on their terms. Scripture brought Paul to the end of himself when he cried out “O wretched man that I am.” The law of Scripture helped him understand perfection was beyond his reach. Gods grace brought him to the end of himself when he struggled with his personal weakness. Yet, God’s grace refused to remove his weakness. Paul cries out, “Your grace is sufficient.” God enabled Paul by keeping him humble so he could grow in faith to experience his grace.

A Pristine Look at Faith

The Gospel is about "the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). The faithful of old were not sinless. They were righteous. God did not hold their sins against them. He credited them with righteous. He paid the debt. In his own time he sacrificed Christ. Christ atoned for every sin they committed. He has atoned for every sin humanity will ever commit. He was and is the author of our salvation. Salvation is not about the power of faith regardless of how weak. It is about the power of God for the weak and helpless. It is grace in action. It comes through faith regardless of how weak.

Romans 14:1-4
14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. NIV

There was a time in my earlier bible studies I sought to judge Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the law God gave Moses. How often do we look back through history and judge great people of history by today’s standards. I am amazed at how we judge Columbus for sailing to our new world. He brought disease and havoc. One day as I read Romans I realized Abraham never had a copy of the law. They were saved before they were circumcised. They were saved before scripture. They simply lived by faith. How pristine it was from our perspective. God completed his work in them. God graciously saved them. He blessed them and us through Jesus Christ. Christ was the promise God made to Abraham. Through Christ God continues to fulfill his promise to Abraham—all families will be blessed through Abraham’s descendant—Christ.

Too often our salvation is based upon Scripture without understanding the context of the scripture. Looking back on God’s promise to Abraham helps us realize what God will do for the weak and struggling believers. We begin to realize that God will complete his work in each of us. I am absolutely sure that God’s work of salvation through Abraham descendants provoked Paul to pen words such as these. 

 Philippians 1:2-6
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  NIV

Paul understood these verses in the context of Scripture as a whole. Grace is about who we are. We are sinners. Grace is about trusting God to carry out his plan in and through us. 

Romans 4:5-8
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 

7 "Blessed are they 
whose transgressions are forgiven, 
whose sins are covered. 
8 Blessed is the man 
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."  NIV

This is grace in action--grace doesn’t count our sins against us. Faith doesn’t make us sinless--it does allow God to credit his righteousness to the wicked through faith. Faith allows God’s grace to work in our lives. I would like to wake up one morning and be able to say sin is gone from my life. But Grace says no. I was conceived in sin. I must live with this sinful body until the day I die. We inherited this sinful nature from Adam and Eve. 

Psalms 51:3-9
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. 
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned 
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak 
and justified when you judge. 
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 
9 Hide your face from my sins 
and blot out all my iniquity. NIV

Romans 3:9-18
9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written: 

"There is no one righteous, not even one; 
  11 there is no one who understands, 
no one who seeks God. 
12 All have turned away, 
they have together become worthless; 
there is no one who does good, 
not even one."   
13 "Their throats are open graves; 
their tongues practice deceit." 
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."   
14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."   
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 
16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 
17 and the way of peace they do not know."   
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."  NIV

Paul writes to those who thought they could live above sin. There was a time in my life, when I read these scriptures that I lost all hope. A course in Bible College on how to interpret the Scriptures through mathematical logical deduction almost did me in. I always failed the logic test in my personal life. This is not what salvation is about. I failed to realize these scriptures were written to those who thought they could come to God on their terms—on their goodness. These scriptures were designed to put a sock in the mouths of the self-righteous. 

Through the years I began to understand the following verses.

1 John 1:8
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:9-10
 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. NIV

I hasten to say Grace is not designed to enable us to live in sin believing that God will rescue us regardless. He extends his grace to salvage us from sin’s grip. 

Romans 6:1-4
6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. NIV

God’s grace is such that if we choose to live in sin, God will discipline us. Salvation by grace doesn’t mean we won’t have to live with the consequences of our choices. Sarah and Abraham had to live with their choice to have Ishmael. God’s grace did not desert them, but they had to deal with the consequences. God’s grace deepened their faith in God. Hopefully the consequences of our bad choices will bring us to a deeper faith in God. If we persist in sin; he will allow sin to enslave us. Cain was told that sin was crouching at his door desiring to be his master. His choices allowed sin to do master him. Faith in God was his only hope. 

God’s Grace Brings Deliverance

I am amazed at how many times God’s grace delivered Abraham from his self-conceived plans. Abraham’s futile plans demanded God’s gracious deliverance. God saved him from his half truths. God was even willing to save Abraham when he doubted. 

Genesis 15:2-5
2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 

4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars — if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." NIV

Amazingly it was after this promise that Abraham and Sarah conceived a plan to have a son by Hagar. Abraham’s plans were not ill conceived. He was truly seeking God’s will for his life. He knew that if he was going to have a son it would have to be by a woman that wasn’t post menopausal. It blinded him to the supernatural. We aren’t much different. We make our plans thinking they are God’s will. We ask God to make to make our plans his plans. We seek signs from God to confirm our plans. We believe the more extravagant the plan the greater our faith. After all we are seeking to do his will. Our hope is that God will bless. He usually does bless us. He simply overrides our plans with his plans. It’s grace in action.

We may think of God’s grace solely as forgiveness and fail to see God’s work of deliverance in our lives. Looking back at the lives of the faithful I am reminded that grace is about God accomplishing his purpose through us. We struggle to believe while God brings his work to fruition to fruition in our lives.

Philippians 1:3-6
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. NIV

Today God carries on his work to accomplish his purpose through the promised seed. Abraham didn’t have a Bible. I am not encouraging you to throw away your Bible to live as Abraham lived. I am encouraging you to learn about faith from the father of the faithful. He had only the simple promise of God. He was almost alone as a believer, surrounded by heathen unbelievers. He could not look back at a long record of the faithful, although he would be a part the record. He could not look back at what God had done for others. He could only take God at his word. Yet Abraham believed. 

This is where Christianity begins. It requires stepping out on faith in God. Faith requires repentance toward God or turning to God. 

Acts 20:21
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. NIV

Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. All Abraham had was a promise. Today we more, we have Christ. Salvation history to reminds us of God’s faithfulness to his promises. We can enjoy the fruition all his promises through Christ. It should make turning to God in repentance and faith much easier. We become heirs of the promise when we believe in God’s promises in Christ. We declare that faith by being baptized into Christ. In doing so we become heirs of the promise made to Abraham.

Galatians 3:26-29
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NIV

Conclusion:

The amazing thing about salvation by grace through faith is that God is not nervously standing over me telling me I am going to screw it up. He knows I will. It is in the moment we cry the cries of the faithful as we realize Gods presence in our struggle that makes it all worthwhile to God.

Yes, the apostles preach faith throughout the New Testament. They see Christ through the promises God made to Abraham. They knew only faith in a God who could and would salvage their lives and save them eternally would sustain those struggling to see the God who sees them.