(Rom 4:21 GW) And was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Faith and Patience VOL III – Never Give Up!” by picking up where we left off in the story of Abraham. Yesterday we looked at how Abraham did not stagger at the promise of God (even though it was seemingly impossible) and he was “strong in faith.” Many believers read a statement like the one Paul made of Abraham (how he was “strong in faith”) and they wonder what that means. What does it mean to be strong in faith? How is your faith measured? What is faith anyway? These are common questions amongst believers. I will attempt to explain faith in simple terms this morning. The definition I have used in this series is: faith is an expression of your confidence in God and His Word. This expression of confidence can be exemplified by either word or deed.
Some time ago I preached a message entitled, “The Characteristics of Productive Faith.” In the message I taught that productive faith is faith that can be heard (in your words), productive faith is faith that can be seen (in your deeds), and productive faith is faith that can be followed (setting an example). The words spoken and the acts performed in faith all tie back to a level of confidence in God and His Word. This leads me back to my question, “What does it mean to be strong in faith?” If we follow Paul’s teaching about Abraham it leads us to our text for this morning. Paul answers the question and says that Abraham was, “absolutely confident that God would do what he promised.” I understand that it had been 25 years. I understand that Abraham’s body was well past the child-producing stage. I understand that Sarah’s 90-year-old body had never produced a child. But Abraham’s capacity to believe enabled him to look beyond the seemingly impossible circumstances and to express absolute confidence in the promise His God had made him.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that your level of faith is nothing more and nothing less than your level of confidence in God. How much confidence do you have in God? More than likely, your level of confidence will be directly connected to the quality of relationship with Him. The more you know God – His Word, character, attributes, and nature – the more you will be able to trust and have confidence in Him.
A person who is weak in faith is a person who has not taken the time to nurture their relationship with God. The more you know God the more you will learn (from experience) that He is a God of His Word. That’s all that made Abraham special. Abraham had an uncommon capacity to believe that God would do what He said He would do. Do you believe God will do what He said He will do in your life? If you do, then act like it. Express your confidence in Him. Whatever you say (words) and do (actions) based upon your confidence in God and His Word is faith. The stronger your confidence, the stronger your faith. The weaker your confidence, the weaker your faith. So my message to you this morning is simple: have faith in God (Mark 11:22). I did not say “have faith in your faith,” or “have faith in your pastor,” or “have faith in your church.” No, have faith in God. We serve a God who is completely trustworthy. If He said it, He will perform it; if He promised it, He will make it good (Num 23:19).
Closing Confession: Father, I foster my relationship with You. I spend time with You in prayer and study. The more I know You, the more confidence I will have in your character, attributes, and nature. The more confidence I have in You, the more I will be able to express it in my words and deeds. The more I express my confidence, the more faith I have. My more faith I have, the more I will see the manifestation of Your promises in my life. I am where I am today, but where I am heading is towards STRONG FAITH! I will get to the point where my confidence in You and Your Word is so strong that I will not allow any natural evidence to disrupt my supernatural confidence. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
