Year of the Bible: Part Ten of TwelveSampel

Believe What God Says

One of the greatest temptations for a believer in the western church is to try to earn salvation. We can get a big head about being a better Christian than those who do not serve in a ministry. The focus on serving and doing good is not intended to lead people astray but rather to encourage Christians to act like believers in Christ. However, the applause of good behavior can lead us to think that our actions are all that count toward getting to heaven.

All the kindness and good works in the world do not lead to salvation. In our reading today, Paul articulated that the inclusion of the Gentiles through faith fulfills God’s promise to make Abraham the father of many nations.

Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness; he believed God’s promise of a son even when it took a supernatural level of hope to see past his current circumstances. Dr. Tony Evans says that Abraham was “fully convinced that what God had promised, he was able to do. That’s the best definition of faith ever. Did God say it? Can God pull off what God said? To doubt Him is to question whether He tells the truth.” We know that God is not a liar, yet we often struggle to believe that our salvation is by faith alone. We simply need to believe what God has said about us!

Dr. Evans continues, “We know that the object of our faith is Jesus our Lord, who was raised from the dead. Abraham trusted the power of God to bring life from a seemingly dead situation (barrenness). We have seen the power of God bring life from the literal death of the Son.” What we believe about God matters. Faith in His Son is what brings us life, not our works.

Question: When God says something, do you believe Him in faith, or do you believe you need to earn His favor to receive His promises?

Prayer: Ask God to give you the faith needed to take Him at His word. Look for ways today that you can choose to believe God, even when the circumstances say that faith is useless.