Scripture
Genesis 15:5-6
Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6 And Abram believed the LORD , and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.
5And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Observation
Genesis is quoted four times in the NT (Rom. 4:3, 22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). Faith in God is something that everyone in the Bible was expected to exercise. It entails trust in or confident reliance on God (see notes on John 1:12–13; Heb. 11:1), based on the truthfulness of his words, and it will lead to obeying his commands. A person’s faith or lack of it is most apparent in crises such as Abram was facing. He believed God would give him a son despite many years of childlessness. counted … as righteousness. “Righteousness” is the fundamental OT virtue characterized by a godly life lived in conformity with the law. It is the righteous who enjoy God’s favor. Here the narrator underlines the significance of faith, in that before Abram has proved himself righteous by his deeds, he is counted (that is, regarded) as righteous because of his faith.
Application
1. I am made right with God through faith not works.
2. My life reveals my beliefs.
I can say I am a Christian and can say I trust God but my actions reveal what I really believe.
3. Faith is revealed during a crisis.
Abraham believed against overwhelming odds. He and Sarah were too old have kids and they had faced years of dissappointment. There was no physical way for them to bear children but they believed the word of God over their circumstances.
4. I place my trust in the honor of His name.
God keeps his promises. He is a God of His Word.
Prayer
Build my faith this morning. May I trust in your word and in your character.
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