Unwavering
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Unwavering
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
The Genesis account is the most fundamental book of the Bible that is essential for our foundation of faith. Jesus was there but we do not realize that until we read the New Testament. He was present there but it was not understood at the time. All that Abram at the time knew was that this was the Lord appearing before him. Abram or as we know as Abraham, his faith in God plays a pivotal role in our own development and understanding of faith.
Our passage in Genesis today starts with God appearing before Abram while he is 99 years old. God establishes his covenant with him and changes his name to Abraham and his wife’s name from Sarai to Sarah. The name Change gives new meaning to the covenantal promise that God will have with Abraham and Sarah. Abraham’s faith though is very interesting if you understand his back story as well. After the flood, Noah’s son’s and daughter in-laws begin to repopulate the earth. All of the people decide to congregate in one area and they begin to build a tall tower to make a name for themselves and then God changes their languages so that they will be scattered throughout the earth. In addition, to all of this we see that man turns back to his old ways with idol worship. Idol worship is what Abram grew up with. His family worshipped in a temple for idols. When he and his wife were unable to conceive a child, they even worshipped and made sacrifices to idols in the hopes that they would be granted a child. Yet in all of this they received only silence from these idols and remained childless.
This begs the question then, why would God choose Abram to have his covenant with him? Abram was no better than anyone else and was just as sinful as anyone else. God could have chosen anyone but he chooses Abram. I think it could be possible that God approaches Abram at the exact time in which Abram would be open to listen. He has received nothing but silence up until now from any god. But when the living God of the universe speaks to him, he realizes that this is something different. This is a God who speaks. God makes no promise to him yet but gives a command. He commands him to leave his home and go to a land that he will show him. The amazing thing is that Abraham obeys. What better option does he have at this point. Obviously, nothing else is working for him there. Maybe this God who speaks will actually lead him to something good. Therefore, Abram obeys with an unwavering faith. He is tested continually for a very long time as well. Everyone else in the world has forgotten about God. But Abram follows the God who speaks. It will be years before God will give him the promise of offspring through his wife Sarai. However, God appears again and makes his covenant which calls for a name change.
I wish I could say that their faith was completely unwavering but this was not completely true for they decided to take matters into their own hands by having Abraham take Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant as his wife to provide him a child. However, God reiterates that this is not the promise that he was talking about. They are tested more with time until their son Isaac is born. God gives Abraham the final test of faith by commanding him to sacrifice his promised son. Abraham this time proves that his faith is unwavering by not withholding his only son. He proves that his faith in God is more important than the thing that he loves most in the world.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter 4, he explains this unwavering faith of Abraham. Against all hope it would seem that this promise would not be but Abraham still believed in the God who speaks. Abraham’s faith was accounted to him as righteousness. It was not because of any law. When Paul wrote this letter the Jews had believed that righteousness came from following the law. If they would obey the law then this in itself would make them righteous and deserving of great reward. However, Paul points out that it was not because Abraham followed the law that he received the promise of God. No, it was because of his faith. The law when disobeyed brings wrath. However, Abraham had faith that God would do as he promised and it is because of his faith that Abraham in turn obeyed what we would call the law. If your deepest desire is to love, obey, and trust in God then you will naturally follow his law and will. However, if you believe only in the law itself then eventually you may break the law and therefore, incur wrath upon yourself. Rather than seek the desires of the world and human desire, Abraham sought God’s desire and this in return is what made him righteous.
Abraham proved with his faith that his mind was not focused just on human desires, but he was focused on what God wanted and God’s plans. Our Gospel passage this morning is found in Mark 8:31-38. Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to be handed over to be killed. Peter pulls Jesus aside to rebuke him and to tell him to not let this happen. Peter’s response to this news is not a result of his lack of faith. He knows who Jesus is and has faith in this truth. However, from Jesus’ response to his rebuke we understand that Peter has aligned his desires of his own personal desire instead of on the plans of God. Peter loves Jesus and does not wish to see him suffer and die. He wants Jesus to stay with him forever. This is the desire of the flesh. However, Jesus goes on to say, “what does it profit a man to gang the whole world and yet lose his soul?” One could spend their life seeking wealth and the freedom to do whatever you want when you want and to buy whatever you want. However, all of these worldly possessions will mean nothing if you do not also have Jesus. Jesus is the only one who provides you freedom and salvation for your soul. It is ok to have all of these things of the world but we must remember that it is not what matters most. We should take in account for ourselves the unwavering faith of Abraham. Even if he was not blessed with land and possessions he would trust in God. Even though he was not given a child through his wife Sarah in the time of their youth, he would trust in God. He trusts in God because He is the only God who speaks therefore, He is the only God who can provide for him what he desires. This makes his faith unwavering. Do you have an unwavering faith like Abraham?
Unwavering
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
The Genesis account is the most fundamental book of the Bible that is essential for our foundation of faith. Jesus was there but we do not realize that until we read the New Testament. He was present there but it was not understood at the time. All that Abram at the time knew was that this was the Lord appearing before him. Abram or as we know as Abraham, his faith in God plays a pivotal role in our own development and understanding of faith.
Our passage in Genesis today starts with God appearing before Abram while he is 99 years old. God establishes his covenant with him and changes his name to Abraham and his wife’s name from Sarai to Sarah. The name Change gives new meaning to the covenantal promise that God will have with Abraham and Sarah. Abraham’s faith though is very interesting if you understand his back story as well. After the flood, Noah’s son’s and daughter in-laws begin to repopulate the earth. All of the people decide to congregate in one area and they begin to build a tall tower to make a name for themselves and then God changes their languages so that they will be scattered throughout the earth. In addition, to all of this we see that man turns back to his old ways with idol worship. Idol worship is what Abram grew up with. His family worshipped in a temple for idols. When he and his wife were unable to conceive a child, they even worshipped and made sacrifices to idols in the hopes that they would be granted a child. Yet in all of this they received only silence from these idols and remained childless.
This begs the question then, why would God choose Abram to have his covenant with him? Abram was no better than anyone else and was just as sinful as anyone else. God could have chosen anyone but he chooses Abram. I think it could be possible that God approaches Abram at the exact time in which Abram would be open to listen. He has received nothing but silence up until now from any god. But when the living God of the universe speaks to him, he realizes that this is something different. This is a God who speaks. God makes no promise to him yet but gives a command. He commands him to leave his home and go to a land that he will show him. The amazing thing is that Abraham obeys. What better option does he have at this point. Obviously, nothing else is working for him there. Maybe this God who speaks will actually lead him to something good. Therefore, Abram obeys with an unwavering faith. He is tested continually for a very long time as well. Everyone else in the world has forgotten about God. But Abram follows the God who speaks. It will be years before God will give him the promise of offspring through his wife Sarai. However, God appears again and makes his covenant which calls for a name change.
I wish I could say that their faith was completely unwavering but this was not completely true for they decided to take matters into their own hands by having Abraham take Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant as his wife to provide him a child. However, God reiterates that this is not the promise that he was talking about. They are tested more with time until their son Isaac is born. God gives Abraham the final test of faith by commanding him to sacrifice his promised son. Abraham this time proves that his faith is unwavering by not withholding his only son. He proves that his faith in God is more important than the thing that he loves most in the world.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter 4, he explains this unwavering faith of Abraham. Against all hope it would seem that this promise would not be but Abraham still believed in the God who speaks. Abraham’s faith was accounted to him as righteousness. It was not because of any law. When Paul wrote this letter the Jews had believed that righteousness came from following the law. If they would obey the law then this in itself would make them righteous and deserving of great reward. However, Paul points out that it was not because Abraham followed the law that he received the promise of God. No, it was because of his faith. The law when disobeyed brings wrath. However, Abraham had faith that God would do as he promised and it is because of his faith that Abraham in turn obeyed what we would call the law. If your deepest desire is to love, obey, and trust in God then you will naturally follow his law and will. However, if you believe only in the law itself then eventually you may break the law and therefore, incur wrath upon yourself. Rather than seek the desires of the world and human desire, Abraham sought God’s desire and this in return is what made him righteous.
Abraham proved with his faith that his mind was not focused just on human desires, but he was focused on what God wanted and God’s plans. Our Gospel passage this morning is found in Mark 8:31-38. Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to be handed over to be killed. Peter pulls Jesus aside to rebuke him and to tell him to not let this happen. Peter’s response to this news is not a result of his lack of faith. He knows who Jesus is and has faith in this truth. However, from Jesus’ response to his rebuke we understand that Peter has aligned his desires of his own personal desire instead of on the plans of God. Peter loves Jesus and does not wish to see him suffer and die. He wants Jesus to stay with him forever. This is the desire of the flesh. However, Jesus goes on to say, “what does it profit a man to gang the whole world and yet lose his soul?” One could spend their life seeking wealth and the freedom to do whatever you want when you want and to buy whatever you want. However, all of these worldly possessions will mean nothing if you do not also have Jesus. Jesus is the only one who provides you freedom and salvation for your soul. It is ok to have all of these things of the world but we must remember that it is not what matters most. We should take in account for ourselves the unwavering faith of Abraham. Even if he was not blessed with land and possessions he would trust in God. Even though he was not given a child through his wife Sarah in the time of their youth, he would trust in God. He trusts in God because He is the only God who speaks therefore, He is the only God who can provide for him what he desires. This makes his faith unwavering. Do you have an unwavering faith like Abraham?