Faith For The Impossible

“Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.” (Ro 4:18 AV)

 

Abraham is perhaps, one of the most, if not the most, important of all Old Testament saints to the New Testament church.  Although Abraham was the father of Israel, he was also the father of all those who would exercise faith unto Christ be the Jewish or Gentile.  Paul’s argument in Romans chapter four was Abraham’s faith was before his identification as the father of Israel.  In this, Abraham became the father of all who live by faith.  Specifically speaking, Paul is referring to God’s promise to Abraham of seed to inherit that promises made to him.  This promise was made when it was physically impossible for Abraham to father a child and for Sarah to conceive.  Literally impossible.  They had passed the age of reproductive ability.  The Bible tells us that Sarah’s womb dried up.  The same can be assumed of Abraham’s seed.  So, when Paul says that he hoped against all hope, it means that Abraham literally had faith that God could do the impossible.  That is the strongest faith of all.

When attempting to make a comparison, this becomes almost impossible.  There is a challenge given to see how smart someone might be.  They are given seven nails with heads on them and a block of wood.  They are told it is possible to balance seven nails on this block of wood and a prize would be awarded for the person who figures it out.  Try as one might, it seems as though the task is impossible.  Two, or perhaps three at most is what almost everyone can manage.  The nails come tumbling down.  Person after person attempts this impossible task.  All fail.  That is until someone brings a hammer.  He pounds the first nail in.  Then he takes the remaining six and builds a structure where the six nails share equal amounts of force.  Sort of what a saw horse would look like.  He then balances those six nails on the seventh, and presto, he has balanced all seven nails on the board.  What seemed impossible was possible as long as someone was able to think outside the box.  This is what Sarah initially tried.  When she realized she was not conceiving according to promise, then she loaned Hagar, her handmaid to Abraham who bears Ishmael.  They thought outside the box to realize a promise.  However, this is not hoping against all hope.  This was engineering circumstances rather than to trust.

God, however, saw the initial step of faith which Abraham showed a few years earlier.  Even though Abraham wavered a bit, he still believed God could do it.  He believed God could do the impossible and God did do the impossible.  Just shy of becoming centenarians, God opened a dry womb and filled an empty supply of seed.  God did as God promised.  Our challenge is to remember Abraham.  Abraham believed God for the impossible.  He may have slipped once when he lost patience and believed that perhaps Sarah’s solution was also God’s solution, but that was an error of judgment and not an error of faith.  To say that we have the faith of Abraham is saying a lot.  To trust God when reason accurately states it is impossible is the faith that God values most.  We have done that with our souls.  I for one am beyond saving.  There is nothing in me that would warrant God’s love.  Nothing.  I am the worst of the worst.  Reason would tell me the grace of God cannot bridge the gap which I have constructed.  It all boils down to faith.  If the Bible tells me that God so loved the world, that includes me.  If God said He would supply all my needs, that includes me.  If God’s word tells me He created me for a purpose, then I have to trust it.  If the word of God teaches I am His workmanship, then I have to believe there is hope for me yet even though I fail Him more than I care to count.  Let us strive for the faith of Abraham. The faith to believe God for the impossible.