The Faith Of Abraham And Sarah
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11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We must believe that He is. He is the I Am. He is and always has been and always will be. He is the first cause, the source of all that is. And He rewards those who diligently seek Him. He is faithful who promised His promises are facts that can be fully depended on.
Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee
Watchman nee recounts a time when he was very sick. He had a high temperature for six months and could not sleep. He had prayed to God to heal his sickness and felt that God had given him a word from the scripture that He would heal him. He expected that the symptoms would immediately vanish and yet his fever remained and he could not sleep. Then he said that the enemy began to say “where is God’s promise?” “where is your faith?” As he began to take it to the Lord again he felt rebuked and the scripture came to mind “thy Word is truth” and he thought if God’s word is truth then what are these symptoms? They must all be lies. So he declared to the enemy “this sleeplessness in a lie, this headache is a lie this fever is a lie this high pulse is a lie. According to the Word which God has said to me this sickness and all these symptoms are lies and God’s Word to me is truth” He said that in five minutes he was asleep and when he woke the following morning he was perfectly well. You see God’s Word is truth even if our experience contradicts His Word
On the subject of fact, faith, and experience Watchman Nee wrote these words.
“Faith is to acknowledge that what God has said and done is true. Faith is to accept the facts, that is, to acknowledge them as facts.
Faith is a “cashing in.” I use the words “cashing in” in the sense of one cashing a check at the bank. Suppose someone gives you a check. That the bank has the money is a fact. For you to cash the check for money is to acknowledge the fact that the bank possesses whatever amount is written on the check. It takes faith to “cash in.” With faith, one can cash in and thereby have the money to use. Now, to spend the money is the “experience.” To have the money in the bank is the “fact,” to cash the check is “faith,” and to spend the money is “experience.” In God's grace, what He has done for man are facts. But man must still experience these facts.” -Watchman Nee-
Life Of Faith
Life Of Faith
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Sarah doubted but we can take comfort in that.
God made a promise “Sarah your wife will have a son” It is the Word of God and God’s Word is truth. This promise then is fact.
Sarah’s experience did not agree with this fact and at first Sarah choose to believe her experience over God’s word
The Lord’s rebuke “is anything to hard for the Lord?”
At some point Sarah choose to renounce her faith in her experience and put her faith in God’s word because she judged him faithful who had promised
Through her faith that he was faithful who promised she received the power to conceive and was delivered of a child. The promise became her experience. Promise became faith became experience.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
This was only the beginning of the promise being fulfilled. As many as the stars of the sky and as the sand by the sea through This child all families of the earth would be blessed.
So there was an element of this promise that Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Jacob never experience in the time of their lives which brings us to the next point..
Death In Faith
Death In Faith
We can live a life of faith and yet still die in faith.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
They had received some of the promises but they did not receive the completion of the promise. They saw them afar off.
We might read the first part of this verse in a negative way “These all died in faith, not having received the promises” But the truth is there in no better way to die than to die in faith. Thats to die with hope. I want to die with hope.
We see three things they did because of their faith and having seen the promises afar off.
They were persuaded
They embraced the promises
They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth
If we live a life of faith then we will be able to die in faith fully persuaded and embracing the promises confessing that this world is not our home we are just passing through.
Which brings us to out last point
Faith Beyond Death
Faith Beyond Death
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
They seek a country
They desired a better country a heavenly country
The true reward of their faith was not the earthly promises but the heavenly kingdom and that is what they sought after.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
The point is clear in Hebrews. They had opportunity to return to the land of their kindred but they were not willing to go back. God has taken us out of the kingdom of darkness and has promised us a place in His kingdom, it would be foolish to return to that kingdom of darkness.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
If we follow the faith of Abraham and Sarah and set our affections on things that are above then we can know that God has prepared for us a city and he is not ashamed to be call our God
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
That’s the Word of God and God’s Word is truth. Lets embrace the promises of God as those who are persuaded of them. As Christians we often don’t have the experience in our life that God wants us to have. He has given us promises which are facts. Cheques ready to be cashed but we just hold on to those cheques and never take them to the bank.
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
These are the words of God and God’s word is truth. If this is not our experience then our experience is a lie. Here’s a good exercise you can do at home. Search the scriptures for the promises of God and write each of them down on separate a piece of paper. These are you cheques. The ask yourself “ do I experience this promise in my life?” If not then take it to the Lord in prayer ask Him to increase your faith, renounce the lie of your experience and put your faith in the truth of God’s word. Then see what happens.