Abraham Believed God

I recently ministered on this topic, Abraham Believed God, and thought I would share it with you. For those of you who have already heard it, now you see it in print.

In Romans 4:3 we read:
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

In four other places in the Bible, this same statement is made in just a little different wording each time, but almost the same, word for word.
Romans 4:22
And therefore it was imputed (credited, accounted) to him (Abraham) for righteousness.
Genesis 15:6
And he (Abram) believed in the Lord; and he (God) counted it to him for righteousness.
Galatians 3:6
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

What are all these scriptures saying?
Let’s look at the words “believe,” “counted,” and “righteousness.”

Believe: pisteuo----to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit, commit (to trust)

1828 Webster’s Dictionary
To be persuaded of the truth of something upon the declaration of another.
When we believe upon the authority of another, we always put confidence in his veracity (truth).
To have a firm persuasion.

We see from these two sources that the word believe is trust, faith, firm persuasion of the truth.
Abraham believed God. Abraham trusted God. Abraham had faith in God. Abraham was fully persuaded, had a firm persuasion of the truth. Where have we seen this phrase “fully persuaded”? We see it in Romans 4:21 “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. In the Amplified Bible it is stated this way: Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

What caused Abraham to become fully persuaded that God would do what He had promised? God gave Him His Word through covenant. And, my dear reader, that is exactly what God has given us. He has given us His Word through covenant. Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood that everything He had might become ours. We have His health. We have His nature. We have His wealth. We have His abundance. We have His prosperity. It is ours. And I am sure you are asking me this question. Then why don’t I see it in my life? There is only one answer to that question. You are not fully persuaded.

Abraham was not fully persuaded for 24 years. How do you know when you are fully persuaded? You are fully persuaded when no one or nothing can talk you out of what you believe you have. No one can convince you otherwise. You are so confident, so sure of the Word that someone has given you that you do not back down from what they say they have given to you. God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that he should repent or change his mind. Once God says something, it is a done deal. God has given us His Word in this covenant document we call the Bible. It is ours. His Word has been given. What we must do is accept it, believe it, trust Him to do what He said He will do. Don’t back down, give up or retreat from God’s Word. It is Truth.

We will pursue more of this discussion tomorrow.