The Measure Of Faith II
Thomas believed when he was able to verify through his physical senses that Jesus was still around.
Thomas saw Jesus.
Thomas touched Jesus hands and side where He was wounded.
Then Thomas believed.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas , because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. KJV
Jesus said that those who believe without seeing are blessed.
Believing without seeing is scriptural faith
Scriptural faith is not learned through the five physical senses.
Scriptural faith is believing without seeing.
But, believing what?
Lets look an example from scripture.
Ever hear of Abraham?
Of course you have.
Abraham is called by scripture as the father of us all
Rom 4:16
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, KJV
Are we all descended from Abraham?
No.
Abraham is more than likely not in any of our physical families.
So how is Abraham the father of us all?
The scripture tells how but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham.
Abraham is the father of those who share the faith of Abraham.
So, what did Abe do in order to be called the father of faith.
God made a promise to Abram, his name was changed to Abraham by God.
God told Abram to move away from all his kinfolk to a different land which God would show him
Gen 12:1-4
12:1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
God told Abram that He would make a great nation from Abram.
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Abram at seventy-five years old packed up and left.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. KJV
Abram and his wife Sarai had no children when God told him that he would make a great nation from him.
Why?
Because Sarai was barren.
Sarai could not have children.
Yet God said that He would make a great nation from Abram.
God repeated that promise several times to Abram.
In a covenant that God made with Abram.
God changed Abrams name to Abraham.
Gen 17:4-6
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham ; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. KJV
God said that He would make Abraham a father of many nations.
Abraham has no children.
His wife Sarah, God changed her name as well, was barren.
Hopeless situation?
For natural faith that is dependent on seeing it first it is a hopeless situation.
After all Sarah has never had children because she is barren.
Abraham was seventy five when God first said that He would make Abe the father of many nations.
Twenty five years later at one hundred years old.
Abe and Sarah remained childless.
Yet even at a hundred years old, Abe, having no child from Sarah believed what God said to him.
He believed in the hope God gave him of a child.
Abe believed against all natural hope according to what God told him.
Rom 4:18-21
18 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.
Abraham did not consider that at 100 years old his own body was now dead relative to any natural hope of reproduction.
Abraham did not consider that his wife Saras womb was not only barren but she was passed the time of child bearing.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
He knew the facts in the natural.
But he did not stagger at what God said through unbelief.
Abraham continued to believe what God said in spite of everything in the natural screaming at him 24/7.
You old fool, you think you are going to have a child, impossible.
Scripture calls that strong in faith.
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Abraham was fully persuaded that what God said, God was able to do.
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. KJV
Scripture says that because Abraham was strong in faith that it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:22
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. KJV
Rom 4:3
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. KJV
Scriptural faith is believing what God said.
When one believes what God said like Abraham, not being moved by unbelief.
Not even being moved by the (seemingly) impossible hope.
That is faith.
We will pick it up here next time.