The Faith of Abraham (Hebrews 11:8-10)

Abraham, as we know, is one of the most prominent Bible characters, with even this chapter giving him more verses than it gives to any other Bible character. He is famous for many things, particularly his faith in God. Jesus referred to his faith, as did James and Paul. In order to think about Abraham we have to travel back in time for 4,000 years and imagine a man of about 75 years of age living perhaps in one of the great cities of the ancient world (it is possible he was living in another place called Ur, which was more backwoods). The famous Ur was known for its commerce, its university, particularly its library, and at that time had a population of 250,000. In addition to its commerce and education, it was a centre of moon worship.

These details highlight a point worth noting, which is that God uses people that may seem unsuitable by the world’s standards. Abraham was not a young man when God appeared to him. But then neither were Enoch or Noah. The reality is that no one is precluded from serving God if they have faith in him. Neither are we to judge the usefulness of a person by his background. This means, of course, that God can use any of us provided that we believe in him.

God initiated the relationship with Abraham

The writer to the Hebrews, in saying that Abraham was called by God, gives a brief summary of the initial meeting between God and Abraham. In order to find out more of what took place on that occasion we have to turn to other Bible passages. Stephen, in his speech recorded in Acts 7:2-4, says that ‘the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran and said to him, “Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.” Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.’  

Stephen’s account makes it clear that God took the initiative with regard to commencing this relationship of faith. Two things can be said of this initiative. First, it was solely of grace and, secondly, it involved a revelation of who God is.

It was grace because Abraham did not deserve it. We do not know very much about Abraham’s life before his conversion except that he was an idolater: ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods’ (Josh. 24:2). The fact that he was an idolater does not mean that he was seeking God blindly and therefore God responded to Abraham’s searching. Instead, it means that Abraham was spiritually blind.

This spiritual blindness is inexcusable. Paul deals with this problem in Romans 1 and shows that there is enough evidence in the created world to inform people about the true God. What people do with this knowledge is to stifle it and replace it with idolatry. At its basic level, idolatry is the wilful replacement of the revealed knowledge of the true God with the imagined existence of an idol.

It was also the case that idolatry was accompanied by many other sins, which Paul lists in Romans 1. While it cannot be specified, it is very likely that Abraham was guilty of many of these sins. Even if he had not descended into the depths of other people’s sins, he had still fallen short of God’s standards. Therefore, this initiative of God to Abraham was undeserved, which means it was by grace.  

Stephen also says that the ‘God of glory’ appeared to Abraham. The Bible does not say in what way God appeared to him on this occasion. It was not necessarily an overpowering display of greatness such as Isaiah saw (Isa. 6), although it may have been. This appearing may have been similar to the way God met with Abraham subsequently to his arrival in the Promised Land. On these occasions, the Lord’s coming was of a more gentle nature. What is of interest is that Abraham recognised the Lord on these occasions even although there was no dramatic accompaniments to his visit.

These divine visits in the Old Testament are called ‘theophanies’. There are many of them. God appeared to Hagar, Moses, Gideon, Manoah and many others. On these occasions, the Lord revealed to individuals a particular purpose or gave a special promise. And this is what he did when he appeared to Abraham: he instructed him to leave his country and promised him his presence until he would reach his new place of abode. He also promised him that he would receive spiritual blessings, including the coming of a descendent who would bring salvation to the world.

When we apply this to ourselves, we too must recognise that God has taken the initiative. In fact, he has taken the initiative in several ways. He has sent his Son as the Saviour two thousand years ago, he has sent the gospel to our forefathers and it has come down to us, he sends the Spirit to accompany the preaching of the gospel.

Like Abraham, we are undeserving of this initiative. While we are not guilty of idolatry in the way that Abraham’s society was, we are guilty of failing to put God first in our lives, and that is idolatry. An idol is anything that takes the place in our lives that belongs to God: it can be a person, a career, a goal, a pastime, anything. Like Abraham we have fallen short of God’s standards.

To us has been given a greater revelation of God than was given to Abraham. We see God revealed in Jesus Christ. In Jesus the compassionate Teacher, we see how God wants to deliver sinners from their sins and to help them in their troubles. In Jesus the Sufferer, we see how seriously God took the problem of sin when it was necessary that Jesus become the substitute for sinners by bearing divine judgement. In Jesus the Sender, we see God’s desire for sinners from all over the world to be saved. Each of us can say that God has taken the initiative with us.

God invited Abraham into this new relationship

On that occasion when he appeared to Abraham, the Lord gave to him an invitation to participate in his divine purpose. This invitation was a personal call to Abraham and he accepted it.

We know that the Bible makes a distinction with regard to this call of God to sinners: there is what is called the general call and there is what is called the effectual call. One is termed ‘general’ because it is given to everyone, and the other is termed ‘effectual’ because it achieves what God intended in the lives of those who accept it.

It is possible for us to make wrong deductions regarding these distinctions. One is for us to regard the general call as an insincere call, as if God was not genuine when he offers salvation to us. The reality is otherwise. God offers to each of us the fullness of the gospel and if you trust in him you will receive it.

A second wrong implication is to imagine that the effectual call is separate from the general call. Some think that the effectual call will specify them individually and identify them in an unusual manner. But that is not the case. The effectual call is the general call accompanied by divine power. But the divine power is seen in conversion, not in anything else. The only evidence of effectual calling is conversion, so it is impossible for us to know whether God’s call to a person is effectual until that person becomes a disciple.

Whether or not the call will be effectual belongs to God. What we have to do with is the general call of God to sinners. We are to let no-one take away from us the wonder of the general call of God to sinners to come to him for mercy.

What was offered to Abraham the sinner in this call of God? He was offered forgiveness of his sins, the presence of God throughout his life, and a home in heaven at the end of his life. In other words, he was offered the same spiritual blessings as us.

Each of us is offered by God at this moment the forgiveness of our sins. We are all guilty of many sins; inward sins and outward sins; sins that we are aware of and sins we are not aware of; sins we can recollect and sins that we have forgotten. Every one of them deserved God’s wrath and curse, his everlasting punishment. Yet although he was the one we sinned against, he offers us full, instant forgiveness. In a moment, we can be made clean, pardoned, forgiven.

Each of us is offered by God his company through life. I suppose from an outward point of view it may have seemed that Abraham had made a surprising choice, exchanging the luxury and sophistication of Ur for living in a tent in Canaan, with only his family as his companions. But that is not the full equation. The full equation is this: Ur with its benefits but no presence of God or Canaan with the presence of God. The presence of God makes all the difference. Life in Ur could not give him peace of conscience, could not give him inner satisfaction, could not give him hope in the face of death. But the presence of God gave him all that, he became the friend of God.

Wherever we live, we have the choice to live there without God or with God. If we are to live with God, we have to do it on his terms. The terms for Abraham were not to live in Ur, the terms for us are to separate ourselves from the sinful practices of our society, to live lives that are devoted to the service of God. If we do that, then we will know his company, enjoy his peace, become his friends, experience his abilities.

Also, each of us is offered a home in heaven. Abraham looked ahead to the city whose builder and maker is God.  This picture of heaven is used in contrast to the flimsy tent in which he lived in Canaan. The image of a city with foundations suggests stability, security, society and structure. It is stable in that it will last forever, it possesses security in that its walls cannot be breached by the enemy, its society are the innumerable number of the redeemed, and its structure is based on the rule of its King. This is the place to which Abraham looked forward.

It was better for Abraham to have pardon of his sins, the presence of God in his life, and the prospect of living in heaven than to continue living as he did in Ur. He could not have both. God’s call was to leave Ur and live with God. A similar call comes to us.

God called Abraham to an immediate decision

God took the initiative in coming to Abraham, extended to him an invitation to become a man of faith, and demanded that he respond to him immediately. Abraham did so and set out on the journey that took him to heaven.

Similarly, God calls us to give an immediate response. A good illustration of this is found in the story of Rebekah and the servant of Abraham who was looking for a wife for Isaac. When the question was put to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’, she replied, ‘I will go.’ That is the answer that God wants from each of us, to give an immediate response of yes to Jesus. The reality is that a failure to give an immediate yes to Jesus means we are giving an immediate no to him.

Abraham’s immediate decision resulted in blessing to other members of his family. It is evident that Lot shared his faith, and given that his son could only take a wife from his relatives, it is likely that they shared his faith as well. But they became people of faith because of Abraham’s choice. His choice brought blessing to others. That is often the case with those who become followers of Jesus. In choosing him, they influence others to make the same choice.