Saving faith is at the heart of any discussion regarding salvation, and the patriarch Abraham is most often held up as an example of the kind of faith Christians
should possess.  Yet in light of some of the things Abraham said and did, it at times appears as though the depth of his faith in God was wanting.  Abraham was often forced to make critical decisions which insured his own personal safety, protected his family, and in all likelihood, had a direct bearing on the entire history of the Israelite nation.  One passage in particular, Genesis 12:10-20, involved his decision to move to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan.  Upon his arrival in Egypt, Abraham made the questionable decision to keep his full relationship to Sarah a secret from Pharaoh.  Did he act out of faith, or out of fear?  While we may not always agree with the decisions Abraham made, and can often point to the negative consequences of those decisions, none of that has any bearing whatsoever on the nature of his faith.  The purpose of this article is to show  that Abraham always demonstrated saving faith in the decisions he made.  Hopefully, our study of this great man will lead us all into a deeper understanding of the true nature of saving faith.           

The Scriptures seem to suggest, but never explicitly state, that Abraham was afraid as he made critical decisions which shaped his family’s destiny, but let us keep in mind that we most likely are not privy to all the discussions that took place between him and God.  What we do know is that Abraham made reasonable decisions designed to safeguard himself and his family and thus preserve his family line – something he knew must happen if God’s promises were to be fulfilled.  Abraham’s decision to tell Pharaoh, and later Abimelech, that Sarah was his sister, was no more egregious than his decision to have a child by Hagar.  Even though those decisions had dire consequences for Pharaoh, Abimelech, and later the entire Israelite nation, never is Abraham chastised by God for having made them.  Abraham knew the promises of God, believed them, and did what he could to see them fulfilled.  In every circumstance he acted as one who possessed saving faith.  In Romans 4:9-10, the apostle Paul writes these words about Abraham:

“What does the Scripture say?  ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness…’  We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.  Under what circumstances was it credited?  Was if after he was circumcised, or before?  It was not after, but before!”;

Abraham did not receive the covenant of circumcision until he was ninety-nine years old. (Genesis 17:1-8)  Yet according to Paul, he was considered righteous by God long before.  His faith in the promises of God prompted him to move his family to Canaan, flee from famine to Egypt, and raise up a child through Hagar all because he saw himself as God’s instrument to bring about God’s long-term plan for his family line.  It wasn’t until after all of these things had taken place that Abraham received the covenant of circumcision.  Yet as far as God was concerned, he had already demonstrated saving faith, so much so that God “credited it to him as righteousness.”;

In chapter two of his letter, James gives us a deeper insight into the nature of true faith.  While we are not directly saved by works, they nevertheless serve as a demonstration of the faith that we possess.  According to James, no works equals a dead faith.  (James 2:26)  On the other hand, men of faith, like Abraham, are always men of action.  But like the servant who buried his talent in the ground, inaction driven by fear characterizes those of little faith.  In hindsight many of Abraham’s decisions may appear questionable, yet in faith he moved forward as best he could to save his family and see the promises of God fulfilled. 

The faith of Abraham is celebrated in many places throughout the New Testament.  Both James and the writer of Hebrews hold him up as an example of saving faith.  (James 2:20-24; Hebrews 11:8-17)  Listen as the apostle Paul further describes the faith of Abraham:

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’  Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:18-21) 

 “Without weakening,” “did not waver,” “fully persuaded.”  Those phrases don’t appear to describe a man guided by doubt and fear.  Perhaps the story of Abraham can teach us the true nature of saving faith.  Like Abraham, we don’t always know when to act and when to wait for God to act on our behalf.  God does not speak directly to us and tell us what to do.  We know that God does intervene in the affairs of man.  So much so that according to Acts 17:26, God “made every nation of men…and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”  Yet precisely how God accomplishes that is unclear.  When the twelve apostles could not decide on a replacement for Judas, God did not directly intervene to make the decision for them.  Ultimately, their decision was to cast lots, trusting in faith that God’s will would be done.  Talk about faith!  How many of us would be willing to stake our futures on a roll of the dice?  With the information at their disposal, men of faith act in faith trusting that God can even make something good of the mistakes they might make.  That is the kind of faith Abraham possessed and that is the kind of faith we need to adopt as our own.

- David Bobbitt