Title: Traces of Faith
Contents
“The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you’ (Genesis 12:1).
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and to those who sat in the land and shadow of death, a light has shined.” (Matthew 4:16) As the testimony said, this world is darkness and death and shadow, so there is no true rest. There can't be. Therefore, Jesus, who was sent to this earth, also said, “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious, and one day of suffering is sufficient for that day” (Matthew 6:34).
The land that Abram believed and found did not belong to this world. It is written, “If they had thought about the country from which they came, they would have had the opportunity to return, but now they long for a better homeland, which is in heaven. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, but He created a city for them. has been prepared” (Hebrews 11:15-16).
This land that could never be satisfied was the same for Abram. He had no heirs. The heir he hoped for was an heir to be with in the land that God would show him. Regarding this, the Bible says, “After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward. Eliezer. Abram said again, "You have not given me offspring, and he who is brought up in my house will be my heir" (Genesis 15:1-3).
“But the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body will be your heir.’ And he took him outside and said, ‘Look up to heaven and count the stars, if you can count them. Lyra Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD credited it to him as righteousness, and said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as an inheritance" (Genesis 15:4-7). He promised his descendants, and Abram's faith in it was counted as righteousness.
The Bible says, “And it is said that not all the seed of Abraham are his children, but the one born of Isaac shall be called your offspring. At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son” (Romans 9:7-9).
Therefore, the children of the flesh are the children of Abram, and the children of the promise are the children of Abraham and also the children of God. This is because he was the son God gave to Sarah when she gave birth. Therefore, the Bible testifies to all of us who believe in the Lord of the covenant, “Brothers, like Isaac, you are the children of the promise” (Galatians 4:28).
The blessings promised to all peoples under the world do not lie in the faith we heard and believed, but in the faith we believed and practiced. It is written, “The angel of the Lord called to Abraham the second time from heaven, and said, “I swear by myself, saith the Lord, because you have done this and did not spare your son, your only son, I will bless you greatly and increase your descendants in great numbers. I will make you like the stars and like the sand on the seashore, and your descendants will have the gates of their enemies, and through your descendants all peoples under the world will be blessed, because you have done what I said.” (Genesis 22:15-18) It's like evidence.
This is, “For he said to him, ‘It is through Isaac who you will call your descendants.’ So he thought that God was able to raise him from the dead, so he received them back from the dead, analogically” (Hebrews 11:18-19). ) is the same as your evidence.
For this reason, the Bible says, “Oh, foolish man, do you want to know that faith without works is in vain? Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? faith was perfected” (James 2:20-22). Amen, thank you Lord.