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“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-5, ESV)

Pastor Abel’s sermon on this passage is titled “The Beauty of Faith”.

Our world values confidence, self-esteem, and self-reliance. Many people have amassed fortunes and followers through teaching others how to gain confidence by believing in themselves. This, however, is not the message of Christianity. In fact, believing in yourself, in order to succeed in this world, goes directly against the message of Jesus.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:15-17, ESV)

In the above passage, Paul draws our attention to Abraham, the “forefather” of our faith, not because he believed in himself, but because he “believed God.” His trust was in what God had said, what God had promised to him.

The fact is that human beings are poor replacements for God as sources of confidence, hope, and strength. Abraham’s trust in God made him more confident, not less. Because of his faith, he left his safe home and set out on the greatest adventure of his life. Because he believed God, and not in himself, he took 318 men on a special forces mission to rescue his nephew from an evil king’s army.

And then there is David, the ultimate example of confidence in the Old Testament. As a boy, he stepped up to face the Philistine giant Goliath when everyone else trembled in fear. What gave David such great confidence? It was his faith in God: "David said to Saul, … ‘The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.’” (1 Samuel 17:34a,37, NIV)

We face many challenges and trials in this life, but every hardship we face will fade away completely when we die and come to stand before the holy God. When faced with his holiness, fully aware, as we have never been before, of how sinful we have been in our life, when all the secrets of our hearts are revealed, where will our boastful self-confidence and self-reliance be then? Our only hope is to believe, like Abraham, in “him who justifies the ungodly.” For when we have faith in God, no power in heaven and earth can separate us from his love.

 

Go Deeper / Questions

  • Read Galatians 6:11-14, Psalm 37:3-7, Jeremiah 17:5-10
  • What do these passages say is true about those who believe God?
  • Have you tried to be self-confident by believing in yourself? What does God say about this?
  • Does dependent trust in the promises of God make use weaker or stronger?
  • What is one practical step you can take this week to remind yourself to have faith in God?
  • Read the book Faith Alone by R.C. Sproul for a deeper understanding of the doctrine of Justification by Faith.