The Old Testament patriarch Abraham is called the “father of the faith” for good reason–he is. The childless man changed from heathen to saint, thereby setting the example for all of mankind to follow. What has been traditionally identified as proof of his faith revolves around one factor–his trust in God’s promise to provide a son for him and his elderly wife. This faith merely required him to wait. To fully grasp the depth of his faith we must set aside the promise of a child and return to the beginning of his relationship with the Lord. It was there, long before God promised him a son, that Abraham began to prove his faith.

Before there was a promise of offspring, there was the promise of forgiveness of Abraham’s sins. First, he had to accept the fact that he was a sinner–that he, his family and his entire nation were idolators who had worshiped false gods for generations. This must been a severe blow to his pride. Being wealthy and popular, he surely believed that he was on the right religious track. Now he was facing a previously non-existant God Who was telling him that he was wrong, and that he had to affect a 180 degree reversal of beliefs, behavior, thoughts, etc. This One Who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere was telling him that everything he and his people had believed and practiced of a spiritual nature since time immemorial was wrong. These Words must have been devastating for Abraham. After recovering from the initial shock, Abraham had to believe what he was hearing, confess his idolatry, repent of it, then believe and obey this strange God Who claimed to have forgiven him of sins he did not know he was committing. God had to have told Abraham all these things for him to have believed them. Incredibly, ABRAHAM BELIEVED WHAT GOD SAID, which is the FIRST PART of what defines Biblical faith: “Faith comes by hearing … the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Abraham heard God’s Words, believed them and received forgiveness (justification–removal of all PAST sins-Rom. 3:25), which rendered him righteous. However, wise Abraham knew that his faith and the removal of all his PAST sins did not make him right with God; it merely rendered him justified–sinless–righteous, a condition in which he would remain until he sinned–disobeyed God’s Words. Since Abraham’s day this process has never varied. From that time to the present, in order to become one with God one must believe God’s Word, realize one’s sins, repent, ask for forgiveness, be converted (a total reversal of life-style–obey God’s Word) and remain in that condition until the end.

It is at the conversion point that the new “convert” is directed away from God’s track and onto Satan’s track. Here is where false prophets, family, friends, etc. counsel him that he need not believe God’s Word, that he need only believe and obey church doctrine. He is, in fact, told not to delve too deeply into the Bible, but to listen to his religious leaders who would provide him with the “real truth”–church doctrine. Having been deceived into believing that he has been instantly “saved” and “born again,” and being totally dependent upon his religious leaders for “truth,” the new believer sees no need to, nor is he instructed to, “Study to show thyself approved of God.” Nor does he need to go to the trouble to “Prove all things.” Because of his self-inflicted ignorance of the things of God he lives the rest of his life in the bliss of Satanic deception which comes from the false prophets his god (Satan) places before him. This renders him “… ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth.” As a result, he never realizes that the faith he believes has saved, rebirthed and justified him is “dead” because it was not followed by obedience to God’s Word. These “works of faith” are commanded by God in the second chapter of the Book of James, verses 10-20.

Contrary to “faith only” advocates, an Abrahamic level of obedience to the Ten Commandment Law (including the fourth) is necessary in order to maintain one’s justification/righteousness: “For not the hearers of the Law are just(ified) before God, but the DOERS OF THE LAW shall be (remain) justified” (Rom. 2:13). This retained justification will enable one to receive salvation at the return of the Lord. Without such “works of the Law written in the heart” (Rom. 2:15), one cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Salvation is based on obedience to God’s Word/Law. One either believes it and obeys it unto salvation, or one is eternally separated from God: “Thy sins have separated between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2). Sin is the transgression of the Law: “To transgress the Law is sin; for SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW” (1 Jn.3:4). Abraham believed God’s Word/Law and “walked” it. Children of Abraham do the same by walking in the footsteps of faithful Abraham. Notice that one is commanded a physical “walk” that is directly connected to one’s mental “walk”–faith. One without the other is “dead”–either one’s walk or one’s faith is “dead.” To claim to be a child of Abraham while not obeying the God of Abraham makes one a “liar” (1 Jn. 2:4). This the Counterfeit Church does constantly by claiming to believe God while openly rejecting most of what He said, making her “of Satan” (1 Jn. 3:8).

All men are under the Law as long as they live (Rom. 7:1). God will judge all men by that Law/Word (Jn. 12:48/Rom. 2:2). Jesus declared that God’s Word is Truth (Jn. 17:17). To be a child of Abraham one must believe the Truth and obey (DO/WORK) that Truth as did father Abraham. L.J.