The Eye of Faith

Notice the starting point: revelation. God appeared to Abraham. He appeared to Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:18). The gospel begins not with us, but with a God who reveals himself, to Abraham, to Paul, and to us.

Abraham was a hot topic among rabbis in Paul’s day. A tradition had grown up that God entered into covenant with Abraham on the basis of his works, perhaps on a faulty reading of “reward” in v. 1. It was God himself who was Abraham’s “reward,” as the TNIV translation of v. 1 helps to make clear. It was to refute this idea of Abraham’s works that Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, pointing out that God made a promise, and Abraham simply believed. Another translation of v. 6 could be: “The Lord considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty.” Verse 6 implies nothing about the moral character of Abraham, but asserts simply that his belief in—and action upon—God’s words demonstrated that he was right in his relationship with God. God made the covenant on the basis of Abraham’s faith.

It is no different for us. God has taken the initiative, and the only right response to the revelation of God is worship, humility and faith. The promise that God made to Abraham was staggering. The outworking of that promise in the covenant family of Jesus Christ is no less staggering. Nothing we do can earn membership in that family; we can only respond in faith to his call. But once we are members, God asks us to live out our membership with everything we have. Praise God for the faithful love he has for his creation.

Have you responded to God’s great plea of love? How does it make a difference as you live your life today? How are you living out your membership in God’s family?