Peter called Lot “righteous” even though he lived among the wicked and came to a very bitter end. God called Noah Righteous even though he also came to a disgraceful end. Abraham is another man that God calls righteous. He’s righteous not because he’s perfect (thank you, Lord) but because he trusted God. Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”
Abraham was far from perfect. The story in Genesis chapter 20 is a perfect example. He lies to Abimelech about Sarah and lets him take her for his wife. But God intercedes and protects Abimelech from Abraham’s lie. Then, he blesses Abimelech, and Abimelech responds by blessing Abraham with great wealth. Clearly, we see the truth of Romans 8:28, “God works all things together for good, to those who love Him.” He even uses our sins for His own purposes. God doesn’t love us for what we can do for Him. His love for us is unconditional. But this is not a license to sin; it is confidence in spite of our falling into sin. We’ve all sinned in the past, and we’ll all sin in the future, and if the truth be shared, we are all sinning at the moment. There are sins of commission and sins of omission, as James instructed.
Most of you have heard the children’s hymn, “Jesus loves me. This I know for the bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, I am weak, but he is strong, yes, Jesus loves me.” There’s another verse that we don’t sing very often. It says, “Jesus loves me when I’m good, when I do the things that I should. Jesus loves me when I’m bad, even though it makes him sad.” Yes, Jesus loves me and you even when we’re bad also. Kent Hughes writes, “It is so common to think that God will love us more if we perform some great work, some external achievement. But the Bible (and here the story of Abraham and Abimelech) focuses on making a great heart. Here God was working in Abraham to create an unusual dependence upon him, because (Kent quotes Oswald Chambers here) ‘He chose and used somebodies only when they renounced dependence on their natural abilities and resources.’” It is faith that pleases God. Without faith “it’s impossible to please God.”
Abram and Sarai often failed in their “faith.” That’s rather surprising since Abram is known as the example of the faithful. But don’t ever think that his faith never faltered. It did, often! However, one of the major lessons regarding faith in Abram’s life is the lessons that teach us what happens when we fail to trust God. Looking up in faith in God and trusting Him is always the best course of action, even when it seems contrary to wisdom. Herschel Hobbs writes, “A person is not to rely on his or her own understanding or insight. At best, human knowledge is fragmentary. What may seem best to the individual at the moment may not be best in the long haul. Up-sight, not insight, is to be the governing factor of life. Then the person will have no reason to have regrets when viewing life from hindsight.”
In Genesis 18:14, we read about an angelic visit to Abraham and Sarah. We read a question the angel asked that should be a regular part of our daily thinking. The two angels appear, and Abraham prepares a meal for them. During their discussion, the Angel of the Lord informs Abraham that God is about to fulfill his promise to them of a child. Even though Abraham’s doubt caused him to look at Eleazar as his heir, then Lot, then Ishmael, the Angel now informed him that his wife Sarah was about to have the promised heir. In his “The Message” translation, Eugene Peterson records Sarah’s response: “Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “an old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old husband of mine?” I can hear my wife laugh if an angel said something like that to her, and I’m only 78! Kathy is only 73. Abraham was nearly 100! Sarah was about 90 years old.
The Holy Spirit’s indwelling work of regeneration is a guarantee of our eternal security. Our destiny is certain! Another facet of the Spirit’s work in our lives that provides confidence in our eternal destiny is the Spirit’s Baptism. Being baptized with the Holy Spirit, we are placed into the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body…” When we come to faith in Christ, the scriptures teach us that we are baptized into the Holy Spirit. We are vitally joined to the Messiah. We become members of His body. It is absurd to think a part of Christ’s body could ever possibly fall off of His Body.
When we come to faith in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to live within us. That Spirit takes up residence and claims our bodies as His sanctuary. Paul tells us that “… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God…” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit, living within us, begins His work of regeneration. We are declared to have new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states that all things have become new; Galatians 6:15 declares the believer to be a new creature or creation; Ephesians 2:10 teaches that believers have been created in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration makes one a new creation and creature.
One of the first things we like to find out about people is what they do for a living. When we think about people, we think about them professionally or occupationally. We like to put people in boxes that we can understand. Jesus was a carpenter. Robert Morey writes, “Those who grew up with Jesus in Nazareth assumed that He was, like his ‘father’ Joseph, a carpenter. And, of course, Jesus was a carpenter by trade for most of His life.” In Mark 6:2-3, the religious leaders were astounded by Jesus’ teachings and miracles, and they said, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” Carpenters don’t teach like that or perform miracles.