20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
Paul brought out the character of Abraham’s faith in this verse.
There is a double contrast in Abraham’s faith:
He did not doubt God’s promise.
God strengthened his faith.
20 He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through [by] unbelief,
The word “waver” means divided, act as judge, decide between. Sometimes we translate this word as doubt (Ja 1:6). Doubt is a divided mind, a dialoguing mind, a mind that vacillates between faith and uncertainty. Abraham did not doubt God’s promise. He did not waver at the seeming impossibility of having a child by Sarah in his 100th year and her 90th year. He did not permit unbelief to judge God’s promise. The nature of faith is to trust God.
He 10:23, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
but was strengthened [passive voice—confirmed by God] in faith,
Abraham was empowered (Greek is passive) by faith in God’s words. His faith derived from God. It was not Abraham’s faith per se that gave him strength; it was the God of his faith that gave him strength.
Faith can grow stronger. Faith is the proper answer to God’s promises.
giving glory to God,
Abraham acknowledged the manifestation of God’s capacity to do what He said He was going to do. He was fully confident in God’s power. Ultimately, we stand in a dependent relationship to God. Our faith glorifies God because it asserts His trustworthy attributes.
PRINCIPLE:
It is the God of our faith, not our faith per se, that gives us powerful faith.
APPLICATION:
We never glorify God apart from faith. Since God can never change His mind, we can count on Him. He does not promise one thing one day and the reverse of it the next day. Wistful hope is not faith. Truth faith is taking God at His word.
Faith is no vague notion. Genuine faith holds to God’s promises regardless of circumstance. It is God, not faith, that gives us strong faith. We have nothing except the commitments of God toward us. That is why we should develop faith as an ongoing attitude. This brings us into close fellowship with the Lord.
Many Christians vacillate between faith and doubt. When things go well, they trust God. When things go badly, they doubt Him. Everyone struggles with his or her faith, but a struggling faith is not the same as doubt. Weak faith capitulates to doubt. Testing will prove how strong our faith is.
I appreciate what you stated about, struggling faith is not the same as doubt. When so much adversity comes our way, it can knock us down. At times, when adversity comes my way, I wonder if by my struggling, am I doubting. I know God can do anything and He keeps His promises….the doubt I have is more in me about me…I doubt myself.
Thanks for your comments Judy. My book Certainty, a Place to Stand deals with this subject.
I had something ask me the other day in light of Romans 4:20, how can we say Abraham did not doubt God's plan when he took matters into his own hands and had a son through Hagar? Thoughts?
My thoughts on this is, Sarah, like we all can be at times, started thinking, well maybe it is through Hagar and she told Abraham…she (Sarah) got ahead of God. A woman can influnce a man….like in the Garden of Eden… Eve influnced Adam. The man has the Authority but a woman carries the influnce. After waiting and waiting, sometimes, we all can get to thinking, maybe it is this way or that way. Ishmael came from flesh thinking….Isaach came from God's promise. God keeps his promise to us but when we get ahead of God, like we all do from time to time, we do reap the consequences but God keeps his Word."Faltering steps of dependence are not lack of faith; they are links to my presence." (this quote comes from Sarah Young Devotional).
Jake, there is a difference between Abhaham's saving faith (Ge 15:6) of which he did not waver and his operating faith of which he did waver.
Can you expand on saving faith vs operating faith.
It seems like , if Abraham really, really believed what God said Hagar would not have entered the picture.
Did he not wavier here at the promise of God by listening to Sarah.
It appears he was not fully convinced at the promise of God in verse 21 or Ishmael would not have happened.
Where’s the line in the sand between saving faith and operating faith.
This is an important principal to understand more clearly .
It’s easy to rationalize away our unbelief.
I think we all struggle with unbelief as believers. I know I do. Worry or anxiety is just evidence that we don’t believe that God has our problem.
As ambassadors for Christ it is important that we walk the talk to an unbelieving world.
What am I missing here. It certainly seems like Abram was not walking the talk when Hagar entered the picture. To an unbeliever saying that saving faith is not the same as operating faith is just a cop out.
I appreciate your teaching here but I struggle with what’s the difference between the two so it doesn’t sound like its a cop out.
Paul seems to address this problem in Romans 7. The things I want to do are the very things I don’t do .
Your input would be much appreciated.
Jim, thanks again for a thoughtful blog. I do not believe there is a difference in substance between saving faith and operating faith. In once case Abraham believed God for salvation–the promise of justification (Ge 15:6). In another sense he exercised that same kind of faith in his daily walk by regularly appropriating God’s promises to his experience.
Hi Jim . Abraham believed God was going to give him a son. He had a lapse in judgment in how it would happen though. He thought he had to work for it. I think this gives us a peek at our forgiving, gracious, long suffering, Heavenly Father. After Ishmael was born, God reaffirmed the promise of a son to Abraham. Abraham listened to the promise and said “let Ishmael live forever” and God said, “no, I’m giving you a son with Sarah and I’ll do something special with Ishmael too. My promise is with Isaac. “ He didn’t authorize what happened with Hagar. But God is faithful even when we stumble. He waits for us, forgives us and He never forsakes us or leaves us. Thanks be to our almighty God. Trust in God’s timing. ❤️