Faith of Our Fathers and Mothers
Good Morning Friends,
Ok if I’m a good person, then God should feel good about me. Right? The better I am the more God likes me. Right? I come to church, pay my tithe, do good works, obey God and don’t do any obvious sins God should open up His heavenly check book and answer my prayers. Right?
WRONG! This kind of faulty thinking is widespread but I think was especially true for the Jews who received Paul’s letter to the Roman church. You see Jews felt that they were something special because of their obedience to the law and their relationship to Abraham. But Paul has something else in store for them – and us. Paul has made three really important points: we are justified by faith, not works, and Jews and Gentiles, men and women alike have equal access to this justification. Now he expands on the point by using Abraham as an example. Abraham, our forefather, discovered that he was not justified by works but that in the act of believing righteousness was credited to him. But there is something missing in the story line. Abraham, Jesus and Paul lived in a patriarchal society and yet strong women in their lives in the persons of Sarah, Mary and Lydia must have been witness that there was a matriarch role as well. Something as magnificent as what God had planned was to take both the Faith of our Fathers and Mothers.
Scripture: That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God’s decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That’s not a holy promise; that’s a business deal. A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise—and God’s promise at that—you can’t break it. This is why the fulfillment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God’s promise arrives as pure gift. That’s the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions and those who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father—that’s reading the story backward. He is our faith father.
Romans 4:13-16 (Message)
It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.
Hebrews 11:17 NCV
Message: C’mon, guys, give poor Sarah a break. One hasty snicker, and her reputation is ruined forever? Not all translations are as kind as the NCV. But there is more to the message of faith that involves Sarah too and it is a love story. Abram was not born with a halo around his head either…. he was a pagan too until God said to him… “I want you” and Abram said “OK,” and that was it. But let us not forget that Abram and Sarah had similar faith conversions. Had they done anything at that point? No. God made a promise and they just said, “OK, we believe You.” It is that simple and that wonderful and that freeing. The only way to please God is to believe. But here is the hook. If you really believe you will want to do more having received the gift and you cannot really believe unless you love. You see not just Abraham has a role in this faith story. It is the story of Sarah’s faith as well and in many ways, it is even more powerful for it is a love story of her faith in God as the mother of the Jewish race invariably entwined with her love for her husband, Abraham. Really the story is more remarkably beautiful than Sarah’s stunning physical characteristics. It is because of Sarah’ inner beauty that Sarah remains one of the most important female figures in world history. But do not miss the message of this marriage of faith and love. It is reflected time and time again in the Bible. Pray it is reflected in your life.
Pray we realize that God is not an employer that goes into debt or a Santa Claus that checks his list to see who has been naughty of nice. Pray we realize we cannot earn love. Pray we ignore human difficulty. Pray we have a simple trust in God. Pray we act out our faith. Pray we trust in God no matter what. Pray we realize faith’s endless power. Pray we rejoice in God’s enduring patience. Pray we embrace God’s eternal promise. Pray we have faith that God is going to set things right. Pray we realize we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. Pray we rejoice in the marriage of faith and love in the grace of God reflected in our lives.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 