"[Abraham]...against hope believed in hope...And being not weak in faith...He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God...And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform...Now it was not written for his sake alone...But for us also..."
(Excerpts Rom. 4:18-21;23-24)
Those familiar with the Old Testament and the life of Abraham, as recorded there, are aware of a seeming discrepancy when compared to the New Testament, as we find in the above portion of scripture; that is, if one is a spiritual thinker. The fact is, Abraham staggered like a drunken man, outwardly, when it came to his faith. Like so many of us, he (and his wife) attempted to help God along with His promise, so to speak.
What is the answer to this supposed contradiction? Simple-he had a strong faith but a weak flesh. We are like the buoy; it may be tossed to and fro on the surface but below the surface it is sure and steadfast (Heb. 6:19). Jesus taught this principle to His disciples when telling them that the Spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. Paul understood this truth when he mentioned earthen vessels with a treasure within (2 Cor. 4:7).
Read that well-known chapter on faith as found in Hebrews chapter eleven, if you have any doubts as to how a great faith can dwell in a faulty vessel; the chapter is God's portrait of men and women who, in spite of human frailties, accomplished astounding things, by faith, for God's glory. Marred vessels have been known to possess uncanny faith, both in Bible times and Church history. Faith can have and do anything within the will of God, no matter where it is found!
"With faith, all that a person ought to be, they can be; and all that they ought to do, they can do."
(anonymous)
By An Old Disciple
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