Throughout the Bible, we can find different statements that affirm that Abraham is the father of faith, but what does that mean? Why Abraham, who lived in the Old Testament era, is the father of faith? These are some common questions that we are going to answer in this article. Show
The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God, that is, that every believer should have a measure of faith which he should strive to increase in order to live a life according to God’s will, therefore, let’s see why Abraham is the father of faith and thus apply his example in our daily life. Abraham is the father of faith because he fought against hope and because he lived according to what the Lord had promised him even though it was practically impossible for his promise to be real, that is, he went beyond his limitations. Contents
The father of faith according to the BibleThe Bible says that Abraham was the father of faith. This means that all who are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus are his spiritual descendants. This is because the final fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham is realized in Christ, who extends the blessings of salvation to all the peoples of the earth (Galatians 3:18; Genesis 12:3). But in addition to being known as the father of faith, Abraham is still called in the Bible “the friend of God” (2 Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23). This demonstrates the faithful relationship he had with the Lord. However, although he was a friend of God and a father of faith, Abraham was not perfect, but his faith matured over time. So Abraham is a great example for all who desire to walk by faith. In history, Abraham faced many difficulties and trials. However, it is in the midst of adversity that true faith is perfected and shown even more clearly. And it was no different with Abraham, the father of faith. Related: Why is Isaac the son of the Promise? Abraham’s journey of faithWe know very little about Abraham’s life before he was called by God. The Bible only tells us that his father’s name was Terah and that his family lived in Mesopotamia, in the city of Ur. The city of Ur, which later became known as Ur of the Chaldeans, was a pagan city that worshipped the moon god. In other words, Ur was an important center of idolatry in Mesopotamia, and it was in this environment that Abraham was raised. Before being called in Ur, the father of faith did not know the true God. After the Fall, man suppressed the truth of God through unrighteousness; he rejected the knowledge of God through deception; he exchanged the glory of the true God for false gods (Romans 1:18-32). Abraham lived exactly like this. Not only did he not know the true God, he did not deserve to know him. But in his great grace, God called Abraham out of the midst of idolatry (Joshua 24:2). God chose and commissioned that man who would be known in history as the father of faith. God called him out of his land and from among his kindred (Genesis 12). This shows that Abraham’s call was so radical that he had to make a definitive break with his old way of life. See also: The story of King David Abraham abandoned his old way of life to live by faith.Abraham had to abandon whatever form of idolatry and paganism he had learned. He had to leave the comfort of his land and the security of his father’s house, to set out for an unknown land, and to depend totally on God. In the life of Abraham, the father of faith, we can clearly see the sovereignty of God in the fulfillment of his purposes. In spite of the fact that Abraham lived in a society completely given to a strange cult with the worship of false gods, in a sovereign way God chose him and called him. In this way, we can observe that it is not man who discovers God, but God who reveals himself to man. Salvation belongs to God, because it is He, in His grace, who calls the lost sinner. See here: What does the shield of Faith mean in the Bible? The challenges of Abraham, the father of faithThose who think that Abraham, the father of faith, had an easy life are mistaken. Although he was fulfilling the Lord’s command and trusting in his word, Abraham faced many trials. In fact, before becoming a great example of faith, Abraham had to go through the school of faith. The father of faith had to learn to obey.When God called Abraham, He commanded him to leave the midst of his relatives and his land. But Abraham ended up taking his father and nephew with him. Abraham’s incomplete obedience ended up causing him problems in the future. First, Abraham’s journey was delayed because instead of going directly to Canaan, he stopped in the city of Haran until the death of his father. Then Abraham had problems with his nephew Lot, and had to separate from him. See also: Did God abandon Jesus on the Cross? The father of faith needed to learn not to cling to human limits.Abraham, the father of faith, also had to face the challenge of impossibility. When Abraham left Haran in obedience to the Lord’s command, he was already an old man and the husband of a barren wife. Abraham and Sarah formed the most unlikely couple possible to be the parents of a great nation. But God’s purposes are not limited to human possibility. So in that sense it was a great step of faith for Abraham to receive the promise of the Lord. See here: Who was the prophet Elijah in the Bible? The father of faith needed to learn to trust fully in God.Some specific occasions in Abraham’s life revealed his weakness and imperfection. After leaving Haran, Abraham finally went to Canaan. There the Lord appeared to him again and assured him that he would give that land to his descendants. Abraham even built altars to the Lord in that territory. But then came a terrible crisis in that region. Abraham should have trusted God, but instead he went to Egypt. And in Egypt Abraham revealed a kind of sinful concession he had made with his wife. The two had agreed that they would hide their marital relationship in order to prevent Abraham from being killed by anyone interested in Sarah. In those days it could happen that foreign husbands were killed by powerful men in a city who wanted to keep their wives. But Abraham should have trusted God. However, he chose to fear men rather than the Lord. Even Abraham erred in the same way in Egypt and then in Gerar (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18). On another occasion, Abraham agreed to follow his wife’s plan and take a shortcut to fulfill God’s promise of fatherhood. This brought him family problems. On these occasions, Abraham could have blown it all because the father of faith was lacking. Related: The story of Hagar in the Bible However, the Lord, who is faithful to His Word, prevented the worst from happening and preserved the covenant family. God accomplishes his purposes through man and in spite of man. Abraham’s faith grew steadilyIn all the adversities Abraham faced, his faith was continually being perfected. Even the maturity of Abraham’s faith was revealed when the Lord asked him for his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Isaac was the son of promise, but Abraham did not hesitate to obey the Lord’s request. Even on this occasion the father of faith went through the school of faith. The writer of Hebrews writes that Abraham’s faith was so great that he was certain that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:18). Related: Bible Study on Faith The example of Abraham, the father of faithAs has been said, Abraham was not perfect. He needed to perfect himself until he could take great leaps of faith. But true faith led Abraham to change, to obey, to trust, to pursue a goal, to strive and to never stagnate. True faith is always accompanied by right actions, attitudes of obedience and good works. The apostle Paul explains that action without faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Furthermore, there is no doubt that the believer is justified by faith, but it is also true that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). Obedience demonstrates the truthfulness of faith. In time, Abraham understood that the faithfulness of the Word of the Lord was absolute. And here we can learn from the father of faith that a life of faith is always a life guided by the Word of God. True faith leads us to obedience, and there is no other source of knowledge, no other compass to guide the believer than the Word of God. Therefore, we can conclude that Abraham teaches us that faith increases as our obedience to God advances. If you want to learn more about Abraham’s life and why he is considered the father of faith, we recommend the following video. What was Abraham known for?Abraham is best known for the depth of his faith. In the book of Genesis he obeys unquestioningly the commands of God and is ready to follow God's order to sacrifice Isaac, a test of his faith, though in the end God substitutes a ram for his son.
Why is Abraham called the father of all?Historically, Abraham became known as “The Father of Many Nations” through a promise given to him by God. Throughout history, he has been venerated by three different religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It was Abraham's faith in the “one true living God” that has built kingdoms and divided nations.
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Abraham is known as the father of
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