Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to this early Sunday
morning broadcast. My text for this morning will
be found in Romans chapter four, and if you could, I'd like for
you to follow along, but in Romans chapter four, let me just read
my text and I'll give you my title. In Romans four, just the
first five verses, the apostle Paul wrote these words. What
shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to
the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified
by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture,
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace,
but of debt. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. My title this morning is just
this. Three simple words, I took it directly from the text here. Abraham believed God. Abraham believed God. There is,
no doubt, much that I could concentrate on here this morning, but what
I want to center in on, what I want to try to concentrate
on is just that one phrase. It's seen in my title, and it's
found in verse three. Abraham believed God. Now, there's three thoughts before
I look at the message in earnest, three things. It does not say
here that Abraham believed in God, but we did. You hear that? I said, it doesn't say he believed
in God. Abraham believed in God, but
it's not what it says, Abraham believed God. Also, it does not
say Abraham believed there is a God. Though he did, he believed
there was a God. He believed there was, but that's
not what it says. It says, for what saith the scripture,
Abraham believed God. Do you see it? And also the third
thing, it does not say Abraham believed in only one God. Now
there is only one God. There are many idols and false
gods and gods of men's imagination, but there's only one true and
living God. the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob. It doesn't
say, though, that Abraham believed there was just one God, though
he did. He understood that, but it says,
our text says, Abraham believed God. You see, God's Holy Spirit
breathed word, this Bible. this inspired word of God, this
word that God Almighty, by the power of his spirit, moved upon
certain men who wrote these books, moved upon them to write exactly
what God intended for man to hear. And God says this, for
what saith the scripture? So that lets us know, Paul quoting
from the Old Testament, And doing it in the New Testament, this
is Old and New Testament doctrine. It is the same, it's the same
truth. For what saith the scripture, Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. So God's Holy Spirit, this Holy
Spirit breathed word says in our text, just that simple fact,
Abraham believed God. Now what I want to try to do
this morning, is just express to you two simple facts, two
simple facts from the scripture concerning Abraham believing
God. The first thing is this. I'll
have a couple things to say under that first heading, and then
the second thing, I'll have about four things to say under that
heading. But the first point is this. What does it mean there? Abraham believed God. It means
this. Here's my first point. Abraham
took God at his word. That's what it means. Abraham
believed God. Abraham took God at his word. Now we can see this
in Genesis chapter 12, and if you're following along, turn
there, Genesis chapter 12. While you're turning, I'll make
this statement. Think of it, Abraham believed God. That's
our text, that's what I'm talking about. Abraham believed God.
It means that, simply stated, Abraham took God at his word.
You see, God had promised Abraham's physical well-being, God had
called Abraham to come out from among his kinfolk, and God gave
Abraham messianic promise. And Abraham just believed God.
He just took God at his word. And this is what Moses wrote
concerning Abraham. In Genesis chapter 12, we read
these words. Genesis chapter 12, verse one.
Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, get thee out of thy country and
from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that
I will shew thee. and I will make thee of a great
nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great, and
thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless
thee and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee, here it is,
here's that gospel, here's that messianic promise. Paul lets
us know that in the New Testament. And in thee shall all the families
of the earth be blessed. So Abraham departed as the Lord
had spoken unto him. Do you see it? He just believed
God. God said, I'll take care of you. I'm taking you somewhere
else. You come out from among them,
come out from among them, be a separate, leave those families,
leave all the counties, leave it behind. And I'll make you
a great nation. I'll bless you. And in you, in
you shall all the families of the earth, all the nations of
the earth be blessed. And what did Abraham do? He just
believed God. You see it? He just believed
God. And so Abraham, or so Abram,
I'm sorry, and so Abram departed. You see it? What? He just believed
God. You know, faith is just so simple. So simple. Yet it takes the act of God for
us to do it. An act of God in free grace and mercy. So remember,
I just said, this thing of Abraham believing God is Abraham took
God at his word. So God gave him this word, Abram
departed. Also, not only is that true,
in Abraham taking God at his word. Think of this, and we go
back to the text in Romans chapter four again. And we'll look at
what it says there about Abraham believing God. Think about it.
Abraham believed God's promise of his having a son. That is,
God told Abraham, you're gonna have a son. And Abraham believed
God's promise of his having a son, in spite of all the physical
impossibilities that were upon Abraham. And we read that, of
course, in Romans chapter four, and let me just begin in verse
17, and I'll make a few statements as we read. As it is written,
now, Paul is quoting again from the Old Testament. As it is written,
quoting from Genesis, as it is written, I have made thee a father
of many nations. No, he's already had. I made
you a father of many nations. He hadn't had even the first
son yet. But when God says something's going to happen, it's going to
happen. So what did Abraham do? He just believed God. And it's
written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom
he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things
which be not as though they were. Abraham had no posterity yet,
but he said, I'm gonna make you a great nation. You see, a father
of many nations. And he hadn't seen anything.
He just believed God. He just took God at his word.
Who, verse 18, who against hope believed in hope. Why is that?
because one, Abraham, at this time, was too old to have children. His wife, Sarah, in the beginning
was barren, we see that in Genesis chapter 11, and at the time this
promise was made, she was too old to have children, even if
she wasn't barren. So think of it, in that light,
who against hope, believed in hope. All the circumstances were
against himself and Sarah. He was too old, she was too old,
and she was barren. But who against hope believed
in hope? What was this hope? It wasn't
a wish. God had promised. God had said it. Abraham believed
God. Abraham took God at his word.
Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the
father of many nations according to that which is spoken, so shall
thy seed be. And being not weak in faith,
he considered, look at it, Paul tells us exactly what I've just
told to you. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his
own body now dead, too old to sire a child, his own body being
dead. When he was about 100 years old,
neither yet the deadness, the deadness of Sarah's womb. Do
you see that? He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God. And here it is. Remember I told
you, Abraham believed God. Abraham took God's word, look
at it, verse 21, and being fully persuaded that what he, that
is God, that what he had promised, he, that is God, was able to
perform. Abraham knew this was gonna be
all of God. It's not up to me, it's up to him. It's not my works,
it's his works, and that's exactly what we read in Romans four,
verses one through five. It's not about us doing something
for God, it's about God doing something for us. He staggered
and nodded, the promise of God through unbelief. But you see,
it was strong in faith. You see it? Strong in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what God
had promised, God was able to perform, and therefore, it was
imputed to him for righteousness. Somebody says, well, but why
does God do that? Because he can. because he desires
to do so. How can God do that? Because
he can. Because he desires to do so.
Abraham just flat believed God. He just believed God. He just
took God at his word. So we see it's that simple. And
yet in light of the circumstances, it was that profound, that impossible,
unless God says it's gonna happen. Do you see it? Unless God says
it's gonna happen. So here's the second thought
about this. Abraham believed God. Remember, first thing that
he took God is God's word. But here's the second thought
this morning. God honored the gift God gave to Abraham. Do you see it? Isn't that amazing
with God? God gave Abraham this marvelous
gift of faith, called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees, said,
get up and get out. He departed because he believed God. But
where did that come from? Where did that ability, if you
will, that faith come from? It came from God. And clearly,
this is what the scripture says. In Ephesians chapter two, we
read this clearly from the Apostle Paul when he states these words,
excuse me, he states these words about grace, about faith, and
about salvation, and they're all three connected. All three
connect. There's never any salvation without
grace. There's never any faith without
grace. Where there's grace, there's always gonna be faith and salvation.
Where there's faith, there's always been grace. There will
be salvation. Where there's salvation, there's always been faith given
and also grace. Look at it. Here's what Paul
said, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves. If you believe God, I said, if
you believe God, if I believe God, it wasn't me. It wasn't
God's done his part, now I gotta do mine. It wasn't God's, God'll
do his part. If you'll do yours, no, God must
do his part. And that's all the part that's
needed, his part. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. So when Abraham believed God, it was because God gave
him the faith to do so. This is what the whole of the
scripture speaks of. The whole of the scripture. Faith
is God's free, unearned, undeserved, unmerited, unwarranted, on man's
part, gift of God. This is not about us mustering
it up. We don't have it by nature. This
is about God giving it. God gives faith, you'll take
God at his word. you'll believe God. And then
not only that, then God will honor the very gift that he gave
to you. You see it? First of all, note
it. It's the gift of God. But also in Ephesians chapter
one, we will see this. I'll read it to you in just a
moment. Think about this. Abraham took God at his word. He believed
God. God honored the gift God gave
Abraham. Abraham just believed God. That
gift is free. But this, this active character
of faith, that is believing, believing, or faithing. Some
have said faithing. It's certainly fine. It's not,
we don't find that in the KJV, and people don't use it much,
but faithing, it's the active part of faith. It's faith in
action. The active character of faith is wrought, think about
it, is wrought by the resurrection power of God. Did you know that?
Does your preacher tell you that? Or does he indicate to you a
faith is something you kind of muster up, you kind of work up
for God? If you do this for God, God will do that for you. That's
not what this book says. Look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians
chapter one. And let's begin in verse 19.
This is Paul's continuing his prayer for the church of Ephesus,
the people at Ephesus. And he writes these words in
Ephesians 119, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to usward who believe, Look at that next phrase. According to
the working of his mighty power. Do you see that? Not only is
faith, that is the ability to believe, not only is it the gift
of God, but the active character of it, the believing, Abraham
believed God. Abraham took God at his word,
takes the power of God. It's not God gives you faith
and then you gotta keep working it up and using it correctly. It is what? And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the
working of his mighty power. And he illustrates it, which
he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Do you
see it? Abraham believed God, and it
took resurrection power for him to do so. That's a gift of God. That's salvation by grace. That's
what the word of God calls, what the apostle Paul calls free grace,
and he calls reigning grace. This is not some offer. This
is not God making it possible. This is not God making it available. This is God giving it. And then
God not just giving it like you'd wind up a clock and then just
let it go. God gives it and then God by his power is the one that
works it out. Which he wrought in Christ when
he raised him from the dead and set him in his own right hand
in the heavenly places. Look, far above, that's not just
talking about place. It's talking about the power
again, the position. far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and
hath put all things under Christ's feet. Do you see it? He's conquered
them. They're under his feet. Do you
see it? And it put all things under his
feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church,
which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."
Oh, praise God. Abraham believed God. Abraham,
he just, what? He just took God at his word.
And then God honored the faith God gave Abraham, right? We see
that faith was God's gift. We see that the active character
of faith that is believing, Abraham believed God, the active character
of faith is wrought by the power of God. But here's that third
point. Faith is not what we do for God,
it is God's power wrought in us. If anyone preaching talks
to you about you need to come up with faith so God will bless
you, They're not telling the truth about the operation of
God in salvation. Salvation is an act of God, not
an act of man. And what did our text say? And
what shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the
flesh, to himself, to what he was by nature, what did he find?
For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof the
glory, but not before God. He may have tried to justify
himself before other people if he'd have done it that way. He
may have tried to justify himself before himself if he'd have done
it that way. He believed God. For if Abraham
were justified by works, he hath whereof the glory, but not before
God. For what saith the scripture,
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace,
but of debt. But let me tell you, God don't
owe us anything. God don't owe us anything. Now to him that
worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt, but to
him that worketh not. Do you see it? Abraham didn't
work, he just believed God. He just took God at his word.
And God turned around and blessed the very faith that God had gifted
Abraham with. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly. That's right, the
ungodly. If God gives the ungodly faith,
they believe. And you know what, that's the
only kind of people God ever gives faith, is the ungodly. As long
as you think you deserve it, as long as you think you can
earn it, as long as you think you can merit it, as long as
you think you can muster it up, you'll never have it. But when
God shuts you up and sets you down, then God'll pour upon you
the free gift of faith. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. So as I said, God honored the
very gift God gave Abraham. He gave it as a free gift. The
active power of it, the believing of it, was by God himself. And
again, I said the third thing, faith is not what we do for God,
it is God's power wrought in us. Now here's the fourth thing,
and it's right here in chapter four as well. So remember, God
honored the gift God gave Abraham. That's faith. Now we can see
God honoring the gift he gave Abraham in chapter four, verse
three. What for? What saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was what? Now think about this.
I want to emphasize this. It was counted to him for righteousness. You see it? Righteousness before
God, not before others. That's not the point. was before
God, righteousness before God. God honored that. Look at verse
five. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. The ungodly have
nothing to present to God. You gonna present your sin to
God as righteousness? Of course not. But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith, do you see it? His faith is counted for righteousness. We also see this in verses 10,
11, and 12. Look at it, look at it. How was
it then reckoned, verse 10? The what reckoned? The righteousness.
How was it then reckoned? In what state was Abraham when
he reckoned? Was Abraham serving the Lord
and working for the Lord? No, Abraham believed God. It
was counted to him for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? When
he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision,
but in uncircumcision. Abraham was even still uncircumcised
when he believed God, you see. The circumcision came later,
came later. But when he believed God, it
was counted to him for righteousness. Didn't have any circumcision.
Look, and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised,
that he might be the father of all them that believe, though
they be not circumcised. Isn't that glorious? Isn't that
glorious? That righteousness might be imputed
unto them also. Isn't that just profound? and
the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision
only, but circumcision alone don't cut it, it don't do it,
but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham
when he had been yet uncircumcised, and what did he do when he was
yet uncircumcised? He just believed God. Abraham believed God and it was
counted to him for righteousness. Now consider this. Abraham had no law to keep. Law
hadn't been given. The law was some 400 plus years
given after Abraham's time. Abraham had no law to keep. He
believed God. He believed God. Abraham had
no articles of faith to adhere to. I hear men bragging about,
these are our articles of faith. We adhere to this article of
faith. We can adhere to this confession of faith. Abraham
had none of that. Abraham just believed God, you
see. Abraham had no law to keep, he believed God. Abraham had
no articles of faith to adhere to, he just, he just believed
God. And God counted it to him for
righteousness. Abraham had no church creed. Abraham had no
rules to follow. God wasn't laying out here specific
rules. Okay, you need to do this at
this situation, and you need to do that at this situation.
Abraham just believed God. And as God led him and directed
him, then Abraham did what? He just kept on believing God. As a matter of fact, the writer
of Hebrews says concerning Abraham, as well as many others, these
all died in faith. They died believing God. Isn't that glorious? It's glorious
for this reason, for what saith the scripture, Abraham believed
God, and it was canon unto him for righteousness. My friend,
it's okay just to believe God. He'll guide you. He'll lead you. He'll direct you. He'll correct
you. He'll rebuke you. He'll chastise
you. It's all a work of God. Just
believe God. He believed God. Now, I want
you to stay right there in Romans four if you follow along. I want
you to hear the glory of Abraham believing God as it pertains
to us. It pertains to you and I today. Now listen to what Paul
continued writing, and we'll go on. I read all the way down
through verse like 18, 19, 20, but I'm gonna start in 19. Look
at what it says. And being not weak in faith,
he, that is Abraham, considered not his own body now dead, when
he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and here is faith defined,
here's believing God defined, and being fully persuaded that
what God had promised, he was able to perform. You see, God
don't give you faith so you can perform. He gives you faith and
he does the performing in you. And therefore it was imputed
unto him for righteousness. But that's not just a sweet,
nice story that we can sit back and say, oh, thank goodness for
Abraham. Look at what it says. Verse 23. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him. How? By just believing.
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed
to him, but for us also. It's written for you and me.
Listen, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe. You see that? But for us also,
to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses
and was raised again for our, or on account of our justification. Do you see it? Isn't that glorious?
I ask you, do you believe God? Do you believe God? Yes, I know
it'll take an act of God for you to do so. and it will take
the power of God for you to continue to do so. Oh, but if you can,
if you can, if you're able, God enabled you. God give you the
can. Do you believe God? Oh, what
a glory to read. Listen, what sayeth, what shall
we say then of Abraham, our father, pertaining to the flesh that
found? What do we say about it? Nothing. He found nothing pertaining
to the flesh. Nothing but misery and sorrow
and defeat. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath were
of the glory, but not before God. For what sayeth the scripture,
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness?
The same is true of you and I. You and I, right now today, if
we believe God.