DOES IT SEEM HARD TO BELIEVE?

“Understand then that those who believe are children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7)

Can we confidently state that faith is the basis of our right standing with God? The apostle Paul speaks clearly of faith in the day that marked the beginning of the Galatian Christian life. They found peace with God through faith alone. (Gal. 3) Does this seem hard to believe? However, we have yet another scriptural illustration for our clarification.

There were no lights and cables; no camera crews to follow his every step; but Abraham is enshrined in the scriptures as a great example of one who took God at His word. Even in New Testament times, his faith in God was credited to him for righteousness. (Romans 4:3) Faith had been the means of Abraham’s acceptance with God. He had become a Jew by the initial rite of Judaism (circumcision), but prior to that he had been a believer in God’s word. His “trademark” was his simple faith in God’s promise. We read that Abraham was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:21) He had not earned his salvation nor deserved it either. (Gal. 3: 6, 22) His responsibility had been simply to receive it by believing what he heard. (Gal. 3: 2, 5) Could it really be as simple as that?

Even now, we can know this truth only when we open our empty hands and fine-tune our spiritual ears to receive what Christ alone can give to us. Let us receive the Holy Spirit and take the apostle’s words to heart: “Do not get drunk on wine . . . instead be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18) Those who consume alcohol will tell you the only way to stay drunk is to keep drinking. The phrase, “be filled,” is nautical terminology. It refers to the filling of a ship’s sails with the wind. This results in the ship going wherever the wind blows it. When you choose to surrender yourself under the control of the Holy Spirit daily, it is as though you are hoisting the sails of your heart and inviting the wind of the Spirit to blow you on the path He wants to lead you. So, as you journey through life, may He fill you with faith and keep you on the path of righteousness for His own glory as He did for our patriarch Abraham.