“And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 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. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”

Paul is referring to the story of Abraham and Sarah, told in Genesis 18:1-15. Abraham was 99 years old, and Sarah was 90. When Abraham was 75, God spoke to him and promised him that He would make him a great nation, and make his name great. When Abraham was 86, God met him again and promised him that he would have a son through whom the whole world would be blessed.

In Genesis 18, God revealed that Sarah would be the one to bear Abraham the son that He had promised. But many years had passed, and Sarah was barren. With each passing year it may have seemed that God had missed His chance. And now they both were too old to have children. But God promised that He would come back according to the time of life and Sarah would have a son.

While it is not obvious in Genesis 18, in Romans Paul provided the insight that Abraham was not weak in faith when this happened. Paul listed the proofs of Abraham’s faith. First, he did not consider the deadness of his body, nor the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not let these facts cause him to doubt God. He did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief. Second, Abraham was fully persuaded that, what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Abraham considered Who it was that had made the promise. While everything screamed, “Impossible!”, Abraham believed God.

Sarah had similar faith. We read in Hebrews 11:11 that, “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” Her faith in God was the same as Abraham’s. She figured that God was good for His promise.

Imagine God making a promise like this to us, and under the conditions He made it to Abraham and Sarah. They did not stagger at the promise; they considered Him faithful that promised. Would we stagger? Would we trust Him? In Genesis 18:14 the LORD asked Sarah, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” This is an important question.

Jeremiah was told by the LORD to buy a parcel of land in Israel. At that time, Jerusalem was under siege and was about to be destroyed, and the people were going to be carried away to Babylon. So, Jeremiah prayed again to the LORD about buying the land. The LORD’s reply, recorded in Jeremiah 32:27, was, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

And, when Mary was told that she would have a son, she wondered how it could possibly happen, and questioned the angel. In Luke 1:37, the angel told Mary, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Abraham, Sarah, Jeremiah, and Mary all had faith in God, and were told that God was well able to do what He had promised that He would do. Faith is believing what God has said, no matter the circumstances.

Under what circumstances are you today? Are they out of God’s control? Hasn’t He promised to neither leave or forsake His people?

Now, because of Abraham’s faith in the LORD we are told in Romans 4:22, “…therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” Or, as Paul said in Galatians 3:6, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Like all of mankind, Abraham was born with a sin nature, which wants nothing to do with God. That anyone could be made righteous by God is incredible because He is Almighty God, maker of the Universe. He is the offended party. But this was an action that God took for Abraham’s sake because he believed God. And, God acted so that any that will could come to Him and be made righteous. Paul told the Corinthians, “For God hath made Jesus to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God spared not His Son so that He could be able to declare sinners to be righteous. As Romans 3:26 puts it, “…that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

David wrote in Psalm 32:1, 2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity…” Given our sin nature, a standing like this before God is certainly beyond anything we could hope. But, trusting God is never a mistake because God is good and merciful and gracious. And He rewards them that trust Him, just like He kept His promises to Abraham, Sarah, Jeremiah, and Mary. “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”

’Tis so sweet to trust in Je­sus,
And to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His pro­mise,
And to know, Thus says the Lord!

Refrain

Jesus, Je­sus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Je­sus, pre­cious Je­sus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Je­sus,
Just to trust His cleans­ing blood;
And in sim­ple faith to plunge me
’Neath the heal­ing, cleans­ing flood!

Refrain

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Je­sus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Je­sus simp­ly tak­ing
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Refrain

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Je­sus, Sav­ior, friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain (Louisa M. R. Stead)