Justification by Faith

“Look at the stars and count them. As numerous as the stars of the heavens so shall your offspring be.” Just look at the stars! That’s what God told Abram, soon to be called Abraham. Interesting response to Abram’s bewilderment. This is the Abram who left home on God’s promise to make him a great nation. This is the Abram who gave his nephew Lot first choice of the land. This is the Abram who rescued Lot later when Lot had selfishly taken the best ground.

However, this is also the same Abram who lied about Sarai in Egypt because he feared for his life. Not much trust in the promises of God there. This is the same Abram who will soon bypass God’s plans for offspring due to lack of trust, which ended in a step-family friction that continues to this day! This Abram, one who lacks faith at times and fails but who also acts courageously at times on God’s Word. This Abram is puzzled and asking God how he will ever fulfill his promise when he has no son!?! To this, God replies, “Look at the stars!”

I believe at that moment it dawned on Abram, “How did all those stars get up there? Answer: God. And where did they come from when God made them? Answer: Nothing. If God can fill the heavens with millions of brilliant lights from nothing, he can certainly give me a son!” And Abram then did the one thing that pleases God most - he believed him! Now Abram didn’t have a perfect faith as shown by the very next chapter (16), but he did have faith in the Lord. The Lord’s response to faith in him is the most precious of truths and the foundation of the Gospel. The Lord credited it to Abram as righteousness. That is, God considered Abram right with him on the basis of faith even though Abram was still a sinner! Sola Fidei! Faith alone!