Romans 4:19-22 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old… I. STRONG FAITH IS SUPPORTED BY ABUNDANT REASONS. 1. All the reasons which justify our believing in God at all justify our believing in Him most firmly. It can never be right to believe unless the statements are true, and if true they deserve undivided faith. If anything be strong enough for you to trust your eternal destiny to it, your trust ought to be immovable as a granite rock. If it be right to enter into faith's stream at all, every possible argument proves that the deeper you go the better. 2. Reasons for strong faith may be found in the character of God. Our reliance upon man must be cautiously given; but — (1) "The Lord is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent." Should we not have strong faith who believe in a God whose very essence is pure truth? (2) God is omnipotent, and therefore believing should be strong. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" "With God all things are possible."(3) All things else change, but God knoweth no shadow of a turning. Believe immutably in an immutable God. (4) He is the God of love. What a wanton insult it is to mistrust one who cannot be unkind. 3. When I turn mine eyes to our Lord Jesus it appears incongruous that the Son of God should be received with meagre confidence. Can we doubt His ability to save? Abraham had strong confidence when he saw the type — the burning lamp passing between the pieces of the slain victims. With how much greater confidence should we rest in the antitype. 4. We ought to give God strong faith, because there is no evidence which could justify mistrust. (1) All down the ages those who have trusted in Him have never been confounded. We read in the eleventh of Hebrews the record of what the Lord wrought in those who believed in Him. Now, per contra, there standeth nothing. (2) On the bed of death the truth generally comes out, yet who ever heard a solitary believer declare that it is a mistake to confide in the blood of Jesus, or to rest in the faithfulness of God? Somewhere or other this thing would have come out if it had been so. (3) Have you experienced anything which casts suspicion upon the character of God? When you have trusted Him has He failed you? Will you put your finger upon a promise which He has broken? II. STRONG FAITH PRODUCES THE MOST DESIRABLE RESULTS. We can only dwell upon the one mentioned here, "giving glory to God." This is "man's chief end." Strong faith answers that end because — 1. It treats him like God. Unbelief is practical atheism; because, denying the truthfulness of God, it takes away what is a part of His essential character. I would not grieve those who have but little faith, but still weak faith limits the Holy One of Israel! It believes Him up to such a point, or under such and such circumstances, whereas strong faith treats God according to His infinite character. 2. It treats Him as a father, and acts towards Him in the childlike spirit, i.e., with unlimited confidence. Can my Father do an unkind thing, be untrue, be false or changeable? Impossible! 3. It strengthens all the other graces, and all these bring glory to God. 4. It gives a striking testimony to the world, The faith which can practise eminent self-denial or achieve great enterprises attracts the eyes of men; they see your strong faith, and they glorify your Father which is in heaven. I have known some faith which would have required a microscope to perceive it, and when we have declared that little faith saves the soul, the worldling has replied, "Well, it is a very small concern at any rate." 5. It enables Him to work in us and through us. As our Saviour could not do many mighty works in a certain place because of their unbelief, so is God hampered with regard to some of us. III. STRONG FAITH WHICH GIVES GLORY TO GOD MAY BE EXERCISED BY PERSONS WHO ARE OTHERWISE EXCEEDINGLY WEAK. 1. What a joy this is to you who are sufferers in body! You cannot do apostolic work and range a continent, but you may exhibit a placid patience, a sweet resignation, a sacred hopefulness as to the future, a Divine disdain as to the fear of death. 2. So you may have few talents, and yet you may have strong faith. You need not be a genius in order to give glory to God, for the strength of your faith will do it. You can glorify God by holding firmly to the truth of which you understand so little, but which you love so heartily. 3. Some saints are conscious of weakness of every sort, but they must not, therefore, think that they cannot honour God by strong faith, for Abraham was so old that his body was now dead, and yet he believed that he would be the progenitor of the chosen seed. The depth of your weakness is just the height of your possibilities of honouring the Lord. IV. THIS STRONG FAITH VARIES AS TO ITS MANNER OF WORKING, very much according to the person and his circumstances. 1. There is one thing that strong faith does not do, it never talks big and boasts of what it will accomplish. There is a great deal of difference between confidence in yourself and confidence in God. Barking dogs do not often bite, and those men who promise much very seldom perform. Point me to one boastful word that fell from Abraham. David said little to his envious brothers, but he brought home the giant's head. 2. Faith exercises itself as in the case of Abraham, by believing God's word. God had said many things to him, and he believed them all. 3. But Abraham's was not alone receptive faith: his was a faith which obeyed the precept. The test of obedience was the strange command to take his only son and offer him up for a sacrifice, but he went to do it. 4. Abraham's faith awakened in him great expectations. He was looking for an heir, from whom should spring a seed as the stars of heaven for multitude. We shall be full of expectation if we have strong faith: looking for blessings, expecting prayers to be answered, and promises to be fulfilled. V. STRONG FAITH IS ESPECIALLY TO BE EXPECTED IN CERTAIN QUARTERS. 1. In those who know God. "They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee, for Thou Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee." 2. Those who have had a long experience of Him. Speak well of the bridge which has carried you over so many times. Let those of us who have been twenty-five years in the ways of God put aside our childish doubts. 3. Those who have lived in fellowship with Him. 4. Those who are getting near to heaven. Do not let it be among the last memories of earth that you doubted your Beloved. 5. Teachers and preachers. We shall never win sinners to faith if we preach what we do not intensely believe. And I do not think we shall have many conversions unless we expect God to bless the word. It is the rule of His kingdom. "According to your faith so be it unto you." (C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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: |
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