But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:2-3, 6

In Genesis 12:2 God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. Some years later, as Abraham and his wife Sarah aged and were past child-bearing years, Abraham, the father of the faithful, doubted. What He saw with His eyes made God’s promise look impossible.

God reiterated His promise to Abraham, and Abraham believed, though his faith was a bit wobbly! But even though Abraham’s faith was imperfect at best, God declared Abraham righteous because of his faith. This declaration of righteousness is what, in the New Testament, Paul refers to as “justification.” Let us be encouraged by two truths:

First, justification by grace alone, through faith alone is not a new concept, unique to the New Testament. No one has ever been “justified” by any means (good works, religious ritual, or by obeying any code of laws), except by faith in God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Second, while strong faith is to be preferred over weak faith, God justified Abraham even when his weak faith was faltering. It is about God’s work, not ours!

Third, though Abraham’s faith was weak, he grew and matured in his faith. And so can we when we keep our eyes on Him, instead of trusting in ourselves.

Fourth, because of God’s grace, let us thank, praise, and worship God for His goodness to His people.