FAITH ENGENDERS FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROMISE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2023.

SUBJECT: FAITH ENGENDERS FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROMISE!

Memory verse: "And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (Luke 1 vs 45.)

READ: Romans 4 vs 20 - 24:

4:20: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

4:21: And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

4:22: And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

4:23: Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

4:24: But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

INTIMATION:

To believe is to be persuaded of, to place confidence, to trust in; it is to put our reliance upon, not mere credence. Therefore, when you believe the word of God, you are persuaded of its efficacy, and truthfulness. And because it’s God’s word, you are certain of its performance if you believe.

God is the same with His word—immutable or unchangeable, and remains forever. God’s Word has the backing of His Throne, hence the Scripture says, “...For You have magnified Your word above all Your name” (Psalm 138 vs 2). And consequently, He says, “...For I will hasten my word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1 vs 12). In Numbers 23 vs 19, the Scripture says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent: has He said, and will He not do? or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” God’s Word is forever settled in heaven.

Performance of God’s word in our lives is hinged upon our faith or believe in the word. Therefore, knowing the certainty in God’s word, our responsibility for having His word performed in our lives is to have our faith or believe anchored in God and His word.

In the passage we read today, Abraham had great faith in God and His word, and that was credited to him as righteousness. He never doubted that God would fulfill His promise made to him; that he will be the father of many nations, even when he had no child, and had grown old. Abraham had to his credit that he consistently trusted God, the imperfections in his life not withstanding. His life was marked by mistakes, sins, and failures as well as by wisdom and goodness, but he consistently trusted God. 

He was strengthened in faith by the obstacles he faced, and his life was an example of faith in action. For instance, if he had looked only at his own resources for subduing Canaan and founding a nation, he would have given up in despair. But Abraham looked up to God, obeyed Him, and waited for God to fulfill His word. And God did! Or if he had considered his age of about a hundred years—his own body now dead already dead, and the age of his wife Sarah—her womb also already dead, he would never believed they can bear a child. 

However, the word of God never fails. God says, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55 vs 10 - 12.)

Nonetheless, to ensure the performance of God’s word in our lives, we must do the following; (1) Receive the word (2) Believe the word in our hearts, (3) Confess our believe with our mouths, (4) Walk the talk, that is, walk in the consciousness of that word we believed, (5) Be expectant to reap the promise in the word, (6) Continually walk in that consciousness and expectancy, (7) Give thanks to God for the expected provisions.

In the case of Abraham, the Scripture says, “(As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to  the dead, and calls those things which do not exist as if they did, who, contrary to hope, in hope  believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body now already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Romans 4 vs 17 - 22.)

Abraham received the word; “I have made you a father of many nations” and believed the word in his heart; “in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, he confessed the word with his mouth; “So shall your descendants be,” he walk in the consciousness of that word he  believed; “so that he became the father of many nations,” he was expectant; “he did not waver at the promise through unbelief, he continually walked in the consciousness of his believe; “but was strengthened in faith,” and was giving thanks; “giving glory to God. And there was a performance of those things that the Lord said to him. Hallelujah!!

Abraham’s believe or faith was imputed to him as righteousness, and the Scripture says, “For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour will you compass him as with a shield” (Psalm 5 vs 12). God Blessed him in all things (Genesis 24 vs 1). 

In the passage we read today, the Scripture says, “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4 vs 22 - 24.) If you believe just as he did, it will be counted for you as righteousness, and will be blessed by God, and there will also be a performance of the word of the Lord in your life!

Prayer: Abba Father, You said it, I believed it, and that settled it. Give me the grace never to waver at Your promise through unbelief, and strengthen me in faith and confidence in You and Your Word, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!