The pathway to a mature faith is not as smooth as many of us at first imagine. While studying the life of Abraham it became clear that the pathway to his mature faith was rather bumpy, to say the least. I correlated what I found into the following outline:
1. “A risking all” kind of faith. This is seen in his readiness to leave country and family and go to a place he didn’t know because God promised He would guide him.
2. A rationalizing faith. This is seen in the two occasions he had his wife lie about their relationship for fear of his own personal safety. He also complained to God that he would have to give his inheritance to his servant because God hadn’t given him his promised son. Then he listened to Sara rather than God by having a son through Hagar, Sara’s maidservant. When God reiterated he would have a son by Sarah he pled for Ishmael to be the heir. He did believe, but his faith often wavered.
3. A refined faith, seen in his response to God’s command to sacrifice his son Isaac. The description of that event is filled with pathos, but his faith was firm and his obedience uncompromising.
4. A resting faith. The final picture of Abraham’s pathway to a mature faith is seen in his arrangements with his servant to find a wife for Isaac. He was confident God would provide without his having to make it happen.
A mature faith doesn’t mean you don’t do anything, this is clear by what is said in James 2:20-24. In our next visit we’ll crystallize into applications what we collected and correlated into this outline.
