“He staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” Romans 4:20
Dear Ones:
There is a great difference between living, and living victoriously. It is somewhat like the “well of water,” and the floods poured out. There is no doubt that the Christian, or disciple of Christ, has within him a treasure, a well of water, the Spirit of God which communicates to him the very life of Christ. But again, there is a difference between having the Spirit of God, and the appropriation of the fullness of God by the Spirit. Christ speaks of the “much more” of good things, and the Spirit of God, received in answer to prayer. The Lord Jesus speaks also of the “abundance of life.” Paul writes to the Roman believers: “…much more, they which receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.” (5:16) To the Corinthian believers, he wrote: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:14) All through Scripture, we find a difference between the experience of just getting by, and a life, filled with the Spirit, led and kept by the Spirit, strengthened by the very power of Christ. The question then must be asked: Have we truly broken through the various obstacles of resistance to faith, which hinders us from living the victorious life over sin, self, and Satan?
Abraham was a man of faith. He is among those who have, “…climbed the steep ascent of heaven, through peril, toil, and pain,” to overcome by faith, and “reign in life,” finishing his task. He became, as God declared, “a father of many nations,” with the promise: “…in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3) Did Abraham “break through” to faith at any particular time in his life? Abraham was not a perfect man, nor did he exercise faith always consistently. Once in a famine, he went down to Egypt without the direction of the Lord. He leaned unto his own understanding. Another time, God had told him that He would give him a son, specifically a son of promise, who would carry on the covenant relationship with God. Abraham would again lean on his own understanding by accepting what his wife suggested as being a “solution” to trying to help God do what God had promised. This was an error, a false move that would result long-lasting consequences. Was this a breakthrough moment? No. But there would come a day when that moment would come. It would be when the Lord would again reveal Himself to Abraham when he was ninety-nine years old, specifically addressing this issue of the son of promise. God would even give him the name of the son to be born, Isaac, the name literally meaning, “he laughs.” It is at this time that Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. On the contrary, not only would he give glory to God, but he would also be “fully persuaded that, what He (God) had promised, He was able to perform.” (Romans 4:21) Here is that break through moment, when faith lays hold on God, regardless of circumstances or the “contrary wind of logic.” Most certainly, Abraham did, as David so clearly declared in Psalm 16, “…I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (v.8)
Peter’s breakthrough moment came on the day of Pentecost, when after denying the Lord Jesus three times just before the crucifixion, we see him standing up, preaching to the men of Judea and those dwelling in Jerusalem, what appears to be the first sermon of Pentecost. Peter was not only a man transformed, but a man who was filled with the power of God by the Spirit. He, with the other disciples, had received the promise of the Father, according to the prophesy of Joel. He preached the “wonderful works of God,” and specifically the gospel of Christ. About three thousand souls were saved that day by his preaching.
Dear Father, Give us grace to overcome all obstacles to faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad