"The Test of Faith" Pt 2

This test of Abraham was an extreme one but following Christ is also an extreme call to sacrifice and to worship.

Luke 14:25,26,33

English Standard Version Chapter 14

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

The Hebrew verb “Nissah” means “to prove the quality of”.

Looking at this test now we can also recognize that God the Father was not asking Abraham to do anything that He Himself would not also do. Except that God would do even more than He required Abraham to do.

The test required preparation and perseverance!

Hebrews 11:17–19 ESV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

It was Abraham’s confidence in God that enabled him to face this incredible test without failing.

There was a long history behind Abraham’s obedience that we must understand. As indicated in v.1 “after these things”. Because of that history Abraham believed God to be able to do the impossible.