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Believing God is the initial stage of the journey
towards fearing God. Fearing God denotes not the fear of
harm that God might do in our lives; rather it is a
spontaneous action coming out of love and reverence for
Him.
Our faith, that is the relationship with God, is not
stagnant; it is dynamic and has a momentum. The momentum
takes us to the next level of faith. The disciples of
Jesus Christ said to him, "Increase our faith!" (Luk
17:5 ). This shows that we need a growth in our faith.
Faith is not something we can increase by our efforts.
The author and finisher of faith is Jesus Christ the Son
of God.
The growth of our faith is from
‘belief-trust-love-fear.’ Many men of faith are
commended in the Bible. Abraham is a role model for us
showing us how our faith grows from belief to fear or
reverence. When Abraham was called to leave his country,
he believed God and departed for a Promised Land. As he
began his journey of faith he just believed God. That
need not necessarily involve intimacy or deep trust in
God. When they arrived in Egypt, Abraham realized the
harm that could befall him on account of his beautiful
wife (Gen. 12:11). He devised a scheme to stay out of
trouble instead of trusting in God’s protection. The
degree of his faith had not grown to the level of total
dependence on God. He could not cast himself on the God
who was powerful enough to keep him alive in every
perilous situation.
On his way to the promised land, the strength of his
faith increased from the first degree of belief to
trust. His battle with the kings and victory over them,
his offer of a tithe to Melchizedek, the priest of the
Most High, and his refusal to accept any reward offered
by the king of Sodom demonstrates his trust in God.
(Gen. 14:14-23). He trusted God for a miraculous victory
with 318 men in his company over four mighty kings and
their armies. He trusted God enough to tithe his wealth
to God’s High Priest. He trusted God for a reward from
Heaven instead of craving for an earthly reward from the
King of Sodom. People who have not attained this level
of faith expect a reward for everything they do in and
outside the church. God’s gift is the eternal life.
Besides, He rewards our trust in Him as we fulfill His
perfect will in our lives.
Further, in Abraham’s life, his faith increased to the
next degree - of love - though he was yet to receive his
promise from God. When he was called out, God promised
to make him a great nation and He will to bless him. He
did not moan about the delay in fulfillment of God’s
promise. Instead, he loved God. Abraham entertained the
strangers who visited him at the garden of Mamre (Gen.
18:8). His passion to treat them greatly demonstrates
his love for God. Now, Abraham was not living just in
belief and trust but also he entered into the next
degree – the love for God.
God is vigilant in keeping His promise. That was true in
His dealings with Abraham too. God started blessing
Abraham by giving him Isaac, the son of promise.
Receiving a promise in our lives makes us glad. The gift
sometimes becomes an idol for us. God’s plan was not to
leave Abraham in that level of faith but to lead him to
the superlative degree. Thus God tested Abraham and
found that his faith was not stagnant but dynamic. God
asked Abraham very specifically to give his son Isaac,
his only begotten and whom he loved very much, as
sacrifice for God (Gen. 22:1-12). Here, nothing could
stop Abraham from obeying God. That demonstrated his
fear for God. Abraham’s absolute obedience and trust
pleased God to make him a Patriarch of many nations.
Let us not be stuck in mere belief. Rather, let us move
ahead and work out our salvation with fear and
trembling.
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