Romans 4:17 (NKJV): (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 though they did;
Like God, we should speak in accordance with our faith regarding our convictions about what will happen.
Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was about 90. Both were past childbearing age and in an impossible situation. Nevertheless, God had promised them that Sarah would bear a child and Abraham would be a father of many nations! As far as God was concerned, Isaac would be born even though it had been 25 years since God had given them the promise.
Abram was renamed Abraham after the covenant ritual since Abraham had asked God how it would happen since they were childless. The name Abraham means “the father of a multitude”; Sarah means “to be a royal princess and a mother of nations and kings”. God addressed him as “the father of a multitude” from that day onwards. Likewise, Sarah started to call her husband “the father of a multitude”, and Abraham called his wife “royal princess and a mother of nations and kings” though they were childless. They addressed each other the same way God addressed them. God calls those things which do not exist as though they did. Likewise, they began to call each other in line with their faith that they would have descendants. Faith received the promise “now”.
2 Corinthians 4:13-14 (NKJV) And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
We believe, and therefore, we speak! You and I believe our body is temporal, but we will have a glorified body one day. This is our conviction, spoken out of faith, that it will happen, even though we don’t have a glorified body yet. We also talk about how we will worship in heaven, about heaven and our names written in the Book of Life. We talk about the righteousness imputed to us through our acceptance of Christ. We speak of our spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We believe that one day, the corruptible will put on incorruption, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and we will be raised one day when the last trumpet sounds and be caught up in the air with Jesus. There is a spirit of faith that believes and speaks with conviction.
We cannot simultaneously have faith and speak doubt and unbelief. We are either in faith or in doubt—we cannot have both at the same time. God talks about Abraham as “the father of a multitude”. Therefore, Sarah also addressed Abraham as such even though Isaac hadn’t been born yet. Likewise, we are to speak faith instead of doubt and unbelief.
Sermon Series: The Walk of Faith
凭信而言
罗马书 4:17 亚伯拉罕所信的是那叫死人复活,使无变为有的神,他在主面前做我们世人的父,如经上所记:“我已经立你做多国的父。”
我们应该像上帝一样,我们应当凭信心宣告我们对未来的信念。
亚伯拉罕年已百岁,撒拉也将近九十岁,他们都已过了生育的年纪,处于一个看似不可能的境地。尽管如此,神应许他们,撒拉将要生一个儿子,而亚伯拉罕将成为多国之父!在神看来,尽管这应许已经过去了二十五年,以撒仍将按神的应许出生。
在立约仪式后,亚伯兰被改名为亚伯拉罕,因为他曾问神,这事如何成就,毕竟他们尚无子嗣。亚伯拉罕的意思是“多国之父”,而撒拉的意思是“尊贵的公主,多国和君王之母”。从那天起,神称他为“多国之父”。同样,撒拉开始称她的丈夫为“多国之父”,而亚伯拉罕称他的妻子为“尊贵的公主,多国和君王之母”,尽管他们当时还没有孩子。他们彼此称呼的方式与神对他们的称呼一致。神呼召那些不存在的事物如同已经存在一般。同样,他们也凭着信心宣告,将来必有后裔。信心使他们“现在”就领受了神的应许。
哥林多后书 4:13-14但我们既有信心,正如经上记着说:“我因信,所以如此说话。”我们也信,所以也说话。 自己知道那叫主耶稣复活的,也必叫我们与耶稣一同复活,并且叫我们与你们一同站在他面前。
我们因信;所以我们如此说话!你我都相信我们的身体是暂时的,但有一天我们将得着荣耀的身体。尽管我们现在还没有荣耀的身体,但我们凭信心宣告这必定成就,因为这是我们的坚定信念。我们谈论在天堂的敬拜,谈论天堂,以及我们的名字被记载在生命册上。我们谈论因接受基督而归给我们的义,我们也述说在基督耶稣里,我们在天上所蒙的属灵福分。我们相信有一天,这必朽坏的要变为不朽坏的,神已用圣灵在我们心里盖了印记,到了末后的号筒吹响时,我们必复活,并在空中与主相遇。信心的灵使我们深信不疑,并坦然宣告神的应许。
我们不能一边持守信心,一边口中却充满疑惑和不信。我们要么在信心中,要么在疑惑中——二者不能同时存在。神称亚伯拉罕为“多国之父”,因此,尽管以撒尚未出生,撒拉仍然这样称呼亚伯拉罕。同样,我们也应当以信心宣告,而非疑惑和不信。
讲章系列:信心之路
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