“FULLY CONVINCED!”

Romans 4:16-25                                                 (ESV)
“16 THAT IS WHY IT DEPENDS ON FAITH, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring-not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 as it is written, "I have made you the “father of many nations”"-in the presence of the GOD in WHOM he believed, WHO gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18 IN HOPE HE BELIEVED AGAINST HOPE, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."
19 HE DID NOT WEAKEN IN FAITH when he considered his own body, which was AS GOOD AS DEAD (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
20 NO UNBELIEF made him waver concerning the promise of GOD, but HE GREW STRONG in his faith as he gave glory to GOD,
21 “FULLY CONVINCED” that GOD was able to do what HE had promised.
22 That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."
23 But the words "it was counted to him" WERE NOT WRITTEN FOR HIS SAKE ALONE,
24 BUT FOR OURS ALSO. It will be counted to us who believe in HIM WHO raised from the dead JESUS our LORD,
25 WHO was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”



THE PROMISE that GOD made Abraham in Genesis 12 has been written about and discussed for eons.  Abraham lived around two thousand years before CHRIST was born.  He was PROMISED to be the “father of many nations”, yet he and Sarai (Sarah) were childless when Abraham was almost 100 years old!  His and Sarai’s time for having offspring had passed them by, in the eyes of man!

We humans seem to think that ALMIGHTY GOD is constrained by what our eyes can see, or our minds can conceive or explain.  JESUS says in Mark 9:23 “.... ALL THINGS are possible for one who believes."  Having a child at 100 years old must fall into ALL THINGS, for Genesis 21:5 states “Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him”.  SEEing GOD perform THE MIRACULOUS changes those who the unexplainable happens to more than others because they have not only seen it, but experienced it!

Abraham was PROMISED to be the “father of many nations” when he was 75 years old.  These days many people don’t live to be 75, much less have children at age 75!  Yet GOD promised what HE promised and GOD never changes HIS mind!  Abraham was roughly 100 years old and Sarah was roughly 90 years old when Isaac was born.  But although Isaac was his son by birth, Isaac and his son Jacob were sons of Abraham because they too BELIEVED in ALMIGHTY GOD.  Jacob even wrestled with GOD and was renamed Israel (Genesis 35:10), or the CHOSEN people of GOD!

THAT IS WHY IT DEPENDS ON FAITH who is called to be CHOSEN OF GOD!  To be CHOSEN one has to Believe that GOD is able to do anything, at anytime, in anyway HE so elects!  Abraham was “FULLY CONVINCED” that GOD was going to provide him a son, even though he was 75 years old when THE PROMISE was given to him.

Would my FAITH be as devout as Abraham’s?  Would I Believe after I was old and broken down that GOD would bless me with such a MIRACLE?  Once you have WITNESSED and been exposed to a MIRACLE from GOD, you learn NOT to limit your expectations of what HE can, or will, do!  To say that I am “FULLY CONVINCED” that GOD is not through performing MIRACLES is a vast understatement.  Exodus 14:14 says “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."  

I AM “FULLY CONVINCED” THAT GOD IS NOT THROUGH WITH BEING GOD!!!