A Bible Lesson for Spiritual Faith

Many Christians consider the Abraham of the Bible as the father of spiritual faith. This Bible lesson summary will help us improve our lives as Christians as we look at the journey of the spiritual faith of Abraham as recorded in the Bible.

Abram Obeys God - Well, maybe

In Genesis 12, God instructed Abram to leave his homeland and get away from his kindred and go to another place. The spiritual faith of Abram is stretched in this circumstance because who wants to leave their home? Abram was not fully obedient because he took Lot with him, a nephew, considered kindred. In this Bible lesson, it is important to obey God fully when He gives a specific command for spiritual faith to grow.

Abram and Lot Separate

Strife begins between the herdsmen of both of these men so that they must depart from each other. Lot goes to the fertile plains of the Jordan River and Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. This Bible lesson points to where Abram did not fully obey God the first time. The Bible lesson here is there will be consequences for disobeying God (strife among people) and spiritual faith will be affected.

Abram's wife is Barren

God had already told Abram that He would give all the land from north, south, east and west to his descendants and that this seed would come from his body (see Genesis 15, 3-4). His wife, Sarai offers her handmaid, Hagar, to Abram so that the child will come through her. The third Bible lesson is to never step out ahead of God and try to bring His plans to pass. The Bible records that it was 15 years before God spoke to Abram again which would definitely affect a person's spiritual faith (Genesis 12:4, Genesis 17:1). Obviously, Abram didn't put up a fight when it came time to accept Hagar; however, Ishmael was sent away and the people in that region have been in strife to this day.

Abraham's Former Decisions

Abram, now Abraham, is found interceding on behalf of the people in Sodom and Gomorah for even 10 righteous people. Abraham's initial decision to allow his kindred to travel with him when God specifically told him not to brought hardship to many lives.. This fourth Bible lesson reveals that one bad decision can multiply decades down the road into something larger and more harmful. Do any of us know how our spiritual faith has been adversely affected for one wrong decision?

As Abraham matures in his spiritual faith, he learns to obey God's commands quickly even the one to take the life of his legitimate son, Isaac. Abraham knows he is going to Moriah to kill his son per God's command but he also knows the two of them will return (Genesis 22:5). By this time, Abraham's spiritual faith has grown to absolute trust in God. God comments that He knows Abraham fears Him, in a reverential way. This specific Bible lesson of Abraham secures the salvation of many through Jesus Christ. "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:14).

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