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Straight Talk About Real Faith
Commitment, in our day and age, is almost like a dirty word. And that makes the life of Abraham so jarring - and so necessary to study. His story, laid out for us in Genesis 12:4–9, is not a feel-good devotional. It is a straight look at what it actually looks like to walk out the faith life, what it costs, and what it produces in a person who goes all in with God.
Many of us who are soundly saved have found out what the faith life actually means, and we have realized it is maybe a little different than what we originally thought. Here is the truth the whole of Scripture makes clear: the Christian life is a pilgrimage. And for those who have come out the other side of real, committed faith - there is nothing that can take its place. It is the most awesome, joyful experience of the human condition - walking by faith with our Creator God, who took the wrath we deserved upon himself and redeemed us for all of time.
First Peter 2:11 says it plainly:
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
Every person who is saved is a pilgrim today. Whether you have deep roots and have never left your hometown, or whether the Lord has moved you from place to place more times than you care to count - you are on a journey that began the day you received Jesus in your heart and will continue until the day you arrive in heaven. At times it is a wonderful thing. At other times the path is hard. But all the time, it is a pilgrimage to be lived out through faith in the Lord.
Abraham was the very first pilgrim. He was the first one to leave everything behind and walk with God by faith. His pilgrimage was not easy. But in it, Abraham set the example for you and me - how to live out our lives in absolute faith and with total commitment to the Lord God Almighty.
There are three sides to Abraham's commitment to a life of faith. Let's mosey through them together.
1. Abram's Obedience
Genesis 12:4–5
It took a while, but Abram finally came to a place of total obedience to the Lord. That is the same place God wants to bring each one of his children in this current generation. You claim Jesus as your Savior - he wants your obedience.
Listen to what the prophet Samuel said to Saul, because it applies directly to this:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.1 Samuel 15:22–23
Obedience is better than sacrifice. So what did Abraham's obedience actually look like? It involved three things: his separation, his possessions, and his surrender.
It Involved His Separation
The call of God had been for Abraham to separate from his relatives and follow God by faith. As we saw in Genesis 12:1, Abraham was called upon to separate himself from everything that would hinder his progress in his walk of faith. And the same call goes out to all of us as his children today. Anything that prevents us from progressing as God would desire is a weight that must be let go. Hebrews 12:1–2 puts it this way:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Most of the time, you will not be called upon to sever ties with your family the way Abraham did. But if you decide to walk by faith, there will be times that family members - many of them - will not be sympathetic to what the Lord is leading you to do in your life, especially if they are lost. In times like those, the will of the Lord must be given the priority.
And before anyone softens that by saying Jesus just loved everybody and got along with everyone - look at what Jesus himself said. These are red letters, Matthew 10:32–39:
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
The cross is an instrument of death - keep that in mind. That is a difficult passage. But it goes hand in glove with all of what the New Testament teaches and what authentic faith in Jesus as a real Savior actually looks like.
It Involved His Possessions
Verse 5 tells us that when Abraham left to follow the Lord, he took all his possessions with him. In other words, when the Lord got Abraham, the Lord got everything he had. Abraham did not leave anything behind for the world to use. He took it all and went after God.
God will gauge the level of a person's commitment to him by how much of that person's stuff has been made available to the Lord - and how much is off limits to him. We get hung up on the tithe, and a person ought to tithe. But what do you do with the other ninety percent? It is just as important to the Lord as the ten. God does not just want his part. He wants your part too. He gives us what he does so that we might use it for his glory and for his kingdom work. When he has you and your checkbook, he can bless you in ways you have never imagined.
Now, that benefit should not be the motive for giving - but it is the reality. If you have a problem with tithes and offerings, you do not really have a problem with tithes and offerings. You have a problem with your heart. Read Haggai 1 when you get a chance. The whole chapter is God asking his people why they are building their own houses while his house lies in ruins - and then explaining what happens when he blows on the pile of a person who has held back what belongs to him. It is not pretty.
The bigger issue is not just the money. God wants all of it - your house, your car, your time - dedicated to him in your heart, so he can do with it as he wills. He might use your house. He might use your car. He just wants you to surrender it all to him in your heart. Good stewards still lock their doors. Good stewards still use discernment and smart strategies. But you need to surrender the idea of your identity being wrapped up in your possessions.
Do you have your pile and his pile? If that is your world, your pile is bigger than his. And that is the thing about God - he does not need Abraham's stuff. He is not interested in your stuff either.
It Involved His Surrender
The Bible tells us that Abraham did as the Lord had spoken to him. Abraham learned early on that the secret to pleasing God is simply doing what he says - to the letter. Even though the Lord's call upon his life would be difficult, it was the only course of action that brought peace and blessings to Abraham's life. Faith builds no barriers. Nothing is off limits when you are walking totally with God by faith. It simply does what it is told and trusts God to do the rest.
Romans 12:1–2 lays it out:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
All God ever wanted from Abraham was Abraham. That is what it is all about. Everything this man endured was about getting him on the altar. That is where the Lord wants us too.
And that is exactly when the opposition comes.
2. Abram's Opposition
Genesis 12:4–6
Abram was not going to find everything smooth sailing. There would be difficulties in his pilgrimage just as there are in ours. Let's look at four obstacles Abraham faced as he journeyed - because they are the same ones we face today.
His Age Opposed Him
Verse 4 tells us that Abram was seventy-five years old when he left on his pilgrimage. That is about the age most people seriously think about slowing down. Not this man. He set out at that age to follow the Lord - and some of his kinfolk probably thought he had lost his mind.
But may we be reminded - there may come a day when you have to turn in your walking stick and pick up a rocking chair. There may be a day when you cannot serve anymore. There may come a time when you cannot even attend church anymore. But until we go home to glory, there should never be a day when we think we have the liberty or permission to sit down and quit on the Lord.
Titus 2:2–3 says:
Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith and love and steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good.
And 1 Timothy 4:12 says:
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, and in faith and purity.
Do not let age - whether you are young or old - stop you from serving the Lord. Even if you have to sit down. Even if you have to lie down. You can still be an intercessory prayer warrior in your mind, because you refuse, no matter what your circumstances are, to quit on the Lord.
The Darkness Opposed Him
Verse 6 says simply: "At that time, the Canaanites were in the land." That statement reveals a lot about the country Abram was moving into. The Canaanites were a godless people trapped in a system of worshiping many gods. They practiced human sacrifice. They had weird fertility rites. They had no regard for morality or decency. Abram headed into hostile territory where no one would be sympathetic to his lifestyle or to his God.
Not much has changed since Abraham's day.
Those who determine they will live a life of total dedication to the Lord will soon discover there are Canaanites still in the land. The world, the flesh, and the devil have no sympathy whatsoever for your desire to serve the Lord. If you choose to live a life of total dedication, you might as well know upfront - there will be opposition. Second Timothy 3:12 does not leave any wiggle room:
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
How do we read that and somehow think it does not apply to us? Maybe it is the awesome culture we have been blessed to be born into - the one-nation-under-God reality - that makes us think persecution and difficulty will somehow be lesser for us. But the Bible does not teach that. If the Lord Jesus faced opposition and difficulty as he walked in this world, why should we expect better treatment? Matthew 10:22:
You will be hated by all for my name's sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.
John 15:20:
A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And that second line is not a small thing. It means there are brothers and sisters who are also sold out - who know that the life to come is better than this one, who have surrendered, who have said they want their faith life to matter. That is why unity of the brethren is not preferred - it is mandatory if you want to survive and thrive. You might survive without it. But there is no thriving going on when there is disunity everywhere among the brethren.
In spite of the fact that the world is against the child of God, we should still determine in our hearts that as long as there is breath in our bodies, we will live for the Lord regardless of the personal cost. First Corinthians 15:58:
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Who cares if we are opposed, mocked, hated, or ridiculed? Who cares if persecution comes our way, if we stand together as the family of God? Look up the full armor of God in Ephesians 6. Put it on daily. And then stand firm.
The Miles Opposed Him
From Haran to Beersheba in the south of Canaan was about five hundred miles. That is not a great distance today - but think about it with flocks and herds and servants and household goods and all the other things they had with them. That is quite the doings. Quite the journey. It had to be tempting for Abram to stop short of going all the way.
But the verses tell us he did not stop. In fact, he just kept going until he had seen everything there was to see in the Canaan land. God had promised it to him, and he wanted to see it all.
How often are we tempted to unhook and just drop out of the race? How often do the loads of life get heavy and the ways of life get rough? There is a real tendency to get weary and want to quit. Stay in the race. It will be worth it when we all get home.
When the way gets hard, you can count on the fact that God is either trying to grow you - or using your pain to advance his kingdom in ways we may not even see until we get to the other side. Just keep going with the Lord. One day we will reach the end of our journey and step out of this Canaan into glory. But until then, keep on keeping on for the glory of the Lord. We exist to make his name great.
His Responsibilities Opposed Him
Abram was a man with many duties. He had his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot to look after. He had servants, flocks, herds, and all that came along with it. If Abraham was like most men, he believed it was his responsibility to feed the whole crowd and provide for the needs of all those people - by himself, whenever they arose. That is how guys are. So it took great faith for him to place the unseen ahead of the seen and trust God to help take care of all those needs of life.
That is exactly what Abraham did. And that is the place God wants us to reach as well - a place where we are willing to abandon the seen for the unseen at the command of the Lord. And that is the key: at the command of the Lord. Not the whim of our heart. God's clear direction, verified by the word, confirmed in our spirit, lining up with scripture and authentic faith. He wants us to come to a place where we know we have what he has promised even if we cannot see it yet. He wants us to come to the place where all our needs, all our fears, cares, worries, and problems are left at his feet.
Matthew 6:25–34:
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
That is the sold-out believer. That is the one who is authentically saved. When you get right down to it, as pilgrims for the Lord we really only have one requirement: trust him, walk in obedience, and leave the details to God.
And when you do that - you get opportunities.
3. Abram's Opportunities
Genesis 12:7–9
While this man was called to walk by faith toward an unseen place, he was given opportunities that others around him knew nothing about.
He Experienced God's Promise
In verse 7, Abraham could travel as a pilgrim through Canaan knowing in his heart that every square inch of ground was his and his children's forever. As he traveled, Abraham enjoyed the future by faith even though it remained unseen. Even as we continue on our pilgrimage toward glory today, we can see the future by faith as though it were reality right now.
Hebrews 11:8–12 lays this out beautifully:
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
Keep traveling for Jesus. If you are saved today, you are as sure of heaven as if you were already there.
He Enjoyed the Presence of God
In verses 7 and 8, as Abraham journeyed, it seems that whenever he pitched his tent, he also built an altar. He took time to worship as he journeyed. His altars give loud testimony to the condition of his heart. The fact that he built them in the center of Canaan - where all around him the people were enveloped in gross darkness and idolatry - says much about his love for the Lord.
God's people should be known for their altars. Not just in church, but everywhere our path takes us. We should mark our days with prayer and time spent in his presence. John 4:23–24:
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
When we build our altars, we are not ashamed of the God we serve. It stands as a powerful witness to those around us. There is nothing wrong with telling people about the Lord - we should be vocal witnesses. But our devotion to the Lord can make us stand out among the people we interact with. A life of visible worship speaks.
He Walked in Sweet Communion with God
As Abraham journeyed, he and God enjoyed sweet communion and fellowship. God spoke to him and he worshiped the Lord. It seemed almost as if Abraham was uber-intentional - utterly determined - to include God in his pilgrimage.
Far too many of us attempt to leave God out of our journey. And that is a recipe for disaster. There are many times well-meaning Christians really want to serve themselves while honoring God. But that is not full obedience, and it is not the full opportunity. Whether you acknowledge him or not, God is always with you as you travel. If you want to be a good servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and walk with him faithfully, you forget about yourself.
That is hard cheese. And it is a hard sell in the American dream reality of our Canaan.
But when you include him in your life - by listening to him as he speaks, and he speaks through his Word - the miles get shorter and the trials get easier to bear. God will speak to you as you read his Word. If you want to hear God speak to you audibly, read your Bible out loud. When we worship him as we journey, the whole thing changes.
The Bigger Picture: Bethel and Ai
There is a detail in verse 8 worth sitting with a moment. It tells us that Abraham pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai. Bethel means house of God - it is the place where the patriarch Jacob would later meet God on one lonely night in Genesis 28. Ai means heap of ruins - it is the place where Israel would later learn a painful and valuable lesson.
But notice what Abraham is doing. He is moving away from the heap of ruins and toward the house of God.
That is what happens when a person sets out to walk by faith with the Lord. When we determine that we will walk in his path, he begins transforming our heap of ruins into a house of God for his glory. And he does it with ordinary people - with jars of clay.
Second Corinthians 4:7:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
Jars of clay were everyday items. They did not matter much. One could be broken, melted down, reformed, dried out, and used again. That is the point - we are not much. But inside this basic, run-of-the-mill vessel is immense treasure: salvation, and companionship with God our Creator himself. He takes us like he finds us and changes us into his image. He plucks some of us right off the salvage pile and he uses us.
Second Corinthians 5:17:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
First Corinthians 15:49:
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
The passage closes with Abraham journeying on with the Lord. He was headed somewhere. He may have pitched his tent at many addresses in Canaan - but in his heart, Abraham was already living in a far-away country. He had already looked away by faith and entered a land called heaven.
Hebrews 11:13–16:
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. And if they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
This is why the life of Abraham is worthy of study. It is a study in successful living. Why? Because he lived on a higher plane than other people. He lived in heaven while his feet walked on the earth. He had plenty of things - but things did not have him. He held his world in a loose grip, trusting God to give and take as he sees fit.
That is how you make it successfully through this life.
Colossians 3:1–4:
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Note the key of verse 1: if you have been raised with Christ. If you have not, none of this applies. But if you have - you are a new creation in Christ. The old you is dead. And in this new life, you do not have to worry about a lot of stuff when you are walking by faith with God.
Being heavenly minded is not a license to grow in apathy. It is not an excuse to stop caring. It is about being intentional in your walk with Christ - still being a good employer, a good employee, a good spouse, a good parent, a good child to your parents. God keeps putting those things in there. Honor thy father and mother. You want those things because God keeps calling you toward them. But you want them from a completely different place - from a heart that is no longer scrambling for what this world can give it, because it is already satisfied in Jesus.
When you begin to live on that higher plane, the shine wears off. The more you are walking by faith, the less important a lot of things become, and the more contentment flows over you.
Abraham was totally committed to a life of faith - obedient in his separation, his possessions, and his surrender. Opposed at every turn by his age, the darkness around him, the miles in front of him, and the weight of his responsibilities. And yet on the other side of all of it, he received opportunities that no one around him could even see.
He is still looking for those he can call to a life of faith - people he can use to astound the world. The question Abraham's life puts to every one of us is a simple one:
In which country are you more firmly planted - earth or heaven?