How to Be Strong in the Faith

Adrian Rogers was a motivator, an encourager, and a leader of the faith. He was also passionate about presenting scriptural application to everyday life circumstances, and you'll hear that in today's message.

Now, let's join Adrian Rogers. Would you take God's Word and be finding Romans chapter 4? And as you're finding Romans chapter 4, I want you to imagine something. I want you to imagine two letters that have been placed in the mailbox. One letter is on crisp embossed stationery, very expensive stationery. It is typed impeccably.

It is full of cogent thoughts. Not one word is misspelled, not a smudge on that letter, but it has no stamp on it. It's placed in the mailbox. Another letter, written in a pencil, written on inferior paper, with many misspellings, smudged and dirty, is dropped into the same mailbox, but this letter has a stamp on it. Now, which letter is going to be delivered? The one that is beautiful with no stamp, or the one, though inferior, has a stamp on it?

Well, you know the answer. Now, folks, in the spiritual life, in the Christian life, faith is that stamp. Now, some of us may look better than others, but you know what God looks for? God looks for the stamp of faith upon our lives.

I want to talk to you about faith, strong faith, and how to have it. We've been studying about Abraham, and when God called Abraham, God said, Abraham, Abraham, through you, all the nations of the world are going to be blessed. Now, God did not want to make the Jewish nation simply a reservoir of blessing.

He wanted to make them a channel of blessing, that through them all the nations of the world would be blessed. And the same way that God made Abraham a blessing, God will make you a blessing, and God made Abraham a blessing by faith. And the scripture that we're going to study today talks about Abraham's faith, and the Bible tells us that it was strong faith. Would you like to be strong in faith?

Would you? Now, why is faith so important? Friends, you can't please God without faith. The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please him. And if you please God, it doesn't matter whom you displease. And if you displease God, it really doesn't matter whom you please. And the way to please God is to believe God, Hebrews 11 and verse 6. Folks, you can't be saved apart from faith, for by grace are you saved through faith, therefore being justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and anybody can be saved if they will put their faith where God put their sins upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We're saved by faith. It's faith, friend, that enables us to live the Christian life. Some folks here are stumbling and failing.

Other folks are victorious. What is the difference? It's the difference in those two letters I told you about. The difference is by faith. The Bible says this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Some are overcomers, and some are overcome. What is the difference? The difference is faith. Some folks have a bright hope for heaven. To some people, heaven is very real. To others, it's not real. But for those who have faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things that's not seen.

Heaven is just as real to some folks as if they were already there. What makes the difference? Faith makes the difference. Now, what is faith? Listen carefully.

Listen carefully. What is faith? Faith is not a hunch.

Faith is not positive thinking. Faith is not believing everything will work out. Faith is taking God at His Word. Are you listening?

Did you hear that? Faith is taking God at His Word. Faith is not responding to emotions, feelings, icicles up and down your spine, miracles and signs. Faith is not believing simply that God can. Faith is knowing that God will. Real faith, strong faith, is death to doubt.

It is dumb to discouragement. It is blind to impossibilities. It knows that God will. Now, this is the kind of faith we need, and we're going to learn the kind of faith that Abraham had, and then we're going to learn that what Abraham experienced, we can experience. If we believe as Abraham believed, we will achieve as Abraham achieved. That's what this passage is all about. And what an encouragement this ought to be to us. You know, you say, Adrian, the illustration that you used about the smudged letter, was that a good illustration? Because are you encouraging us to have a smudged life? No, no.

But let me tell you something wonderful. Abraham smudged the letter, if you'll read the Old Testament. I mean, he did some dumb bonehead things. Abraham made some industrial strength mistakes. He wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But in the New Testament, you can't read one word about all of his mistakes. Not one.

Not one. Do you know what God remembered Abraham for? Not his failure, but his faith. Isn't that great?

Isn't that great? It's the stamp of faith that God is looking for. Now, the Bible says that Abraham was strong in faith. Would you like to be strong in faith?

Would you? Let me mention about five things that are true about Abraham's faith. But I won't be true about your faith.

First of all, write down the word gift. G-I-F-T. See, strong faith is received as a gift of God. Strong faith is a gift of God.

Now look, if you will, in verse 16, chapter 4 and verse 16. Therefore, it is a faith that it might be by grace. What is grace? Well, grace is God taking the initiative. Grace is the unmerited favor of God given to sinners such as we where there is no merit whatsoever. Now folks, salvation is the grace gift of God, but so is the faith that we have to receive that salvation. Now, grace is not the reward for our faith. It's grace that takes the initiative to give us that faith. You don't generate faith. You are totally depraved by nature.

There's nothing in you that could generate faith. As a matter of fact, the Bible says in Ephesians 2, verse 1, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. It's not just that you're sick, folks, who without Jesus you are dead. You're dead.

So learn this. Now, grace is not a reward for our faith. Our faith is the gift of God's grace.

It's an amazing thing. You see, God must give us faith. Well, does He give us faith?

Indeed, He does. Well, does He give faith to some people? Put down Romans 12, verse 3, it says, God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith. God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith. The only reason that we could have faith is that God takes the initiative, and God puts that faith in our own hearts. Now, faith is a gift of God. Faith receives the gift of God. Faith receives the gift of God. Now, listen very carefully. Does that mean, therefore, that God is going to believe for you?

No, He will not. You must do your own believing. Well, you say, Adrian, I thought faith was a gift of God. Indeed, it is, apart from God you could not believe. Let me ask you a question. Is breathing a gift of God?

It really is. God gives you lungs, and God gives you air, but you can smother if you want. God gives you lungs.

You couldn't breathe without lungs. God gives you air. You couldn't breathe without air, but friend, you can smother if you wish, and you can fail to believe God. If you wish to believe, you can, but you can smother the truth and smother yourself if you wish, but God will enable you to believe. But when you do believe, no bragging, no boasting. To God be the glory, even for that faith which is the gift of God.

Remember what I said? That faith is simply taking God at His word. Now, you've got to find a word from God. Look in verse 13. Look for the promise. See the word promise?

Underscore it. Look in the end of verse 14 that the promise might be made of none effect. Underscore the word promise. Look in verse 16, therefore it is a faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure.

The promise, the promise, the promise. Faith, faith is your response to the promises of God, to the word of God, and that's the reason the Bible says in Romans chapter 10 verse 17, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by what? Word of God. You'll never have faith if you don't get a word from God. You've got to get a promise from God in order to have faith, and friend, the Bible is chock full of them.

The Bible is chock full of promises. You see, God gives you the lungs. That's the promise, and God gives you the air, but you've got to believe.

You've got to receive. It's a gift of God. Dwight L. Moody said something about faith, and I want you to listen very carefully because it's important. He said, I used to close my Bible and pray for faith. God, give me faith. God, give me faith.

God, give me faith, please. And he said, faith never would grow. And then he said, I read in the Bible in Romans chapter 10 verse 17, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And he said, I stopped praying for faith and started reading my Bible, and faith just burst a flame in my heart. You see, faith is a gift of God. You've got to get into the word of God. And by the way, in soul winning, when we bring people to faith in Jesus Christ, if you want them to believe, you've got to give them something to believe.

Give them the word of God, the promise, the promise, the promise. So first point, strong faith. Strong faith receives the gift of God.

Have you got that? Second thing, strong faith releases the grace of God. It receives the gift of God, and then it releases the grace of God. Look in verse 16 again, therefore it is a faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure. You see, faith links us to grace.

We're not saved by faith. We're saved by grace, but it is faith that links us to grace. The only way that grace can ever operate is through faith. Now, Jesus died on the cross.

He paid for your sins, but that does you absolutely no good until you put your faith, as I've said, where God put your sins upon the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, grace is released by faith. Unbelief holds grace a prisoner. Unbelief holds grace a prisoner. Look in verse 16 again, therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure. You say, Adrian, are you sure that you're saved?

Yes. How can you be sure? You've got a lot of confidence in yourself, don't you? I don't have any confidence in myself. You see, if I had any confidence in myself, I could never be sure. I don't know if I'm good enough or not, but if it is by grace, then I can be sure.

That's what it says right here. You see, faith receives the gift of God. Faith releases the grace of God. You know, if you think that you're going to get to heaven by your good works, I'll guarantee you, you'll never be sure.

You'll always be wondering, have I done enough? You'll not have a no-so salvation. You'll have a hope-so salvation. Rather than being an exclamation point, you'll be a question mark until you understand it's by grace, and then you say, praise God. Hallelujah.

I know that I'm saved. I heard about a group of people who were queuing up to get into heaven, and they were checking them in the pearly gates, and there was a long, long line. People standing at the end of the line heard some jubilation there at the front of the line. They were leaping and dancing and cheering, and they said to a friend, said, run down there way to the front of the line and find out what all the good news is. He came back. He said, it is wonderful news.

He said, well, what is it? He said, they're not counting prayer meeting attendance. Now listen, folks, you ought to come to prayer meeting, but you don't get saved by coming to prayer meeting or by Sunday school or by giving your tithe or whatever it is. You'll never have the assurance of your salvation if you do that. But to say, thank God, I know that I know I'm saved, it is by grace that it might be sure. So what does faith do? Strong faith that receives the gift of God. What does strong faith do?

It releases the grace of God. Third thing, strong faith respects the greatness of God. Now here's the key to his strong faith. He had respect to the greatness of God. Begin reading in verse 17.

As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations before whom he believed, the whom refers to God, he refers to Abraham, even God, now watch this, who quickeneth the dead, that means he gives life to the dead and calleth those things which be as naught as though they were. Now what's he saying about this? He's saying our God specializes in two things. As a matter of fact, he's cornered to market in these two things. You want me to tell you what two things that nobody else can do that only God can do?

Of course there are many, but these are the two dimensions right here. Number one, God raises the dead. Number two, he makes something out of nothing.

Now he's cornered to market there, hadn't he? Now this is what Abraham believes. Look at it. It says here, he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be naught as though they were. He is saying, God, this is your specialty.

I know what you can do. You're the one, Almighty God, who brings life out of death and something out of nothing. Well, why was this very important? Well, you have to remember now that Abraham was 100 years old when God spoke to him and his wife was 90 years old and they were both past the age of procreation, that is having children.

There's no way they didn't have a baby. But he says, but wait a minute, God, you're a God who brings life out of death. You're a God that brings something out of nothing.

And what strong faith does, it doesn't look at the problem, it looks to God. Almighty God. So Abraham coming out of the maternity ward on a cane saying, it's a boy. Can you imagine?

Can you imagine? How do you explain that? A miracle of God. Now the Bible says that Abraham had respect to the greatness of God. Do you know that people with weak faith just have a small God? Listen, if your faith is weak, you need to get to know God.

The Bible says, they that know thy name will put their trust in thee. Glance at your problem. Gaze at your God. Notice here in verse 18, look at it.

It speaks of Abraham. Now watch this. Who, against hope, believed in hope? Now let me ask you a question. Do you think you're hopeless?

Do you? Do you think there's no hope for you? Do you think God is finished with you and never got started with you? Listen to me. Do you think that other people can know God but not you? Friend, let me tell you, God sent me here to tell you that God has hope for you.

Now you listen to me. Who, watch it, look at now in verse 18, who against hope, that is human hope, believed in hope. That is, there is human hope, impossible. There is heavenly hope with God, all things are possible.

Now the difference is that Abraham now looked at God, God who can bring life out of death and make something out of nothing, and Abraham said, I am going to believe in that God. Now don't you look at yourself. Don't you look at your problems. Don't you dare say that you're hopeless. You are not.

You are not. God can bring life to you, and God will make something out of you, and by the way, the only thing God makes something out of is nothing, and so if you'll become nothing, he'll make something out of you. When you stop trying and let God, you see, Abraham was faced with two impossibilities. First impossibility, that he could have a child, impossible. Second impossibility, that God can tell a lie. So he just says, I'll forget that impossibility and I'll take this one, and that impossibility became possibility because God did exactly what he said he would do because God cannot lie, and Abraham had a promise from God.

Now are you following? Strong faith receives the gift of God. God enables you to believe. Strong faith releases the grace of God so you can be sure. Strong faith respects the character of God. God is God, and when you see that God is God, then you're going to have strong faith. Faith, mighty faith, the promise, sees, looks to God alone, laughs at impossibilities and says, it shall be done.

Now the next thing. Strong faith, watch this now, regards the guidance of God. Look in verses 20 and 21. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Now who did the miracle? Who caused Isaac to be born the son of promise?

Who caused that? Well, the Bible says what God promised, God performed it, but God did it through Abraham and Sarah. Are you listening?

Listen, now let me tell you something. Real faith responds to the guidance of God. And real faith doesn't just sit back and say, well now God, you said you were going to give us a son and that's all there is to it.

No, Abraham and Sarah certainly did their part. You see, there was the obedience of faith. Faith is more of a verb than a noun. You know the difference between belief and faith? Faith is belief with legs on it. Strong faith not only believes that God can, but it believes that God will and God will do it by me.

It's very clear folks that Abraham and Sarah did something because of their faith. You see, faith responds to the guidance of God. Faith is acting upon what we know to be true. We faithfully obey.

Now here's the last thing. Faith reflects the glory of God. Look in verses 20 and 21 again. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, now watch this, giving glory to God. Would you like to give glory to God? Do you think your unbelief glorifies God?

No. Faith reflects the glory of God. Do you know the greatest thing you could do to give God glory? Not give a million dollars. Not give your body to be burned.

Not go overseas as a missionary. The greatest thing you could do to glorify God is to believe God. He was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Faith says, God, you're trustworthy. He that believeth not God has made him a liar. Don't pray about your belief in a great God, a good God, a strong God and all the rest of that and then fail to believe Him. Believe God. Strong faith glorifies God. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.