BECOMING FULLY PERSUADED: An aspect of faith

“And being FULLY PERSUADED that, what he had PROMISED, he was ABLE also to perform.” (Romans 4:21).

God will not force us to believe. But He persuades us to believe. If God gives you a promise, He is also able to bring it to pass, no matter how impossible it may seem to you. God Himself is determined to convince you on this most important factor of faith - faith in His ability. 

Abraham was a hundred years old. Sarah, his wife, was ninety. His body was dead. Sarah's womb was dead. Yet God assured him that he was going to have a son by Sarah; through whom He will make him a father of many nations. 

UNPRECEDENTED PROMISE 

Put yourself in the place of Abraham. Would you have believed? It was going to be an unprecedented miracle. It has never happened before. There was no reference for it until then since time began. To bring His promise to pass, it was the responsibility of God to persuade Abraham that He was able to quicken both his body and Sarah's womb.

It was after Abraham became fully persuaded that God was able to do what He promised, that he believed. The scriptures tell us what he believed.¹

“(As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations,) before him whom he BELIEVED, even God, who QUICKENS THE DEAD, and calls those THINGS WHICH ARE NOT as though they were.”

If we must walk in the faith of Abraham we also need to understand the God that Abraham believed. He believed in the God that quickens the dead and calls the things that are not as though they were. 

The God of Abraham is a God who can use DEAD THINGS and NO THINGS as raw materials.

So if you do not believe that God can quicken the dead and be able to do whatever He promises, you don’t believe in the God of Abraham. This is so important to God, that He will take His time to persuade us to believe Him in order to do a new thing in and through our lives. He will not coerce us. But He will persuade us to yield to His power. 

ANOTHER EXAMPLE 

The virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. It was also an unprecedented miracle.² No one had ever given birth to a child as a virgin. Yet God had promised that it would happen. When Mary was told that she was going to give birth to a son, she asked a valid question. “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Then the angel of God took his time to persuade her. Paraphrased; “If God has said it, He is also able to do it.”

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The HOLY GHOST shall come upon you, and the POWER OF THE HIGHEST shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.” (Luke 1:35-37).

MARY BECAME FULLY PERSUADED 

 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; BE IT UNTO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. And the angel departed from her.” 

A PRECEDENT PROMISE

The angel Gabriel used the pregnancy of Elizabeth to persuade Mary about the ability of God. The ³testimony of Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, was like that of Sarah and Abraham. “They had no child, because ELISABETH WAS BARREN, and they both were now WELL STRICKEN IN YEARS.” 

But when the angel told Zechariah that his wife was going to have a son he also asked a question. “Whereby SHALL I KNOW THIS? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.” He, being a priest, was well aware of Abraham's testimony. He had enough information to believe in the ability of God to do it. He didn't need further persuasion to believe. It was a clear case of unbelief. He doubted the ability of God.

“And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings.

And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because YOU BELIEVED NOT MY WORDS, which shall be fulfilled in their season.” (Luke 1:19-20).

NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD 

If you are in Christ, you have no excuse to doubt the ability of God. You have a stronger precedent for this. In order to be saved, you believed that God raised Christ from the dead after three days in the grave. It was a fulfillment of His promise. That is the greatest evidence that He is the God that quickens the dead. If you truly believe in the resurrection of Christ, you should be able to believe that God can do whatever He has promised. 

“For all the PROMISES OF GOD in him are yes, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Make sure that you have received the word from the mouth of God. If it is the promise of God, He is able to bring it to pass. The exceeding great and precious promises⁴ of God are given to us by Him to show us the scope of God's power. But it is our responsibility to study the word in order to be persuaded. Nothing shall be impossible with God if you believe. 

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¹ Romans 4:16-22

² Luke 1:26-38

³ Luke 1:5-20

⁴ 2 Peter 1:3-4