How to Build an Abraham Faith

Like many of you, I have read Hebrews 11 many times. I appreciate its insights on faith, and enjoy reading through the “Faith Hall of Fame.” The Lord recently showed me something there that I’d never seen. Hebrews 11:17-19 says, By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. These verses recap the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, the son of promise, in Genesis 22:1-19. In fact, many Bibles title this story, “Abraham’s Faith Confirmed.”

In the past, I’ve always admired Abraham’s obedience. Reading it as a father, I’ve contemplated the limits of my own faith. “If God asked me to sacrifice one of my children, would I be able to muster up a ‘yes’ like Abraham?” If Isaac was a teenager, as many have suggested, sacrificing him may have been an easier decision (I’m just kidding). However, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t think I’m there yet (even with a house full of teenage girls!). I love the Lord and want to be obedient, but I don’t think I could go this far. The question “How?” naturally follows this story. How could Abraham willingly slaughter Isaac?

There are, of course, people and cultures who sacrifice their children, and I will not pretend to understand their motivations. However, Isaac is no ordinary child sacrifice. Abraham and Sarah were both barren. Abraham was 100, Sarah was 90. God promised Isaac to them. Isaac was Abraham’s heir, the one through whom God’s blessing would pass. God had clearly communicated with Abraham concerning his plan for Isaac, and his birth was miraculous. Isaac was a beloved, cherished son, and sacrificing him was unthinkable.

Yet Abraham tried to do the unthinkable, and without divine intervention, the unthinkable would have happened. So, how? How could Abraham willingly sacrifice Isaac? Was it really just his great faith? In a word, yes. Hebrews 11:17 says, “By faith Abraham... ...offered up Isaac.” Faith is most certainly the answer to the question of how, but there’s more to the story.

Hebrews 11:19 says, “Abraham concluded that God was able to raise [Isaac] up, even from the dead.” Part of Abraham’s faith was his confidence in God’s ability to resurrect Isaac. Abraham knew that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead because he had already received him from the dead. Romans 4:19 explains that, reproductively, Abraham’s and Sarah’s bodies were dead. If God could bring Isaac to life from their dead bodies, then He could just as easily bring him to life from his dead body. Abraham believed that God could resurrect Isaac because Isaac’s very existence testified to His resurrection power. Thus, Abraham’s testimony was foundational to his faith.

This may not be intuitive, but it should not be too surprising. 1 John 5:4 says that our faith is the victory that overcomes the world, and Revelation 12:11 says that the saints overcame the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. What overcomes? Faith and testimony. The declaration of your testimony strengthens the foundation of your faith. You can only build for so long on someone else’s testimony. That’s shifting sand, because another person may have a different testimony, and then your foundation can become unstable. At some point, your faith requires your testimony.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to write out my testimony as part of a job application for a Christian school. It was one of the best and most encouraging things I have ever done. As I meditated on my walk with the Lord over the decades, I realized how faithful and integral He had been in my life. I saw His providence and protection in ways that I had overlooked in the daily grind. And those aspects of my testimony strengthened my faith for what the Lord needed from me next. I encourage each of you to take time to do that at some point. Your testimony is foundational to your faith, because knowing what God has done in your life tells you a lot about what God can do.

However, there can be a big gap between believing God can do something and believing He will do it. In fact, many people struggle because they believe God is powerful enough to help, but is not willing enough to help. Well, I have good news. God is able and willing. Abraham knew this, too. He knew God was willing to resurrect Isaac, because God had revealed His plan and promises to Abraham. God had revealed things concerning Isaac to Abraham in Genesis 17:19, foretelling his miraculous birth, commanding his name, and promising to establish an everlasting covenant with him and his descendants. Abraham’s faith was not built on his testimony alone, but also by revelation knowledge of God’s word.

Hebrews 11:1 says “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” This hope is not just wishful thinking; it is an enthusiastic expectation of an outcome. It is what you experience when you have purchased something but haven’t received it yet. Biblical hope requires a known outcome, and that’s why faith begins when the will of God is known. Abraham knew God’s will concerning Isaac, and this revelation, combined with his testimony, empowered his faith to the point of obedience.

Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Natural hearing can increase your faith to some degree, but revelation comes from hearing the Holy Spirit explain the Word. Not everyone hears His voice, but if you listen carefully, He will reveal things in Scripture to you, just like He revealed things about Isaac to Abraham. This revelation, combined with your testimony, will help you build your faith on a rock-solid foundation. 

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, comes by hearing, and is built at the intersection of revelation and testimony. Because Abraham knew God’s will concerning Isaac and knew God was able to resurrect Isaac, he was able to obediently sacrifice Isaac. Likewise, by declaring our testimony and getting biblical revelation from the Holy Spirit, you and I can also obey God up to the point of the impossible, just like Abraham.