The Force Of Obedience
Abraham left the comfort and security of Ur to obey the call of God. Without hesitation, he "obeyed and went." He is known for this immediate step of obedience. Abraham's spiritual experience was marked by four difficult steps of obedience that showed the strength of his trust in God: He left his country and family (Genesis 12:1). He broke up with his nephew Lot, offering Lot his choice of land (Genesis 13:1-18). He changed his focus from Ishmael to Isaac for the center of God's promise (Genesis 17:17-18). He was willing to offer up Isaac, his only son (Genesis 22:1-19). Abraham did not choose the easy way in these situations-because of his faith in God, he chose God's way and obeyed him, even when obedience was difficult. His faith is an example for all of us. Paul uses Abraham as the central theme in Romans 4 concerning justification by faith and describes him as "the father of all who believe" (Romans 4:11). Abraham was God's friend (Jame...