”By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8New International Version (NIV)
Hebrews 11:8 Devotional
Faith with obedience
Faith with obedience (Hebrews 11:8) is the “synonym” for faith with works. Thus, Abraham heard the call of God at age 70 and immediately obeyed (he started packing).
Before God called Abram, he lived in the Ur of the Chaldees (present-day Iraq). He was a pagan in a pagan city, descended from a line of idolaters (Joshua 24:2).
Surprisingly, “Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance”. Therefore, you must first believe that God’s inheritance is best. And Abraham left.
So you too can listen to God and take an action. Abraham was convinced that God’s promise constituted a better future, even when he couldn’t see it clearly.
Call or Calling
The word call or calling is often used in the Bible with regard to salvation. First, it is used to refer to God’s general call to everyone to repent and believe the gospel (Matthew 22:14).
Finally, it is also used to refer to “effectual calling”, which is a theological way of referring to God’s specific calling for someone. Romans 8:30 reads: “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Therefore, when God calls you effectually, He works through His Spirit to draw you to faith in Christ (John 6:44). And Paul again in 2 Timothy 1:9 wrote that “God has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (Ephesians 2:10).
Consequently, it was in this effectual sense that God called Abraham. That is, God called Abraham specifically and he responded with total obedience, even though it required him to venture into the unknown.
Remember, the Bible says that “Abraham went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Meaning that Abraham had a promise, but not an idea of what he’d receive and how he’d receive it.
Faith results in obedience.
Therefore, Abraham had to go out into the unknown. And the Bible records that “By faith Abraham … obeyed.” This is because genuine faith is backed up by obedience to God. And obedience then proves that your faith is genuine.
But faith that does not result in obedience is superficial and worthless. This is because genuine faith is obedient faith (Romans 1:5; 16:26). And that is why Jesus told the Jews who claimed Abraham as their father but sought to kill Him: “If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do what Abraham did” (John 8:39).
Therefore, living by faith means loving, knowing, and trusting God in obedience. This is because faith is best demonstrated in obedience.
Prayer/Blessing
May we awaken to the reality that being led by God is a separation that involves aligning ourselves with His leading in every area and everything concerning our lives.
Daily Bible Reading
Matthew 10-11 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
