Greeting to you, dear friends!Praise God that we once again can continue discussing principles of faith and learn them from the life of Abram.
Yesterday we talked about the fact that faith is connected with our vision. We also talked about the things we have to alter in our lives in order to be able not only to receive the vision of God in our lives, but also to feed it.
Today I would like us to talk about one more principle that is the principle of a right confession.
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shal be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations” (Genesis, 17:1-5).
We see here that God once again came to Abram to strengthen him in faith and to settle all his doubts. God desired to prepare Abram so that he could become what God had already named him. That is why God set another principle – He changed Abram’s name. By doing that God changed Abram’s confession about himself. The first name – Abram – meant “a noble father”. This name contained fatherhood, but its meaning was rather narrow. God meant for Abram to be not just a noble father, but a father of many nations. God wanted to bless the whole world through Abram; He had a greater vision for him, and that is why God also gave him a new name.
Since Abram had a too narrow understanding of his life, God had to broaden it so that his vision and his confession would match up to the plan that God had for Abram. Thus, besides the vision given to Abram by God, He also changed Abram’s confession about himself. In this way God was preparing Abram to become a father of many nations.
Apostle Paul talked about it as of a done deal, and this is what he said:
“(As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations) in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” (Romans, 4:17-18)
God helped Abraham to believe Him, Who calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
This is the principle of right confession. God calls those things that do not exist as though they did. When God gave Abram a new name – Abraham, he did not have any descendants. Neverthelss, because of this new name Abraham began calling himself “a father of many nations”. And when he called himself by name or he was called by others – every time what God had purposed was confessed – particularly that Abraham is going to be a father of many nations. We see that Abraham „contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations…”
Through faith we become what God wants us to be. Yet for our faith to get strong we must both have the right vision and the correct confession. We have to be able – just like God and Abraham – to call the things that do not exist as though they did. And then we will see the changes in our lives and we will enter the reality of God’s promises.
May God abundantly bless you!Peace to you!
Pastor Rufus Ajiboye
