Abraham believed God

For students of the Bible, a big question is, “Was Abraham justified by faith or by works?” The answer is yes!

In every passage, one must be careful to examine the context. For example, Romans 4:3 says, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Abraham believed God’s promise. There was nothing for him to physically do.

On the other hand, James 2:23 says, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” This passage was discussing Abraham’s offering of his son Isaac on the altar. He obeyed God’s command. His faith compelled him to do so.

There is no conflict between these two passages. The birth of Isaac in Genesis 15 was an example of Abraham trusting in God’s promise. In Genesis 22, Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac. This was a command, and Abraham obeyed without hesitation.

These two different events demonstrate that you, like Abraham, believe a promise, but you must obey a command. There is no conflict -- salvation cannot be by faith only!

Kyle Campbell