The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1957-05-10

AMERICAN audience dS SuCItSS-
ful cattleman Even small boys
might be interested to know that
he was extra good as deputy
sheriff But these facts were not
the main point about him
Faith That Works
The big fact about Abraham was
his religious genius To some per
sons God seems very dim. Even
Abraham S father Worshipped
other gods we have no idea
how many. But Abraham. out Of
an idolatroIs home. came forth
man for whom God was his closest
and most real Friend To use the
Bible word. Abraham was man
Of faith. In one book Of the New
Testament Romans Paul says
that Abraham was justified
that is, God looked with approval
on hin-for his faith
Belief
Abraham believed God, it is
said. No living man now knows
how God spoke to Abraham Long
90 Saint Augustine debated, but
lid not decide, the question wheth-
II God spoke in tones that the ear
,ould catch, or in voice audible
,nly in the soul The point is that
chen Abraham knew it for God
Erection. or God promise. he be-
eved that what God said was
true God made some pretty IN
KEY promises to him: that he
would have son at all was very
Unlikely. that this sons descend
ants would be more numerous than
the stars was equally unlikely; that
they would live in and own the
countryside where Abraham was
landless nomad was still more i'm
probable. but most incredible Of
all was that through Abraham S
descendants the whole earth should
be blessed. Yet we are told that
Abraham believed all these things;
and indeed they all came true.
Obedience
1t is one thing to believe that
what God says Is true; it is an
other thing to set about living by
that truth. Many person viii
stand up for the proposition that the
Bible is the inspired Word Of God.
but simply won't act and live in ac-
cordance with what the Bible plain
~ teaches. Such faith as James
said is vain" - but Abraham S
faith was not vain. He took God at
his word, when God said Go he
went, and he went all the way.
.Whate er my God ordains is
right is song Abraham could
well have sung.
Patience
Abraham S faith was shown also
~ his patience Most Of US are like
mall children. whose clocks show
)nly two times, NOW and NEVER.
If Father has promised ride. or
Mother lollipop, the child wants
it right this minute If it's not to be
had, tears fall and walls arise If
can't have it now, III never get it!
So we pray and expect an answer as
if it were by return mail. We can't
trust God to time his, blessings
Abraham knew better. He was will
ing to wait Indeed some of the
promises God made to him he
never lived to see. But he did not
think that God had cheated him.
Sacrifice
The story Of Abraham's sacrifice
Tor near-sacrifcel of Isaac shows
the endless lengths to which Abra
hams faith would so. Psychologist
cally and morally impossible for a
sane American today, the act Of
sacrifice was not SO impossi-
Bile for Abraham, living as he did
among people for whom human
sacrifices were all too common. But
it is impossible to exaggerate the
meaning of this sacrifice TO Abra-
ham. 1t meant cutting off. SO far
as he could see, all the promises Of
God Indeed it may well have
seemed to him that God had
changed his mind and was taking
back all he had promised for the
future. All this added to the deep
love Abraham had for this child
OF faith. the child for whom he had
waited SO many years, made the
act seem especially terrible. But
Abraharns faith went the last mile
Biased on outlines copyrigh ed by ,h
Division Of Christian Education, Ma
ticnal Council of the Churches os Chri>
in the T. S. a. Released by Com murit
Press Seryice1