The Bible Storyline – Lesson 17 – Abraham Believed God – Gen 15:6
The Bible Storyline – Lesson 17 – Abraham Believed God – Gen 15.6.
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The Bible Storyline – Lesson 17 – October 18, 2026 – Abraham Believed God.
Setting & Review
This sermon picks up where the previous one left off. We just studied Genesis 15:1-5, where God appeared to Abraham in a vision and renewed the promise to make him a great nation.
1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Setting & Review
The background of this story goes all the way back to Genesis 1. God created earth, filled it with animals, plants, etc… then God created mankind to rule earth, under His authority. Mankind was created in the image and after the likeness of God. Then God ordered mankind to fill the earth with God’s image.
Over time, the earth was being populated, but the people were not imaging God, instead they practiced sin and rebellion. So God called one man to leave his home and family, his country, and his pagan idols to come follow God. This man was Abraham
Through Abraham, God would create a nation that would represent Him, and be the example for all other nations to follow God.
Abraham was childless, but God promised to make him a great (large) nation, and to give him a specific geographic territory (Canaan). But after following God for three years, Abraham had not seen any of the promises come true. God appeared to him in a vision (Gen 15) and assures him that everything God had promised would come to pass.
God used the stars in the sky as a visual illustration for Abraham. God said, look at the stars and try to number them. That is how many descendants will have occupying the land I will give you.
Abraham’s Faith
Verse 6 provides a key truth that will become our example to follow. Gen 15:6
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Gen 15:6 is one of the key verses in the Bible in regards to salvation.
From Genesis 12 on through the rest of Abram’s life we are given opportunity to see what saving faith looks like.
Saving Faith
What do we mean by the term “saving faith”?
To understand this concept we will return to the beginning of our series – The Bible Storyline. There are two kingdoms
Before Adam and Eve sinned, every one born would have been born into the Kingdom of God.
But, after they sinned, every person born is born into the kingdom of Satan.
This means a change must happen. There must be something that transitions us from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God.
The earth is steadily being populated with broken image bearers of God. People who are imitating Satan and not God. The Bible has a term to identify them:
Unrighteous
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Unrighteous
These verse teach us that the unrighteous will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. This is crucial information because early in our series we learned that God is actively fulfilling His plan to:
- overcome evil
- restore creation
- establish His kingdom on earth
Consider what this means for everyone who comes into the world.
Abraham naturally then was born into the Kingdom of Satan. The Bible tells us he grew up with pagan idolators. Joshua 24:2
2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
Therefore, Abraham was an unrighteous idolator. BUT GOD, called Abraham to leave his pagan land, pagan family, pagan gods, and walk away from his security to follow (obey, serve, and trust) the one True God, who is Creator.
In other words, Gen 12 informs us God was calling Abraham to defect from the kingdom of Satan and make God his God.
Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees and all his gods but there was more testing and steps to get Abraham into the kingdom of God.
The question yet to be seen is if Abraham would give up on God and His promises and return to his country, family, and gods.
Saving Faith
Genesis 15 brings us to one of those pivotal moments in Abrahams life where he must decide if he will continue with the God of heaven or return to trust, worship, and serve the moon god his family served in Ur.
The author of Hebrews makes this point in Hebrews 11:13-16
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Saving Faith
The author of Hebrews was talking about Abraham and the other patriarchs of God’s kingdom.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
REFLECTION MOMENT
Let me be open and real with you about how these truths have interacted in my life. I was raised in a Christian home; my parents took me to church, they taught me what it means to be a Christian. I do not have any memories of the first time I learned about God, Jesus, Sin, Heaven, or Hell. Learning about them was like learning how walk or talk – it was natural.
I do not have any memory of believing in God or Jesus, or the fact that I am a sinner for the first time. I grew up knowing those truths as much as I grew up knowing my own name.
When I was around five or six, I was taught to pray, telling God I believe these things, and asking God to save me. But I was not prepared at six years old to understand the decisions awaiting me in the future. I want to share what conviction looked like in my life over the next 17 years, after being baptized at 6 years old. Every day of my life, the sinful nature that I was born with desires to exercise control of my choices, attitude, actions, and decisions. Everyday I must make multiple decisions about righteousness and unrighteousness. At salvation God not only forgives our sin, He equips us with the Holy Spirit. But the battle is just as real and just as strong. There is not a single day that goes by in a persons life that they do not sin, and if we consider the ten commandments the way Jesus explained them in the sermon on the mount, I am convinced there is not a single day that a person does not sin.
This only means there should not be a single day that we do not confess our sin, repent (stop doing it) and drawing close to God. But notice what Hebrews said about the opportunity to return to the country they left behind:
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
We do not fall into sin, we walk into sin. It is a conscious choice we make not a tragic accident that happens to us. The failure that leads to sin is the failure to shut set our minds and our hearts on God and His kingdom. It is the failure to let our minds and our desires linger on sinful actions and thoughts.
This begs the question: “Where is your heart?” Do you long for your sin? Have you separated from your unrighteous friends and family and their practice of sin? – are you fit for the kingdom of God?
The Apostle Paul reminds us to keep our attention and our heart fixed on things of God to avoid longing for the life of sin and the people of sin God called us to leave for the Kingdom of God Col 3:1-2
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Our enemy the devil wants to prevent our defection from his kingdom. So he tries to make us long for the people, activities, lifestyle, and sinful pleasure we left in that Kingdom. God teaches us to intentionally long for the purity, holiness, fellowship, and family found in His kingdom.
Saving Faith
We will return to the original question – What is saving faith?
Abraham has left his country, his family, his future with them, and his gods behind to follow the God of heaven to a land God promised to give him. God promised to make him a large nation, and that all the families of the earth will be blessed through him. BUT, three years later, Abraham is not seeing any real evidence that the God of heaven is going make good on His promise.
So, what would go through your mind at this time? Hmm, “maybe it’s not too late to return to Ur, back to may family, my country, and the gods I served there.”
BUT God, renewed His promise to Abraham and verse six tells us what Abraham did, then what God did in response.
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Abraham believed the promise of God because he believed the Character of God.
Abraham was putting faith in the God of heaven, even though the promise was unfulfilled at that time.
Abraham was not willing to give up on God and return to his gods in Ur.
Saving Faith
Abraham’s faith in God was evident because he did not long for what he had left behind, he trusted what he had not yet seen, and he stayed with God.
Then God, counted (imputed) this genuine act of faith with righteousness. At this time Abraham is being made right with God. His is confirming his defection from the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God. And his faith is counted as righteousness.
Now that Abraham has imputed righteousness, what can he expect from the God he is serving?
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
The righteous will inherit the earth. In other words, now that Abraham has imparted righteousness because of his faith, he will inherit the kingdom of God.
Abraham Our Father
What does this mean for you and me? The Bible calls Abraham the father of all who practice the same saving faith that he did. Gal 3:7-9
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Also in Gal 3:29
29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Paul teaches this truth in Romans 4:11-17
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
When you or I, or anyone practices the same faith in God as Abraham, we have the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed (placed on our sin debt) and we become heirs of the kingdom of God.
What is that faith?
Consciously, and intentionally, defect from the kingdom of Satan. Leave behind the sin, the sinners, and the things you trusted in, to enter the kingdom of God and fully serve, obey, and trust in Him.
Set your heart on God and His kingdom. Do not long for, grieve the loss of, or try to hold onto the sin, or the relationships that draw you back into that sin.
Question: God has made you an offer to come to His kingdom. Have you accepted? Have you forsaken the old? Are you fully committed to continue serving God and His kingdom.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.