Being Fully Persuaded

In connection with this principle of making the right confession and holding it fast without wavering, I want to look at the example of Abraham, as Paul portrayed him. Abraham is one of the best examples of someone who held fast without wavering. As Paul wrote:

“Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.” (Romans 4:19, NIV)

Real faith faces facts. Any attitude that is not willing to look at the facts is not real faith. Abraham did not try to deceive himself; he did not imagine something differently from how it was. With his senses, he saw that his body was as good as dead, as was the womb of his wife, Sarah. But he did not trust solely in his senses. Paul continued:

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’” (Romans 4:20–22, NIV)

Abraham is called “the father of all those who believe” (Romans 4:11), and we are exhorted to follow in the steps of Abraham’s faith (see verse 12). We are required to walk that same path of faith. We are required to lay hold of the promise of God, to make our confession, to hold fast our confession without wavering, to refuse to be deterred by what our senses reveal, and to look beyond the seen things, peering into the unseen realm to see, by faith, our faithful High Priest, there at God’s right hand.