Text: Romans 4:19-25

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.” —Romans 4:20

When I played high school football, our coaches weren’t just watching what happened on the practice field when making decisions about who the starters would be. They also paid attention to the weight room. Coaches understand that serious athletes will also be dedicated in the weight room, working hard to get stronger. The athletes who really wanted to add more muscle were not content with lifting the same amount of weight every session, they constantly had to add a little more than they had previously lifted to achieve their goals.

I think Paul had spiritual muscles in mind when he said, “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” That’s why he prefaced this “godliness-in-light-of-eternity” kind of living with: “Train yourself for godliness.” Training requires effort. It’s been said that grace isn’t opposed to effort, it’s opposed to earning. We can’t earn our position with Christ, but we are expected to put forth “effort” in our discipleship workouts if we want to grow. Plus, we have the best Personal Trainer we could ever imagine in the Holy Spirit!

God wants to build your faith muscles—the capacity to trust Him more than you’ve ever trusted Him, because “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God isn’t much glorified when you exercise yourself only on the basis of what you can see, what you can figure out, what you can pull off, or what you can explain only in the natural realm. God’s will requires moving by faith, which by His own definition is: “being certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

So how does God help you build more faith muscles so you can win greater victories than ever before? By giving you something to lift that is heavier than you’ve had to lift before. Think about how God continually used Abraham as an example of a life of faith. He was seventy-five years old when the Lord promised to make him the “father of many nations,” and he was a hundred years old when Isaac—the child of promise—was born. Talk about adding weight to the bench-press of life in old age—God was defying all reproductive biology while ol’ Abe was already looking at brochures for assisted living facilities. God is never done building our faith muscles! NEVER!

Look at what God’s Word teaches us about Abraham’s faith:

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was ‘counted to him as righteousness.’ But the words ‘it was counted to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” —Romans 4:19-25

I love that Paul added that these things “were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.” Faith-building isn’t just for the “father of faith,” but for all who will take up the journey of following Jesus daily. Like Abraham, we don’t deny the daunting realities of what appears impossible with our situation. But acknowledging those obstacles doesn’t diminish our faith, either.

You can trust the promise of your Personal Trainer. He will never give you more weight than you can handle. But He will give you something heavier than you lifted before, not because He is unhappy with you, but because He loves you enough to help you become stronger than you’ve ever been before. He’s growing your faith for something bigger. Think about that as you seek to abide in His weight room this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, you are faithful and true. None of your promises ever fail. I acknowledge the daunting realities of my current circumstances, but just like Abraham, that acknowledgement doesn’t weaken my faith. I believe you are still the God who saves, heals, delivers, provides, and shows up bigger than life. Holy Spirit, teach me how to abide in your weight room, as I exercise my faith amidst the daily stuff of life. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Application or Group Discussion:

1. What is one of the heaviest loads you have ever had to carry?
2. What is stirred in your heart when you think about the story of Abraham and Sarah?
3. Abraham considered (faced the facts) of his old age and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb, yet still grew strong in his faith. What can that teach us?
4. God has promised to never put on us more than we can handle. How does that speak to your circumstances right now?
5. What might God be telling you to do right now that will require your faith muscles to be stretched in ways they have never been stretched before?