What made Abraham's faith different?

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Abraham was a remarkable man, but he was just like any one of us: a man.

There's one thing, however, that sets him apart; something that we should all know and learn from, and hopefully attain.

This seemingly inconspicuous thing is what made him the man we know today, the father of faith. Many of us may not admit it, but we don't have what he had, considering he was not in favorable circumstances.

What is this thing that made him different?

He simply believed God, period.

That's it?

As mentioned above, many of us Christians today will not want to admit it, but we find it hard to believe God like Abraham did.

This man, coming from a people who didn't know Yahweh (see Genesis 11:27-32), simply believed in Him when He spoke:

"Now the Lord had said to Abram:

"Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan." (Genesis 12:1-5)

Did as he was told

Abraham didn't know God. He came from a people who worshipped different gods. There were no Christian missionaries who could preach to him and introduce him to God.

Yet he was able to hear God and believe Him.

Because of this, he simply did as he was told.

Not every Christian today possesses that kind of faith; the kind that simply believes God's word as it is read or heard; the kind that obeys God's word without thinking twice; the kind that believes God even in the midst of uncertainty.

Take note, no one has seen the Father except the Son (see John 6:46). Abraham didn't see God, who merely spoke.

This means that unlike today's believers, Abraham didn't have anyone or anything telling him who or what to believe.

Yet he believed God. Genesis 15:6 says,

"And [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and [the Lord] accounted it to him for righteousness."

That's what faith in God is: to believe Him and take Him at His word, even when we don't see anything.