Abraham’s Active Faith: a devotion on faith and hope

From an Africa Study Bible touch point:

Cyril of Alexandria (AD 378–444) was the patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, when the city was at the height of its influence and power. He wrote:

How are we to understand the relationship between faith and good deeds in our salvation?

On the one hand, James says that Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions, his good deeds, when he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on a mountain in Moriah. On the other hand, Paul says that Abraham was made right with God not by his good deeds but by his faith (Romans 4:1-4). These two statements appear to be contradictory.

However, the Scriptures are to be understood as meaning that Abraham believed God before he was the father of Isaac. Isaac was given to him as reward for his faith. Likewise, when he bound Isaac and placed him on the altar, he did not merely do the work that was required of him, but he did it with the faith that in Isaac his seed would be as numberless as the stars of heaven (Genesis 15:5-6). Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham’s faith was an active one that resulted in obedience to God.

Today:

Take a moment to be silent before God and try to understand if you have “active faith.” Are you content to be comfortable in going to church and other normal Christian activity or are you asking God what you should risk to build his Kingdom? Do not seek to do a great work of faith to bring glory to yourself or gain position, but ask God to show you how to have faith to help others who are suffering.