INTRODUCTION

 God’s ‘hands on’ control in his life.  It does not seem that Abram ever had to ask what he should do, and maybe this fact contains a lesson for us. 

Abraham however had to deal with how he should do what God wanted and the issues that he faced day by day revolved around whether he should do what God had instructed by trusting himself, that is, according to his own capability or trusting God continually for specific directions. 

It is clear when we look at the life of Abraham that we see several failures, and Christian history demonstrates that when we look at ourselves we will see the same failures. On the other hand we see that he was very successful when he trusted God and that should teach us an important lesson. 

Abraham’s faith clearly grew and when it did he was a source of blessing for the people around him and for all of us who have lived after him. 

There is a very significant statement made for the first time but often repeated in the Old Testament: “the word of the Lord came to Abram”.  By this we immediately know that it was God who spoke and directed the words in the Scriptures.  The words of God came to many men subsequently and they wrote the Scriptures. 

God's words tell us much about what was going on in Abraham's mind.  Just before the events of our text Abram had defeated a very large army formed by a confederation of five Kings and led by Chedorlaomer. The fight came about because the kings had sacked the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and taken Abraham’s nephew Lot among their captives. Abraham rescued his nephew and also recovered loot taken from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah.  It was logical for Abram to expect an attack of retribution and he knew that he could not count on the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah who had just before this fled from the attack of the five confederate Kings. 

After the battle Abram had refused the patronage and the goods he had recovered for the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah.  It is likely that he might have wondered whether or not that was the right thing to do diplomatically. 

So God's Word came unsolicited to Abram telling him that he was not to fear, for He was a shield against both his natural foes and his spiritual foes.  He was his refuge and strength, his rock, his tower of refuge. So here God gives Abram a reason not to be afraid of anyone. 

Then God also told Abram that he God was his reward, that He could make up whatever Abram had given up and sacrificed for his sake.   

One would have thought that these tremendously reassuring promises would have been sufficient to quiet whatever doubts Abram had about God's promises, but this was not so, for Abram now honestly expressed that he had doubts.  Abram was obviously thinking that what good was it that God was his shield and reward when the only thing he had ever wanted was a son, the son that God had promised him and which up to now God had not given him. 

Abram was bold and honest when he spoke to God, and this is a good example for us.  He did not try to fool God by appearing pious and holy. But note as one writer said about Abram's doubt.

“There is a difference between a doubt that denies God's promise and a doubt which desires God's promise.  Abram wants to believe and is looking to God to strengthen his faith.” 

God will make it absolutely clear that the promise recorded in Genesis 12:2 and 13: 15-16 would certainly be fulfilled and  that the promised descendant to Abram would be actual flesh and blood and not a spiritual descendant. 

The writer of Hebrews uses this passage to teach us something important and in doing so he says in Chapter 6: 11-20. “We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest after of the order of Melchisedec.” 

Christians should not misunderstand the promise of God, for we too have sleepless nights, fear and trouble, when we consider the reactions to our ‘Chedorlaomer’, which we can define as the great things that we have before conquered, but which we know will very likely come back at us.

Believers can take comfort that when we have our natural reactions to troubles that all the great saints of God have had, we know that when we stand in the strength of God which he supplies daily, He will keep before us the fact that He is with us and will give us what He has promised. 

So since God is with us, who can prevail against us!  God reminded Abram that He was his shield and his rewarder and in this lonely darkness away from family Abraham received comfort. 

Note also that never again does Abraham ever worry about Chedorlaomer or his loss of the wealth of Sodom that he had refused.

THE TEXT

Chapter 15 

Verse 5.   Abram’s journey to the Promised land would be an epic journey of faith, each step building trust in the God that called him out of a life of idolatry. God separated him from his kin folk, that He may create a people for himself and that Abram would become the father of the faithful, a father of many nations. 

It is here that God reiterates the promise that he had made to Abram.  In Genesis 12:1-2; 13:16, God tells Abram that his seed will be as numerous as the dust of the ground, a mind boggling number”. Now here in (15:5) God directs Abram’s attention to the infinite vastness of space proclaiming that his seed will be as plentiful as the stars that light the night skies. 

The imagery in these verses is rich; God is making a special people for himself, a people that would worship him and be an example to all the nations of the world and through whom all the nations would receive the blessing of God. 

Some believe that the reference to the seed of Abraham that they would be like the stars is referring in some sense to the heavenly seed of Abraham which Christ has received and which are called the sons of God.  The sons of God are spiritual descendents of Abraham and are like the stars of the heavens in number.  Galatians 3:7 tells us: “Now ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.”

Verse 6.   “And he believed the Lord…” this is the declaration of Abram’s faith. Abram did not simply wake up one morning and decide to believe; God had through every step of his journey been developing his faith.  There were several watershed moments when Abram’s faith was tested and like us at times he failed, but learned valuable lessons as his decisions were not without consequences; ultimately he learned to trust God. 

The trust that he put in God was then accounted to him for righteousness and this was one of the defining moments in the timeline of the creation of the ‘people of God’.  

Note that this was not the moment of Abram’s spiritual regeneration for Hebrews makes it clear that when he left his home in Ur of the Chaldees, his obedient faith was reckoned to him for righteousness.  

As Abram looked at the heavens he knew that the Creator of such a vast multitude in the heavens was well able to give him the amount of descendents He had promised. He believed God and was granted favor in the sight of God.  

Abram and his descendants would be blessed, but it was never the intention of God to create a people through the bloodline of Abram, but through faith-lines. 

The way in which we become members of God’s family as the people of God, is by trusting God as Abram did. This means that we have to come to rest as one writer puts it:

“In helpless dependence upon that Living Son, so we too are counted righteous by faith.  And that act of faith which first introduces us to the power of God exercised on our behalf, must become an attitude of faith governing each moment of our life.” 

The writer adds this very important admonition:

“Do not think you have come to the end of the road when you believe in Jesus Christ.  You are then standing at the beginning, and every experience of the power of God in your life must come from a fresh appropriation by faith of the promise of God.” 

By this means Abram and us are justified.  This verse was the basis on which Paul demonstrated justification by grace through faith. 

Justification is the work of God whereby He declares sinful man to be just, because He has imputed to them Christ’s own righteousness. (Romans 3:21-28)  This righteousness can not be earned by works of the law. Not only is faith required to receive the merits of Christ’s righteousness, but a real living faith must be demonstrated, the mere profession of faith is inadequate. 

Thus the people of God would come through the faith-line of Abraham and this included Jew and Gentile from every nation, this is the company of redeemed people. 

(See 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Galatians 2:11-21; Ephesians 2:1-10; Philippians 3:7-11).

[Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.   How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.   And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [he had yet] being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:   And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which [he had] being [yet] uncircumcised.   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.   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, Rom 4:9-13, 16.  

It is important to note that God now addressed Abram's doubt with a covenant, for even though he believed God, his doubt still surfaced again in verse eight.  This covenant ceremony demonstrates how our merciful and gracious God reacts and deals with our doubting hearts. 

Chapter 18

Between chapters 15:6 – 18:10 many years pass and several defining events occur in Abraham’s life.  Having received the promise that God would give him a land, Abraham then asks for a sign, he asked for an heir.  Although he was the head of his clan, he had no son of his own. 

God also told Abraham that his future people would spend four hundred years as slaves in Egypt; but that they would be delivered and come out of Egypt with great possessions and go in and possess the land that He had promised. 

Many years passed and Abraham was well into his eighties. He and Sarai had not been blessed with a child and so they took matters into their own hands and resorted to a pagan cultural customs to produce a child.   

Sarai suggested Abraham have a child with Hagar her maid they had brought from Egypt. Without asking permission from God he concurred with her suggestion.  No sooner than the child was born (his name was Ishmael), tension began to grow in the home of Abraham. 

Thirteen years later at the age of ninety nine, the Lord would again appear to Abraham with the news that Ishmael was not the heir, but that Sarah would indeed have a son as He had promised and it was at this time that God changed their names Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah. 

The length of time that God allowed to pass was by design. Sarai was barren and Abraham was too old to conceive naturally; this was necessary so that they understood that the promise would be accomplished by the direct work of God, a supernatural event.

Verses 1-10.  Abraham was now a ‘circumcised’ man and we can see the effect on this in this man of faith.  We see the marked change in a man now living in the fullness of the ‘circumcised life’ where the alternating state of crippling doubt, defeat and victory was no longer to be found. 

Abram was sitting at the door of his tent in the blazing heat of the day when three probably weary and dusty travelers arrived.  He does not know who they are, but though relaxing at home, Abraham exhibited love by responding to the need in front of him, and he hastens to offer the unknown travelers, food, rest and water. 

Abraham’s response is quoted to teach us that God tests us by bringing before us situations which often occur in our daily life. We can say as often as we wish that we are ‘presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice’, but God’s tests often catch us unprepared and off-guard. They confront us with simple situations when we are relaxing, do not want to respond to a call for help and when we are doing the things that we want to do and do not want to be bothered. 

Note Abraham is ready to minister to those in need. He just sees three men in the desert who he probably will never see again, but he still treats them royally. Abraham does this because he has a ‘circumcised’ heart and he truly belongs to Christ.  He looks for opportunities to do good and is always ready to respond. 

Sarah had been listening to the conversation between Abraham and the men and she heard the startling statement recorded in verse ten.  The men said that they would return to Sarah and that which was humanly impossible would happen 

She clearly heard the question posed to Abraham and the promise made to him that she would certainly have a son. She must have then realized that Abraham was dealing with God who was saying that she would have a son. 

She obviously looked then at the eighty year-old body which had gone through menopause, looked at the white hair and the wrinkles on her face.  She might have rubbed her joints and remembered that there was some arthritis in her bones and she reacted like any normal human being.

Verse 12.   Sarah’s reaction to the news that she would bare a child at this stage of life was met with laughter.  Many have postulated that this was the laughter of doubt and disbelief, which is a fair assessment.  We must note however, before we pass too harsh a judgment, that Sarah’s reaction is exactly that of every believer at some point their life. 

As we struggle to come to a firm reality of an almighty God that has chosen to reveal Himself to us, to have fellowship with us and to make us into a people whose life will transcend time itself; this kind of promise is quite a tall order. 

Believers struggle daily with the idea God is in control of every aspect of our lives, that no matter the circumstance, what He has promised He will perform.  This is very important for this is precisely how faith if formed in the heart of the believer, by hearing and accepting the word of God. 

The primary reason why we often have bouts of doubt, is the same thing that it requires to produce faith – time.  We note that considerable time had elapsed and the promise had not been fulfilled, this was to ensure that we understood this provision was to be supernatural, the direct work of God.  Then faith is formed and solidified. 

Elapsed time had had this effect on Sarah, after trying so desperately for many years to have their own child, cynicism had set in; this is likely to happen when we negate the supernatural work of God in our lives and focus on accomplishing in the natural what God intends to provision supernaturally. 

Sarah made no sound at all, but laughed to herself.

Verse 13.   There are a number of things that we should note in this verse, each one significant in its own right.  

First, the one who speaks to Abraham is identified as the LORD. His divine attributes would then explain his ability to know what Sarah was thinking; as we note in the previous verse that Sarah’s laugh was inward not an audible outburst. 

When the men arrived Abraham called them ‘lord’, but note this word ‘lord’ was not capitalized, indicating that it was just the word used for common courtesy. To Abraham they were just ordinary men. But now the word LORD was different.  Abraham realized that he was facing someone and something totally unexpected and quite amazing. 

Secondly, the LORD did not rebuke Sarah directly, but turned to Abraham and revealed to him the thoughts and intent of her heart.  Abraham, as the circumcised man, the head of his house was the one responsible to God.  So the question was quite rightly posed to Abraham. 

The intent is obviously to replace doubt with delight and cultivate their faith.  Faith indeed is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. 

Thirdly, we note that when all human logic and intellect have been exhausted, when natural means are depleted and all our efforts fail, then we are forced to look to the supernatural and seek divine intervention.   

Having gotten their attention they are forced to contemplate the matter at hand, the fulfillment of the promised heir, one who will be born of the will of God and not man.

Verse 14.   This question that brings one’s faith to focus: “Is there anything too hard for the LORD...”  The LORD had revealed himself to Abraham as the Almighty God and so Jehovah proceeds to demonstrate He controls that which is beyond the realm or power of the natural to produce. 

Not only does God see and know the unspoken thoughts of ones mind but commands and directs nature itself.  Thus God still speaking to Abraham says at the appointed time, he will return and Sarah will have a son.  All this is established in the counsel of his own will. 

It is often necessary that God first build ones faith before He will act, and this appears to be the case of Sarah.  “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” Heb 11:11   

One writer notes – “Abraham also had laughed at this promise (Gen 17:17), and without receiving any reproof. For his laughing was the joyous outburst of astonishment; Sarah's, on the contrary, the result of doubt and unbelief, which had to be broken down by reproof, and, as the result showed, really was broken down, inasmuch as she conceived and bore a son, whom she could only have conceived in faith (Heb 11:11).” 

So Sarah was afraid when she saw that her heart was completely open to God.  She even denied that she had laughed. 

Do we realize that our hearts are completely open and known to God, and that just as we read a book He reads our hearts? 

Do we like Sarah try to justify or excuse our sin, and rationalize it? 

If we do, just remember the stern word that came from the LORD.

“No, but you did laugh.  Don't deny it.  You can't. Admit it.  Face up to it.  You did laugh.” 

Sarah's laugh was unbelieving.  This kind of laugh is no example for us.   

Thankfully this is not all the story, for in Hebrews 11:11 we read that Sarah’s heart was eventually ‘circumcised’ when she considered what she had done. “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she consider him faithful who had promised.”

So clearly after the guests had let Sarah thought about everything and the power of the word of God came to her.  She began to think on the question, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” 

She looked beyond the facts of her life and her feelings and admitted to herself that nothing was too hard for the Lord. What He had promised would be done.  And by faith she conceived even though she was old.  Why? Because she counted God faithful to his promise. 

So Sarah came to understand that she should look beyond the impossible circumstances and to rest on the character of God who had promised. 

Never be fooled by the idea that faith stands by itself, that it is simply enough to believe anything and immediately the results we want will come.  That is just folly and gullibility. 

Faith must have a promise to rest on.  The word of God is the only thing that can be trusted no matter what the circumstances, no matter what our feelings, or no matter who is fighting against you. 

It does seem hard because of what God wants us to be and for us to reject our ‘flesh’.

It is hard to block every evil imagination and bring every thought in line with Christ. It is difficult to be good, gracious and loving when we face nasty, devious, perverse and unpleasant people and circumstances. It is testing when we are given tasks by God that seem impossible to perform. Well it may be hard for us, but it is not too hard for the Lord! 

We must not rest on our own resources but on the unfailing resources of God, which are always available to bring to fulfillment the definite promise that he has made to us. 

So there is no room for laughter, pessimism, doom, despair.  There is that most important phrase in Scripture that begins: “But God…”

Chapter 21

Chapters 19-20 records the story of the deliverance of Lot from Sodom and Abraham’s encounter with King Abimelech; Abraham having for the second time lied that Sarah was just his sister. The judgment of God came on Abimelech’s household, as God revealed to him in a dream. 

In a peculiar turn of events, God tells Abimelech to allow Abraham to pray for him for he is a prophet, through his intercession the judgment would be lifted. These events are not isolated stories, but through them God would develop the faith of Abraham. Abraham would come to understand that God not only provides for but also protects his people. 

God had promised and reconfirmed his intention to give them their own child, so Abraham should have no reason to fear for their lives, for this promise was yet future.  So when we contemplate the life of Abraham and the creation of the people of God, we must realize that he did not become the ‘father of the faithful’ overnight and similarly God also works with us to develop and grow our faith. 

Let us carefully consider the events with Abimelech and see what it tells us about Abraham and the lingering sin that was still within him. Hope we will see the hidden sins in ourselves and deal with them before they place others and the plan of God in danger. 

Abraham now knows for sure that the son that God promised him was coming at any time.  He was a nomad and he traveled around Palestine trying to find land to support his vast herds of cattle.  So now he comes to the Negev and he encounters King Abimelech who sees this wealthy woman, apparently single, which is traveling with Abraham and his vast herds and his retinue of skilled fighters. Abimelech drools over the prospect of having this marriageable woman with a rich brother so that he can share in his wealth and make a military alliance with him. 

This was a dangerous world for a nomad and Abraham's survival strategy had probably worked many times.  But sometimes his survival strategy to protect his life had failed as in the case when he met the Pharaoh of Egypt and it was God's intervention that rescued her then. 

The situation was extremely serious. Abraham’s survival strategy was threatening the paternity of Isaac, for if Abimelech took Sarah into his harem and cohabited with her, we could never be certain that Isaac was Abraham’s son and Satan would be able to cast doubt on God's promise and on the lineage of Messiah. 

God intervened to forbad Abimelech from touching Sarah.  When Abraham’s sin was thus exposed Abimelech chastised him for his trickery, gave him a thousand pieces of silver, publicly proclaimed his innocence to the world, and informed all that Abraham was her only husband and the only man that had ‘touched’ her. 

To still all the speculation about the lineage of Messiah we are told that God had apparently rendered the women of the tribe unable to have children and also all the men of the tribe impotent overnight, so that Abraham's prayer was necessary not only to lift this curse against the women but also to heal Abimelech. 

Note also that when Abraham was caught in sin he gave Abimelech the old excuse that Adam had used.  He said God caused him to wander from his father's house, (it was all God's fault) and so he was in this mess where he was afraid of the people among which he lived and so he had to come up with this kind of lie to get political and physical security for himself. 

To protect himself, Abraham was unwittingly willing to threaten the promises of God to perform a miracle and have a son born to Sarah, a son through whom the world would be saved. 

In making this kind of excuse it is obvious that Abraham might have harboured some resentment against God for having kept him in continual danger.  Hence he had to adopt this defensive strategy where he was willing to lie and deceive to defend himself. 

The best news about this incident, from which we will learn all kinds of great lessons for our lives, is that God used Abraham even in his sin. 

God was gracious even when Abram was fainthearted and resentful.  He brought Abraham's weaknesses out into the open, to allow Abraham to see the extreme danger into which his choice had placed the promised seed.  Abraham was forced to face up to his sin and to grow.

Verse 1-3.   So after that sad debacle, we now will move from the low point to the high, the long-awaited birth of Isaac.  Abraham and Sarah’s joy would have been multiplied tremendously when they realized how gracious God had been and that God had take them through that danger with Abimelech and now had fulfilled His promise. 

The promise is now fulfilled according to the precise time and at the advanced age of ninety God gives Sarah strength, and Sarah bears Abraham a son.  What a gracious God!  What a God who forgive sin and keeps his promise! When we are faithless, he remains faithful! 

Abraham called his name Isaac according to the command of God and whose name is a reminder of the joy God brings to the faithful.  The child was born not because Abraham was perfect, and did not sin, but because God was faithful to his promise.

“And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him.” Gen 17:19 

Verse 4.   In accordance to what God had established as the sign of the covenant on the eighth day Abraham circumcised baby Isaac.  The covenant was to be with Isaac and his seed an everlasting covenant; they would become a great nation, they would inherit the land of Canaan and through his family lines the Messiah would come, and through Jesus a covenantal relationship with the true and living God would be the blessing that would be extended to all nations of the world.

Verse 5.   Twenty five years had passed since Abraham had left Haran, now in the land of Canaan Isaac the son of promise was born to Abraham at the age of one hundred.  This is an amazing incident, one that would bolster their personal faith and also the faith of their entire clan. 

Abram’s name meant “exalted father” which was somewhat of an embarrassment since he had no heir of his own.  Even after the initial promise that God would make him a great nation, many years passed and eventually Sarah suggested they follow one of the customs of the day, and that Abraham should take Sarah’s maid servant to produce an heir.  This really produced no end of trouble and conflict between Ishmael and Isaac that exists until this day.

Verse 6.   God always has ways of reminding us of his goodness, He never leaves us without a testimony of himself and such was the case in the naming of the son of promise as mentioned before, Isaac means laughter. 

Thus when Isaac was born and named as the Lord had commanded, Sarah’s mind naturally returned to the day when the promise was reissued and she laughed in an unbelieving and displeasing manner.  But on this day Sarah exclaims that God has made her laugh, He had brought real joy. 

Sarah was excited because she was now holding her own baby in her arms after all the long years of waiting.  She was laughing and inviting others to share in her joy.  She was delighted and undoubtedly honouring God, because she saw that He was the one behind this event. 

This time her laugh was not incredulous but similar to that of the disciples, when they first saw the resurrected Jesus; Luke says “they believed not for joy…” Luke 24:41. The joy could not be containable and she shared it with all that heard of the extraordinary favour of God.

Verse 7.   Sarah’s joy is expressed in this simple statement, for who would have believed a year ago that this barren woman would be given a fertile womb and birth and nurse her own child at the age of ninety and her husband being one hundred years old.

Verse 8.   “And the child grew, and was weaned…”  Like any other mother of her day, Sarah would spend the first few years dedicated to the care and nurturing of the child.   

The infant was usually weaned in the second or third year 1Sam 1:22-24; 2Ch 31:16. The child seems to have remained for the first five years under the special care of the mother Lev 27:6. The son then came under the management of the father. 

Like any proud father and especially on this momentous occasion Abraham put on a great celebration at the time Isaac was weaned.  Thirty years after the call of Abraham, the second part of the promise is fulfilled and Abram (exalted father) whose name was changed to Abraham, meaning the father of a multitude, is beginning to walk in the faith that would award him the title bestowed to him by God, as father of the faithful. 

At the birth of Isaac, Abraham’s family dynamic was about to change forever.  Ishmael whom Abraham also loved was not the son of promise, being the son of the bond woman; but at Abraham’s intercession God would also make him a great nation.  This will be explored more fully in next week’s lesson.

CONCLUSION

As we consider today’s lesson we will note the importance of faith and the family unit in God’s plan of creating a people for Himself.  Through this family God would bless all the families and nations of the earth. 

We should think carefully about Abraham’s sin which threatened the plan of salvation which would be fulfilled through this miracle child of promise.

We should also remember that antagonism between Satan and the children born of that line from which Messiah came would continue, for Satan always wanted to prevent the birth of  the Messiah who would come to save his people from their sins. 

Abraham did not really understand what he was doing when he lied to Abimelech.  He had almost brought victory to Satan, for Satan wanted to cast doubt that this child was the promise from God. 

Let us look soberly at all these things and be careful that we are not serving the enemy in a much deeper ways than we know. 

Satan will use our ‘fleshliness’ to accomplish terrible things.  We should guard our hearts, examine our self, go to God with all the resentments toward God that we have and tell Him about the patterns of sin that have been built up in our lives. We know them!  We are not as ignorant as we pretend to be.  We know our weaknesses.  We know the urges of our flesh.  We know when we are breaking the Commandments of God. 

Let us be honest with ourselves, examine ourselves and go to God for healing so that we can be a blessing to the world.  Simply confess your sins and you will be healed.

The blessing and inheritance of Abraham belong to all those who come to faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have put their trust in God.  For God not only provides life, but also preserves and protects life; and everlasting life is found in his son Jesus.