God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as the stars of the sky in multitude. Abraham believes God’s promise, although he and wife Sarah are childless and very old. And God says, in effect, “That is all I need from you, Abraham. An ‘Amen.’ Your acquiescence in my promise. Your willingness to act on the basis of my promise, totally trusting me to accomplish what seems humanly impossible. That is all I want and need from any of my human creatures. You believed me, Abraham. You are in right standing with me!”
Then God who called the universe into being empowered Abraham and Sarah to have a son, whom they named Isaac. And when Isaac was older, God tested Abraham’s confidence in God one more time. “Go offer your son as a sacrifice,” he commanded the old patriarch. And, without hesitation, Abraham set out to do as God said. “God who calls things into being,” he reasoned, “can surely also raise the dead. God promised to make me father of many nations. He must plan to raise Isaac from the dead. In a sense, he was raised from the dead in being born, for both his parents were as good as dead so far as producing offspring!” (Gen. 22:1-19; Heb. 11:11-12.)
Abraham’s faith was more than mere profession. He really trusted God to do the impossible. Because he trusted God, he entrusted himself to God. Because he truly entrusted himself to God, Abraham quickly set out to obey God. And his good works tangibly “justified” Abraham’s profession of faith (James 2:20-24).