A. The Preparation for Testing.
1. In Heb 11:17, doctrine resident in the soul is the issue.
2. God’s delays are a part of progress.
3. God waits to give the believer his escrow blessings, Isa 30:18.
4. The hardest thing for God to do is to give us something with no strings attached.
5. But grace is the only way that God can give. Most believers are somewhat legalistic, which hinders God.
6. However, once the believer seizes and holds the high ground of maturity, God gives him his escrow blessings and is glorified by so doing.
7. The metabolization of doctrine and spiritual momentum is the basis for divine testing of the believer’s spiritual progress. You are tested before you reach maturity by momentum testing, and after you reach maturity by evidence testing. The greatest test is after you have reached maturity.
8. The daily and consistent intake of doctrine is the preparation for all testing. Abraham’s testing was based on the Abrahamic covenant, which he knew better than anyone else, including us.
B. The Principle of Waiting on the Lord.
1. Waiting on the Lord is the maximum application of Bible doctrine.
2. The principle of waiting on the Lord is to perpetuate the application of faith-rest into hopeless situations and maximum pressures.
3. Waiting on the Lord is the build-up of resident doctrine and its constant application to life, Ps 37:7, 34; Isa 40:31.
C. The importance of Abraham’s escrow blessings is taught in Gen 17.
D. The development of Abraham’s testing, Gen 11:30, 16:1, began with the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. They believed doctrine more than the sexual inabilities of their own bodies, 2 Pet 1:12-21.
E. The Reversionistic Traps Laid for Abraham.
1. Family distractions.
a. Gen 11:31-32, his father.
b. Gen 13:6, Lot his nephew.
c. Gen 15-21, Sarah, because of her mental attitude sins.
2. Geographical desires: Gen 12:10-20, Egypt; Gen 20:1-18, Gerar.
3. Self-centeredness.
a. Gen 15:1-6, he argues with God.
b. Gen 16:2, he obeys his wife.
c. Gen 17:18, he rationalizes about his firstborn, Ishmael.
F. The Triumph of Abraham, Rom 4:17-21.
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R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries 5139 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 621-3740
© 1992, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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