# The Way of Faith: Abraham, Promise, and Our Lenten Journey
*2015-02-22*

> Bill Young reflects on Hebrews 6:13‑16, drawing on Abraham’s example to encourage renewed faith during the first week of Lent.

## Reading the Scripture

Today’s reading comes from Hebrews 6:13‑16 (KJV):

“13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely I will bless you and multiply you.’
14 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
15 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation puts an end to all disputes.”

These verses remind us that God’s promise to Abraham is the ultimate oath, one that cannot be broken.

## Abraham as the Father of Faith

The author of Hebrews calls Abraham the “father of faith” to show that our Christian lives are rooted in the same trust that Abraham displayed. By looking back to Abraham, the letter connects the Jewish heritage of the early believers with the fulfillment of that promise in Christ.

Abraham’s willingness to trust God, even when asked to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, prefigures the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. This connection helps us see the continuity of salvation history.

## Lent as a Time to Renew Our Trust

In the season of Lent we are called to examine how consistently we live out our faith. Often our prayers become rote, “rolling off the tongue” without the deep intimacy we should have with God. Abraham’s example challenges us to move from mere words to a heartfelt trust that endures adversity.

Our own sacrifices—fasting, prayer, acts of charity—are small compared to what Abraham was asked to give, and far smaller than Christ’s self‑offering. Yet they are the means by which we open ourselves to the grace that renews our desire to follow the Gospel.

## Living the Promise Today

The promise to Abraham was that God would bless and multiply his descendants. In Christ we receive the fulfillment of that promise: the promise of salvation and new life. Our Lenten journey should focus on allowing that promise to shape our daily choices, so that the “guarantee of salvation in Christ” becomes the center of our attention not only now, but throughout the year.

*May this Lent deepen our trust in God’s unbreakable promise, just as Abraham’s faith was renewed by the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.*