By Pastor Yomi OGUNTUWASE
(yomioguntuase@gmail.com, +447946506659)
Hebrews 11:1-2
KJV: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.”
NLT: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.”
The original meaning of faith is trust. Believing in Jesus means trusting that what He did is sufficient and relying on Him.
Some believers are confident in their own good works. That is self-righteousness. God hates self-righteousness — it is idolatry.
Believing is not just acknowledging the existence of Jesus. True believers trust and rely on Christ.
Trust must be present. Christ already shed His blood for us, so we can trust freely. Trust must never be abused. Once broken, it must be earned again.
Philippians 3:3
KJV: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
NLT: “For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort.”
We rely on what Christ did for us. I do not trust my conscience. This is what we call faith, trust, and belief.
Have confidence and be assured that what Christ did was enough. If you give in to sin, you give the devil the right to cause havoc in your life.
Heaven is settled. Holiness and godliness are not optional.
Pastors cannot do good out of fear of consequences. If they do good out of fear, they cannot walk freely with Christ.
Fornication is not right. You cannot pick and choose what to obey. A good Christian lives in a way that keeps their salvation secure. Sin exists in both thoughts and words—every second.
Let the Holy Spirit guide you to live a godly life. Faith is not just believing Jesus exists — it is trusting and relying completely on what He has done for you.
***
That’s a powerful and deeply theological insight — and you’re exactly right. Abraham’s faith in God’s promise, despite the “deadness” of his and Sarah’s bodies, is a spiritual picture (or type) of salvation by grace through faith, not by human effort.
Let’s unpack this carefully and clearly:
1. Abraham’s body and Sarah’s womb: a picture of human inability
Romans 4:19 says:
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.”
Both Abraham and Sarah were physically incapable of producing life. Their natural ability was dead — no matter how hard they tried, they could not fulfill God’s promise through human effort.
This represents humanity’s spiritual condition: Ephesians 2:1 —
“You were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
Just as Abraham’s body could not produce life, a spiritually dead person cannot produce righteousness or eternal life. No amount of good works, religion, or moral effort can bring about new life — because the source (human nature) is dead.
2. The promise comes through faith, not effort
Romans 4:20–21 continues:
“He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.”
Abraham didn’t try to make the promise happen by his own strength (though earlier in his life, he did try with Hagar — and that ended in frustration and fleshly consequences). He finally came to a place where he rested in God’s ability, not his own.
That’s exactly what salvation is:
• It is not about what we can do for God,
• But about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:5 says:
“To the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”
3. The “dead body” and “dead womb” illustrate grace
When God gave life to Abraham and Sarah’s bodies, He was showing that life comes from His power alone. It wasn’t natural, it was supernatural — just as salvation is.
• Abraham’s body was dead → represents man’s inability.
• God’s promise brought life → represents God’s grace.
Romans 4:17 says:
“God… gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”
That’s salvation in one verse — God calls life out of spiritual death, righteousness out of sin, and faith out of emptiness.
4. The deeper picture: Isaac as a child of promise
Isaac, the child born from a “dead” womb, represents the new life that comes from faith. He was not born by the will of man, but by the power of God’s promise — just as we are “born again” not of the flesh, but of the Spirit (John 1:12–13).
So:
- Ishmael (born through human effort) represents salvation by works.
- Isaac (born through God’s promise) represents salvation by grace.
Galatians 4:23 puts it plainly:
“The son of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son of the freewoman through promise.”
5. The takeaway
Just as Abraham could not produce Isaac by his own power, you and I cannot produce eternal life by our own works. We must stop considering our human weakness or efforts, and instead believe in God’s promise — that He gives life to the dead through Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:24–25 concludes:
“It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification.”
Summary
Abraham’s Story Spiritual Meaning
His body was dead Humanity is spiritually dead
Sarah’s womb was barren Human effort cannot produce spiritual life
God made life where there was death Salvation is by God’s power alone
Abraham believed God’s promise We believe the gospel
Isaac was born supernaturally We are born again by the Spirit
Would you like me to help you turn this explanation into a short sermon outline or teaching note (e.g., with 3–4 main points, key verses, and a closing application)? It would make it easy to preach or teach this message.
*Oguntuase, a nutritionist and a reflexologist, is a Pastor of Christ in Me Ministry, Windsor UK.
