THE FIRMEST FOUNDATION

"Is anything too hard for the LORD? ....Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Genesis 18:14, 25)

When building any sort of structure, the firmer the foundation, the better. A firm foundation secures a stable life (Matt. 7:24-25). Abraham's life has had no shortage of storms - famine, war, sojourning in foreign lands, and all the aches and pains of old age. This does not begin touch the surface on Abraham's greater inner turmoil - the cares, the fears, the doubts, the worries, and all the concern etched upon his furrowed brow.

On what foundation does the "father of the faith" build his life? The character and attributes of God. God's character takes upon itself all those attributes of His very being - infinite, eternal, unchangeable. Whether we fix our gaze upon His wisdom, His love, His compassion, in each of these we find them to be infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. In this case, Abraham fixes his eyes upon God's power and God's justice.

God's mighty arm has been born time and time again. As the First Being, the Prime Mover, the Principal Cause of all other existence, God demonstrated His great power in creating all things out of nothing. His power brings existence itself into being.

Time and space, form and function, life and limb all flow from His immense might. Abraham knew this, for Abraham knew this world came from somewhere or someone. If God is the Lord of heaven and earth, then He must be the Creator as well. But Abraham knew it in a more intimate way, for Abraham knew the power of a new creation.

John Owen writes: "To save sinners through believing shall be found to be a far more admirable work than to create the world out of nothing." To build a new house is a feat; to restore a house razed to the ground to an even greater beauty is a sight to behold. Abraham beheld that sight in his own life; therefore, he builds His life on that firm foundation of God's power.

More than power, Abraham looks to God's justice. What is justice? Justice is that admirably quality of giving someone their due. For God to lack justice would be a nightmare. His authority would be transformed to tyranny, His power to persecution, His wisdom to deception, His very being a terror to those on all sides. But for God to be God, to be that most perfect Being, He could not be anything but just.

Injustice is a mark of imperfection and utterly unbecoming of our great God. Abraham knew this because he knew of God's plan to punish the wicked. This is the very hallmark of justice! If God would exercise justice upon the wicked, then He would surely do the same for the righteous.

My friends, do we not see the power and justice of God merge in Jesus Christ? He is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24). Jesus Christ displayed that wonder-working power by bearing the perfect justice of God. God's patience had been like a dam for many moons, holding back the just dessert of our sins.

Like a deluge, that dam broke upon Christ upon Calvary where justice was executed in the nth degree. How much clearer sight of the power and justice of God do we have today?

Should we not build upon the very same foundations as our father Abraham? Oh, our lives would be far more stable if we did!