Audio commentary on this verse

Note 9 at Ro 4:19: This verse is telling us how Abraham kept from being weak in faith. The key is what he focused his attention on.

Some translations and many commentators turn this verse around to say the opposite of what the King James Version says. For instance, the New International Version says, "Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead." However, that type of reasoning is missing one of the great scriptural keys to strong faith.

The word "consider" is defined as "1. To think carefully about. 2. To regard as. 3. To take into account" (American Heritage Dictionary). The Greek word that was used here for "considered" is "KATANOEO," and it simply means "to observe fully" (Strong's Concordance).

Therefore, we can see that Abraham did not think carefully about his age and Sarah's and the impact that would have on the promise God had given him. He did not take those things into account or make any allowance for them. That was not what he paid attention to.

That is amazing, and that is exactly the reason many of us would not be able to receive the same miracle. We consider every negative thing that looks contrary to God's promises, and then we try to use our faith to overcome the fear and unbelief that come through those thoughts (see note 3 at Mt 17:20). That's not the way Abraham was strong in faith.

Abram was seventy-five years old when the Lord first promised him that he would have a child and that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him (Ge 12:1-4). He was ninety-nine years old in this instance that Paul cited (Ge 17:1), and Sarah was ninety years old (Ge 17:17). Yet he didn't even take into account the impossibility of what God had promised him.

It is true that Abraham was strong in faith (Ro 4:20), but the thing that made him strong in faith was the fact that he kept his mind stayed on God's promise. Equally important was that he kept his mind off anything that would have been contrary to God's promise. Many people desire the same strong faith that Abraham had, but very few desire to control their thinking the way Abraham did.

Faith is a direct result of what you think on. If you think on God's Word, faith comes (Ro 8:6 and 10:17). If you think on other things, unbelief and fear come (Ro 8:6, see note 39 at Mt 6:22 and notes 40 and 41 at Mt 6:23). If you want the faith of Abraham working in you, then think the way he thought and never consider anything except God's Word, and you will be strong in faith.