Pathway to Victory

Speaker 1

Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory and Dr. Robert Jeffress.

We're dedicated to bringing you bold biblical teaching that transforms your life and strengthens your walk with God.

And you can study God's word alongside Dr. Jeffress in person on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

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Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking majesty of massive glaciers rising from crystal blue waters or stood in awe as bald eagles soar over snow-capped mountains?

I want you to experience these unforgettable moments with me on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th, 2026.

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Join Dr. Jeffress and the Pathway to Victory family for a spectacular seven-day adventure aboard Holland America's luxurious Koningsdam.

Indulge in elegant staterooms, world-class dining, and expansive decks perfect for breathtaking views.

Visit historic ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, where wilderness and frontier history await.

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There's something powerful about connecting with God and fellow believers in the majesty of his untamed wilderness. I truly believe this journey will refresh you spiritually, physically and emotionally.

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Cabins are filling quickly, so reserve yours today. To book your spot on the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program.

On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, when James says Abraham was made righteous, he means he was shown to be righteous by his willingness to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice.

And it's that story that we're going to look at today because it teaches us a very important truth about what extreme faith actually looks like.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. Throughout Scripture, the men and women God used most powerfully faced some severe trials and tests of faith. And perhaps no test was more extreme than when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac.

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress shares why Abraham's extreme faith is evidence of genuine salvation. But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates.

Speaker 2

Thanks David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Just before we turn in our Bibles to James Chapter two, I have exciting news for you. We want you to experience Pathway Magazine, the exclusive daily devotional that's published in-house by Pathway to Victory. Each edition is packed with my daily devotionals and practical articles designed to strengthen your walk with Christ. This uplifting resource will encourage you to persevere in your faith in spite of the despair and deception flooding our culture. And having a printed devotional means you can access God's promises anywhere, creating consistent touch points with truth throughout your day. To request your free startup editions, just follow the simple instructions at ptv.org.

One of the most important questions a Christian can ask is this: how do I know I'm truly saved? Well, the New Testament book of James reveals the obvious markers of genuine faith. And James is the subject of my latest book called *How to Know If You're Really Saved*. I want you to discover how to recognize God's work in your life. God's intervention in your life will show up in the way you respond to trials, your speech patterns, your humility, your compassion for others, and your ability to resist temptation. This study isn't meant to create doubt; it's designed to build confident assurance in your relationship with Jesus Christ. I want to send you this encouraging resource when you support Pathway to Victory with a generous gift today. David and I will share more details later, but right now let's turn in our Bibles to James Chapter two as I continue a message we started yesterday about extreme faith.

You know, I believe every person has a defining moment in his or her life, a moment that shows what is really in his or her heart. For Abraham Lincoln, that deciding defining moment was the Civil War. For George W. Bush, it was 9/11. For Noah, it was the Flood. For Adam and Eve, it was the garden. For David and Bathsheba, it was that night they spent together. There is an event, a defining moment in our life. And today we're going to look at the defining moment in Abraham's life. Notice the preparation, first of all, for this event, the preparation for the test. Genesis 22:1 states, "Now, it came about after these things that God tested Abraham." Tested Abraham. Why would Abraham need to be tested? Had he proven himself to be faithful after all of these years? Why did God test Abraham? Why does he test any of us who are followers of Christ? F.B. Meyer, the great scholar, has this helpful word about testing. He writes, "Satan tempts us that he may bring out the evil that is in our hearts. But God tries or tests us that he may bring out all the good." Trials are therefore God's vote of confidence in us. I love that—testing is God's vote of confidence in you. Are you going through a time of testing right now? It's not for an evil purpose; it's for a good purpose. God is not trying to destroy your faith; he's trying to strengthen your faith. That was God's purpose here.

Look at the test itself. In verse 2, God said, "Abraham, take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you." Kill my son? This made absolutely no sense. Most of us, after hearing such a command, would wonder if it was really the voice of God we had even heard. But Abraham had heard God's voice too often to mistake it for anything else. And that's what makes the response to this test so unusual. Abraham obeyed immediately. Look what his response was. Verse 3 states, "So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son. And he split wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place which God had told him." The journey to the place of sacrifice, Moriah, was about 50 miles. It would take three days to travel there by foot. Finally, they arrived at the place of sacrifice. Verse 5 says, "Abraham said to the young men with him, 'Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there and we will worship and we will return to you.'" That is amazing. "We will return to you." How was that going to happen if Abraham had killed Isaac? Abraham didn't understand everything, but this is what he did understand. Hebrews 11, verses 17 to 19 give us the commentary on this event. "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son. For it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac, your descendants shall be called.' But Abraham considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type." He considered that God is able. That word "considered" in Greek means to calculate.

I imagine the night before had been a sleepless night for Abraham as he tossed and turned in bed. And I'm sure in that sleepless night he did maybe what I often do, and perhaps you've done: develop a list of pros and cons for engaging in a certain action. I imagine there were plenty of cons—reasons not to obey God. It would destroy the family. It would ruin the reputation of God. There were all kinds of reasons not to obey God, but there were some pros as well. God had been faithful to keep every other promise he had made. God miraculously brought about the birth of Isaac. And as he added up the pluses and the minuses, he considered that God is able. He calculated he could take the risk and obey God because God is able to even raise people from the dead. If he killed Isaac, God could raise him from the dead and bring him back.

Now, what was amazing about that was nobody had ever been raised from the dead before at this point. Nobody. Abraham never had gone to an Easter service. Do you realize that? Because there had been no Jesus Christ and no resurrection from the dead. There had been no First Corinthians 15 about the power of the resurrection. He knew none of that. But he knew God was able to keep his promises. And so he obeyed God. Look at verses 6 and 7. "Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son." Picture that. "And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together." Isaac spoke to his father and said, "My Father, behold the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Isaac had watched Abraham perform many sacrifices. He knew what you had to have, but primarily you had to have something to sacrifice. "Where is the sacrifice, Dad?" That question must have been like a knife plunged in the heart of Abraham. Instead, he kept going forward with Isaac. Verse 8 states, "And Abraham said, 'God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering.'" So the two of them walked on together.

And then the moment of revelation came. Verse 9 says, "They came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood." F.B. Meyer notes that at this point, the Scriptures draw a curtain around this event. In this very private event, Abraham explains to Isaac what the plan is. And Isaac willingly submits to his father's will and places himself on the altar of sacrifice. At this point, if we haven't already, we become aware of the great foreshadowing this event is of another sacrifice that would take place in that very same mountain region of Moriah 2000 years later. Like the strong and able Isaac, Jesus, the begotten Son of God, could have resisted his Father, but he didn't. He voluntarily offered his life as a sacrifice for our sins. Just as Isaac carried the wood on his back, Jesus carried a cross on his back to Moriah. And the Bible says in Philippians 2 that at that point, even though he could have resisted, Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a bondservant. And being made in the likeness of a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

You know, I remember the first time I went to that area where we believe Abraham and Isaac were. I stood on that spot where history and tradition tells us Abraham was ready to offer Isaac. I asked myself an honest question: if God came to me and said, "I want you to take one of your children," both of our girls were little at that point, "if God said, 'Take one of these girls and offer them as a sacrifice,' would I do that? Could I do it?" I had to be honest and say, "I don't think I could. I don't think I could." Before you judge me too harshly, could you? Would you really? Chuck Swindoll imagines that at that very moment as Abraham raised the knife, all activity in heaven ceased. As the angels looked down with amazement that mortal man could love his God so much that he would make such a sacrifice. The eternal God must have been moved to the very depth of his being when he cried out, "Abraham, Abraham, do not stretch out your hand against your son. Do no harm to him, for now I know that you love me, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

What are the results of what happened of that extreme faith that James says is what proved Abraham to be in a right relationship with God? Notice three things that happened. First of all, God himself provided the sacrifice. Verses 13 and 14 state, "Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up as a burnt offering in the place of his son." Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide," as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the Lord, it will be provided." God was teaching Abraham and every one of us an important lesson: there has to be a sacrifice for our sins. Somebody has to pay. Somebody has to bear the penalty of our sin. We can't provide the sacrifice. God has already provided the sacrifice. John called him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. You and I can't provide the sacrifice, but thank God he has provided the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Secondly, God renews his covenant with Abraham. God had made him a great promise back in Genesis 12. But now, beyond promising, he swore that he would fulfill his promise. And since he couldn't think of a better name to swear by, more powerful, he swore by his own name. Verse 16 states, "By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son. Indeed, I will greatly bless you." We find the third result of this event in our passage from James 2:23. Look at it with me, beginning with verse 21. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works—that is shown to be righteous—when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.' Now notice this last phrase: 'And he was called the Friend of God.'" Isn't that an amazing title? Wouldn't you like to be known as the Friend of God? That is the name that followed Abraham the rest of his life and throughout eternity. "Abraham, my friend. Abraham, my friend." Jesus said, "You are my friends if you obey my commandments."

What does this story have to do with us? Let me, in closing today, share three timeless truths about testing. Not if it comes into your life, but when it comes into your life. There are some of you going through a very difficult time right now. It may be something as extreme as losing the mate you love so much. It may be a health crisis, a broken relationship, or a financial need that you have. But remember these truths about testing. First of all, God's tests may contradict reason. Sometimes they seem to make no sense at all. They seem contradictory to God's purpose. But it's only because we have a limited perspective. William Barclay, the commentator, has written, "For everyone, at some time, there comes something for which there seems to be no reason and defies explanation. It is then that a person is faced with life's hardest battle: to accept what he cannot understand. At such a time, there is only one thing to do: obey and to do so without resentment, saying, 'God, you are love and I build my faith.'" Somebody has said, "Faith means believing in advance what only makes sense in reverse." God's tests sometimes contradict reason.

Secondly, God's tests affect the tender parts of our lives. Have you ever said what I've said on occasion to God? "God, I'm willing to do whatever you ask me to do except..." God, I'm willing to give you anything and everything in my life except... Have you ever noticed how God goes right past those anythings and everythings and goes to that one? Except. If you don't remember anything I say today, remember this: God's tests never deal with those things that are trivial to us, but those things that are treasure to us.

And finally, God's tests are designed for our strengthening. When God tests you, it's not because he hates you; it's because he loves you. He's trying to form something beautiful, the image of himself in your life. You know, in biblical times, when a craftsman wanted to make a piece of gold jewelry, he would take solid gold and melt it down into its liquid state so that the impurities could rise to the top and be skimmed off. How did the craftsman know when the refining process was completed? When he could look into that liquid gold and see the reflection of his own face, then he knew the gold was pure. Peter uses that image in 1 Peter 1:6-7 when he said, "In this you greatly rejoice," talking about trials, "even though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Christ." William Wiersbe has written about this verse. "When you go through the furnace of God's trials, remember God has his eye on the clock and his hand on the thermostat. He knows how long and how much."

Let me ask you that question again. Do you desire to be used greatly by God? A.W. Tozer said, "It's doubtful God can use any person greatly until he has hurt him deeply." If you're going to be used by God and blessed by God, it involves a time of testing. Not to destroy your faith, but to strengthen your faith. And if you submit yourself to God's testing, don't be surprised if that test involves that thing that is most important to you: a relationship, a possession, a dream. And it's your response to that test that determines and reveals whether or not you truly have saving faith.

Maybe I'm speaking to some right now. You're going through a test. Remember those words from Hebrews: God is able. Be honest with God. "God, this hurts. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold up. But I'm asking you to strengthen me. Help me to believe in you. I believe, though I don't understand, you're going to work something for my good and your glory out of this test in my life." Will you willingly place yourself on God's altar and say, "God, you can do with me whatever you choose to do?"

Maybe I'm speaking to some of you here today. You don't know for sure that you're saved. Like the Philippian jailer, you may be wondering, "What do I have to do to be a child of God, to know I'm going to be welcomed into heaven one day?" Believe. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That means to believe that he is the only sacrifice who can take away your sins. There has to be a time in your life when you say, "God, I know I can't save myself, but I'm trusting in what Christ did for me." If that's you today and you'd like to receive the free gift of forgiveness, I want to invite you to pray this prayer in your heart as I pray out loud, knowing that God is listening to you right now. Would you pray this with me?

"Dear God, thank you for loving me. I know I have failed you in so many ways and I'm truly sorry for the sins in my life. But I believe what I've heard today, that you love me so much you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross for me to take the punishment I deserve to take. And right now I'm trusting in what Christ did for me, not in my good works, but in what Christ did for me to save me from my sins. Thank you for forgiving me and help me to live the rest of my life for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Pathway to Victory exists to guide people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We take great delight in knowing that many people have responded today and in doing so are now members of God's forever family. Salvation, of course, doesn't end at your spiritual conversion. In many respects, we work out our salvation every single day. We do that by exhibiting the faith of Abraham. Maybe you feel like having the faith of Abraham is out of your league. I can assure you that God doesn't see it that way. You see, when God tests your faith, he's not trying to bring you down or destroy you. He's working to make you stronger and prove that your salvation is authentic and eternal. Just as a goldsmith refines precious metal by heating it until he can see his own reflection in it, God uses trials to remove impurities and form his image in your life. Remember, God has his eye on the clock and his hand on the thermostat. He knows exactly how long and how much you can withstand. Your current trial isn't punishment; it's proof that God believes in you. These life-altering issues are addressed in my brand new book. It's called *How to Know If You're Really Saved*, and I'm eager to send this book to your home either for your personal study or to guide your small group Bible study. A copy is yours with my profound thanks when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Here's David with all the details today.

Speaker 1

When you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we'll say thanks by sending you "How to Know If You're Really Saved," the brand new book by Dr. Robert Jeffress. Simply give us a call at 866-999-2965 or you could visit us online at ptv.org.

Now, when you give $75 or more, you'll also receive the complete "How to Know If You're Really Saved" teaching series on both DVD video and MP3 format audio discs, plus the personal and group study guide. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to send a letter by mail, here's the address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. Again, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins. You know, we've all said something that we've immediately regretted, so how can we prevent destructive words from destroying our relationships? Hear a message called "Fireproofing Your Speech." That's Friday on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Experience the breathtaking majesty of America's last frontier on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

Speaker 2

Board Holland America's luxurious Koningsdam ship with Amy and me for a journey that will refresh your soul and renew your spirit.

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Experience the unforgettable adventure June 13th through 20th, 2026. To book your cabin, call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org.

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