THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
“He did not doubt the promise of God through unbelief.” God gave no proof of His promise and performed no miracle. There were only simple words containing a promise whose fulfillment nature did not promise. Nevertheless, he “did not doubt,” the Apostle says. He did not say, “he did not believe,” but “he did not doubt,” that is, he did not hesitate and was not shaken, although there were so many difficulties.
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From this we learn that if God promises even thousands of impossibilities, and the hearer does not accept it, the weakness comes not from the nature of things, but from the folly of the one who does not accept the promises. “But he grew strong in faith.” Notice Paul’s wisdom. Since the discourse concerned those who fulfill the law and those who believe, the Apostle proves that the believer does more than the fulfiller of the law. He needs greater power, much strength, and endures extraordinary labor.
For the Jews belittled faith as something requiring no labor. Therefore the Apostle rises against this and proves that not only one who succeeds in chastity or some other virtue, but also one who shows faith, needs very great strength. As the former needs courage to drive away thoughts of incontinence, so the believer needs a powerful soul to repel thoughts of unbelief.
How, then, did Abraham grow strong? The Apostle says that he entrusted everything to faith, not to reason, for otherwise he too would have fallen. How did he advance in faith itself? “Giving glory to God,” Paul says, “and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to do.”
Therefore not to scrutinize is to glorify God, while to scrutinize is to sin. If, by scrutinizing and investigating earthly things, we do not glorify God, then by prying into the birth of the Master we will draw upon ourselves an even more severe punishment, as those who insult Him. If one must not enter into investigations about the manner of the resurrection, then all the more one must not investigate those ineffable and dread mysteries.
The Apostle did not simply say “believing,” but “being fully convinced.” Such is the property of faith. It is clearer than rational proofs and more persuasive. It is impossible for another thought, entering the realm of faith, to shake it. One who follows rational proofs can also change his convictions. But one established on faith has already closed his hearing to arguments that destroy faith.
Therefore, after saying that Abraham was justified by faith, the Apostle proves that by faith he also glorified God. This chiefly belongs to life, as it is said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16). This is where faith is manifested.
On the other hand, just as works require strength, so does faith. In works the body often shares the labor. In faith the progress belongs to the soul alone. Thus its labor is greater, since no one shares the struggles with it. Do you see how the Apostle proved that everything proper to works, such as having praise before God, needing strength and labor, and again glorifying God, belongs to faith in a higher degree?
After saying that God is able to fulfill what He promised, the Apostle, it seems to me, proclaims the future. For God promised not only the present, but also the future, of which the present serves as an image. Therefore unbelief belongs to a weak, small, and impoverished mind. Whenever someone reviles us for faith, we in turn should reproach them for unbelief, as miserable, fainthearted, foolish, and weak people who are no better than donkeys.
As believing belongs to a lofty and noble soul, so unbelief is the mark of a most irrational and low soul, one that has descended to the madness of animals. Therefore, leaving such unbelievers aside, let us imitate the patriarch and glorify God, just as he gave Him glory.
What does “he gave glory to God” mean? It means that he understood His righteousness and His infinite power. Having formed the proper conception of God, he became completely assured of God’s promises. Therefore let us also glorify God by faith and works, so that we too may receive glorification from Him as our reward, as He said: “Those who glorify Me I will glorify” (1 Sam 2:30).
Even if no reward had been promised, to be counted worthy to glorify God would itself be glory. If people who proclaim praises before kings boast in this alone, even if they receive no other benefit from it, then consider what praise is ours when our Master is glorified through us. Consider also what punishment it is to act so that He is blasphemed through us.
This is especially so because He desires this glorification for our sake, since He Himself has no need of it. What distance do you suppose exists between God and man? Is it not like the distance between men and worms? Yet, even having pointed to such a distance, I have still said nothing. It is impossible to say anything definite about it.
Would you wish to have great and resounding glory for yourself from a worm? If even with a strong desire for glory you would not wish this, then will He who is free from such desire and infinitely higher than you need your glorification? Yet, though He has no need of your glorification, He says He desires it for your sake.
If He did not disdain to become a servant for your sake, why do you marvel that for the same reason He accepts this also? He considers nothing unworthy of Himself if it contributes to our salvation. Knowing this, let us flee every sin by which God is blasphemed. “Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent,” it is said (Sir 21:2).
If you approach sin, it will bite you. But it does not approach us by itself. We voluntarily run to it. God arranged it this way so that we would not fall under the dominion of the devil, for otherwise no one could withstand his power. Therefore God removed him like a robber and tormentor. He does not dare attack unless he finds someone in his own domain, unarmed and alone. He does not dare come near unless he sees that we are walking in the desert. This desert and dwelling of the devil is nothing other than sin.