God’s people sin and make mistakes. Disappointment may follow strongly when we see someone we love and hold in high esteem fail. We may even be merciless to ourselves when we fall short. But how does God see those He has called and chosen when they sin and make mistakes?

Abraham was a faithful man who obeyed God (Hebrews 11:8-10, Hebrews 11:17-19). For example, when God called him to head a new direction in his life, to leave his family and country so that God could bless him with an inheritance in a land promised far away, Abraham went.

But in Genesis 12:10-20, we see an account of Abraham (called Abram then) taking advantage of and being deceitful to Pharaoh, when he and his wife entered Egypt, because he was afraid of what he might do to them. God was not pleased with this behavior and sent plagues on Pharaoh’s house. Pharaoh soon realized that he was lied to by Abraham and his wife and forced them to leave Egypt immediately.

So how can he be listed in the line of the obedient and faithful in Hebrews 11, when he was clearly being disobedient and fearful here? The answer is simple really; we have a loving and merciful God and He wants us to learn from out mistakes. You see, Abraham made mistakes, but that didn’t mean he was a mistake or that his calling from God was a mistake. And neither is yours or anyone of God’s people who make mistakes.  

I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NASB).