A Faith for The Ages

Paul ends Romans Chapter 4 with an example and an application from the life of Abraham. Paul has already proved that no man is deserving of God’s favor (1:18 - 3:20), and that God saves people through His causeless mercy and grace, giving those whom He wishes to save the faith to receive His grace and promises (3:21 - 31). Paul has defended this Gospel against any notion that a saved man contributes to his salvation through good works (4:1-8), religious rites such as circumcision (4:9-12) or obedience to God’s Law (4:13 - 16). Paul has also proved from Scripture that both Abraham and David approached God through faith in His mercy and grace (4:3-8) as opposed to any sense of merit or deserving. What Paul does now is provide a vivid illustration of the presence, power and growth of Abraham’s faith from the Book of Genesis, as a model for how believers today should trust in and embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ (4:23-25).

Paul makes 5 points about Abraham’s faith. First, Abraham’s faith was in God’s Word. Abraham did not claim anything for himself, but clung to what God had promised, that he would have a son even though he and his wife were long past the normal ages for childbearing. Second, Abraham’s faith was in God’s power. With regard to an heir, neither Abraham nor Sarah had any ability to bring about God’s Promise. Their physical abilities were finished (v. 19). However, Abraham’s faith was undeterred, since Abraham knew that God needed no human help in accomplishing His purposes. Third, Abraham’s faith grew as his human abilities diminished. As the years passed after God’s stated promise, Abraham did not grow weak (v. 19) or waver in faith (v. 20), but grew stronger. God supernaturally strengthened Abraham’s faith, so that he increasingly embraced not only the promise of one son, or 1 nation, or 1 multitude, but a multitude of nations. Fourth, Abraham’s faith is an example for every believer, even today. Paul calls Abraham “the father of us all” (v. 16), because just like Abraham’s near-dead body ended up giving life to countless individuals physically, by God’s grace, the example of his faith gives eternal life to countless individuals even today through the Gospel. Finally, Abraham’s faith has its sole focus and fulfillment in Christ, without Whom God would send everyone to hell. Abraham’s faith ultimately was not in God’s blessings, but in God’s Son, Who gifts every believer with His atonement and His righteousness through the Gospel (v. 25). When one put his faith in Christ, he becomes a co-inheritor or fellow-heir with the Son of God (Romans 8:17), so that the blessings the believer receives in the end far exceed any blessing God has ever promised to anyone other than His Son.

When Abraham trusted in Christ, he received eternal life, an eternal family and the entire world (4:13), not just a physical heir and the Land of Canaan.