Today, we return to our study of Romans 4 where we are being shown what saving faith looks like. Having shown that all men are sinful and bound for Hell, the Apostle Paul is now showing us how our eternal hope was bolstered when God decided to reach out to rebellious and sinful man with a promise. As we have seen this promise is known as the Abrahamic Covenant.
The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant which is an agreement between two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something. Nothing is required of the other party. In this covenant which is for all mankind, God’s solitary action shows that the covenant is principally His promise to us. Through this covenant God chose to bind Himself to the guaranteed results. In this case, the result is that those who believe in the promise of God are made right with God.
In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all."
We all share this deep desire of being approved, of being loved, wanted and accepted. When we choose to make the God of the Bible the object of our faith, it is then that we take hold of this promise that God gave to Abraham so long ago. Better yet, it is then that the promise takes hold of us. The
promise only comes to us after we have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What good behavior could not do for us, faith in the God of the Bible does.
The grace of God is the champion here. The word "grace" is used 131 times in the Bible. Of that total number, 124 times, it appears in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul used this most wonderful word 86 times in his writings. This means two-thirds of all the usages of the word "grace" in the Bible are attributed to one writer: the Apostle Paul.
The grace of God shouts to us that He is fully accepting of us, but, our sin must be dealt with before we can access God's acceptance. Whatever our greatest sin is, it is weaker than God’s grace. God’s grace is greater than not just our worst sin, but every sin we have ever committed or ever will commit ... combined. The reality is that even though we barely understand the depth of our sin, we vastly underestimate the power of God’s grace!
Our justification before God is accomplished not by obligation on our part, but freely through grace by the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And, the more we understand what God has done for us as sinners, the more willing we will be to do whatever He requires. The first step involved in genuine sanctification is an ever-increasing awareness of our own sinfulness. With that comes, at the same time, an ever-increasing awareness of God’s grace. And then, with that, comes from us an ever-increasing love and willingness to obey Him. Obedience then is not a requirement for God's acceptance but a result of having been granted His acceptance through His grace.
In v.17 of today's passage we read, "As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not."
In v.17 of today's passage we read, "As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not."
From the beginning, God promised Abraham, this former Gentile, this man who was defined by the cultures of this world, would be the father of many ethnicities. We know this because the word that the Apostle uses here for "nations" is the Greek word from which we get our English word "ethnic peoples." We are the partakers of the promise to be the sons and daughters of God, not by anything but our trust that the God of the Bible has been truthful and we believe His promise. This has made it possible for Him to define us as His sons and daughters.
The last sentence of v.17 is powerful and it means that when we were conceived, we were conceived as dead toward God. But now, His grace has delivered unto the willing of heart the ability to believe in Him and His promise of life and authentic relationship with Him.
In v.18 of today's passage we read, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'"
In v.18 of today's passage we read, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'"
Salvation for Abraham was based on the same promise that our salvation is based upon. It is a sovereign and a gracious promise. It is given to those who do not deserve it. We are declared righteous and just, once we have believed that God is the God of salvation. God promised that we, along with Abraham, will inherit everything that is Christ’s. Abraham believed when all of the odds in Las Vegas were against him. And, when you and I believe, it is then that we realize the culture of God come to all of our yearnings, even those created out of our lack of hope. What a thrill it is when we see that He truly is involved in our lives, as He enables us to see with our hearts.
