4:13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham
or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
4:14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the
promise is void.
4:15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
4:16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace
and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to
those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us,
4:17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations") --in the
presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into
existence the things that do not exist.
4:18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many
nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants
be."
4:19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as
good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness
of Sarah's womb.
4:20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in
his faith as he gave glory to God,
4:21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
4:22 Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness."
4:23 Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake
alone,
4:24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus
our Lord from the dead,
4:25 who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our
justification.
Greetings to all working from this text, particularly those working from Paul all summer- I am going to talk about God's promises and how we claim to be enthusiastic about them, yet are we? Often we are much more enthusiastic for acomplishments, ease and wealth. AT the same time, God's promises, like those of progeny and land to Abraham, can be material ones- and in fact, like those to Abraham, will probably be ones the speak to us of wholeness, meaning, well-being. God knows what is right for us. ALthough I haven't read the book, The Good LIfe by Peter Gomes seems to detail such ideas-AEA
4:16 is powerful. "For this reason, the promise is based on Grace." How terribly often Christians try to "win" or "earn" the fulfillment of the promise as though it were based on works. Abram won the reward of his promise based on faith. Now that'll preach!
Steve in NC
It is interesting to compare this text with the Genesis text. Here we see Abraham painted as the ultimate model of faith.
"No distrust made him waver... being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised" contrast to Genesis 17:17 "Abraham fell facedown, he laughed..."
Is there room in faith to laugh at the ludicrous plans of God yet still have "no distrust"? If Abraham is the ultimate model of faith, then perhaps we need to examine our concepts of faith a bit. Can we hold the tension between the ludicrous and the miraculous (or between the now and the not yet).
Anyway, some thoughts early on in the process this week.
Keith in Edmonton
Keith in Edmonton,
Good perceptions. I had been wondering what to make of Gen 17:17. Perhaps laughter, and not just fear (cf."fear not" in scripture)is another human way of meeting the presence of God. How little, though, laughter is connected with religious expressions. I have some books filled with traditional religious poetry and poems exploring life's dilemmas and there's no entry for either "humor" or "laughter." -AEA
Dear Friends; thanks to steve and Kieth for your insights. I too have been connecting gen. with Ro. for this day; there is a lot here to deal with . Here is where I am going with it...
Abraham’s covenant with God was based on a decision by God to offer it; and a decision by Abraham to accept it in faith. The only collateral he had was God’s promise. Beyond that, he simply had to believe.
Paul tells the Romans that Abraham did not have standing in God’s eyes by following the law, but by believing God’s promises. This faith made him righteous in God’s sight. Likewise, we must believe before we see God’s promise fulfilled. We can have a close, fulfilling relationship with God when we simply put our trust in Christ for our forgiveness, and our salvation (vs. 25).
Jeff in NY
Have you ever seen a new born calf take it's first steps? I remember a story about a little girl and grandmother watching such an even on the the grandmother's farm. The calf, literally minutes old, struggled to it's wobbly legs as it's mother licked it's fur dry. "How did he know to do that, Grandma?" the little girl asked, her eyes wide. "How did he know how to stand up?"
The Grandmother replied, "He's walking on the legs of faith."
I may use this story as a way to introduce the faith of Abraham. What would our lives be like if we walked on legs of faith?
Thanks for the great comments on this passage!
MEL in NE
I am actually using a different passage, but still with Abraham. (Genesis chap 15),
I am looking for a video clip to help me. Any ideas ? The Genesis bit goes something like this
Hopeless situation, no children.
God makes a promise to Abram, to give him and Sarai a child Abram does not believe
God makes the promise again Abram believes!
The question is, why does he believe the second time ? It is not for anything new that God has done! God has pointed him to the stars, but not actually changed Abram's situation!
Abram responds with faith simply because he now believes! Can anyone think of a clip to illustrate this ?
Jonathan in Beverley UK
