Promise To Us All

Romans 4:9-25 Abraham, father of us all

God gave Abraham a promise to become a blessing to all nations of the world

Circumcision- the Seal of the Promise (9-12)

Abraham received the promise before he was circumcised

The circumcision was just a reminder of the covenant promises God had given

For each and every generation from Abraham to Jesus they were reminded of what God had promised them

Abraham became the father of the faithful who are both uncircumcised and the circumcised (Galatians 3:7)

Father of the uncircumcised who believe because he had faith and justification before his circumcision

Father of the circumcised who believe because he had faith to be obedient to the instructions of God

Circumcision pointed back to the promise that God made to Abraham and sealed the faith that he had in God. Therefore; faith, not circumcision, is the basis of the promise.

Faith- the Basis of the Promise (13-22)

Faith makes the promise attainable for all people

If it was just for a certain people (certain nation or certain moral level) than the promise would be void

A promise of grace can be given to any and all people and the promise becomes sure

Faith gives hope in a promise to those who are without hope

Abraham had no hope of having a child or seeing the promises of God fulfilled but he hoped against hope and made decisions to trust God

He staggered not- Even though he made mistakes along the way, he continued to follow God and hope in God’s salvation and provision

God was able to perform, Abraham did not look to his own abilities but to God’s power to overcome even Abraham’s mistakes

Since the promise is to all of Abraham’s children of faith, we too can have hope in the promises of God. This promise was not just for Abraham but for us as well

Church- The Recipient of the Promise (23-25)

God’s promise to Abraham was to be a blessing to the whole world (Gen 12:1-3)

Abraham was the first sign of God’s power to make alive what was dead

Israel was proof that God could take people who were not a people and make a great nation that would bless the world (Deuteronomy 32:8-10)

Jesus came to fulfill the promise that was given to Abraham and became proof that the promise is true and salvation is provided for all who believe

Just as God raised Jesus from the dead so too can He raise those who are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-5)

We can hope against hope in the promises of God