God's Promise to People of Faith (Romans 4:13–25)

Introduction

Attention

We're continuing our series in the book of Romans. We talked last week about the blessing of faith but this week we're going to look specifically at God's promise to people of faith. What is the promise of God to people of faith? Considering the promise of God, how can we grow today as people of faith?

It's amazing watching your children grow up. You know, my kids are in their 20s now, but I still remember them as babies. You know, they're always your babies. You know, they've gone to the point where they crawl and you get excited. You want to see them walk and they're not sure about it. You know, they like, they want to just keep crawling. but eventually you see them. try to stand and then. and they put like a foot in front of the other and you just start. It's like incredible. Next thing you know, they start. I think my kids went from crawling to running. I think it just went straight. Next thing you know, they're getting into everything.

My faith can. be like that. You can, you know, we start. Maybe we're bottle fed. Then we can start crawling and the Lord wants us to walk. He wants us to run in faith and have this strength within us.

But how can we do that? How can we be people who grow today as people of faith? We’ll be in Romans 4:13-25. It's page 1000 in your Pew Bible.

Scripture Reading

Romans 4:13–25 CSB

13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise nullified, 15 because the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. 16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. 18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be. 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do. 22 Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone, 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Pray

The Promise

There's quite a bit in this text. The Romans for about the promise to Abraham. There's quite a bit in this text about the promise to Abraham. It's not just any promise, but there is a specific promise that Paul is talking about And verse 13 he says, for the promise to Abraham verse 14 the promised nullified in verse 16. This is why the promise is by faith. And in verse 20 he did not unwaver at God's promise.

The term here for promise means a verbal commitment by one person to another, agreeing to do or not to do something in the future.

1. promise — a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future.

The verb that Paul uses here is a singular noun. It's not plural. We're not talking about multiple promises, but we are talking about a specific promise. A specific commitment that came at a point in time.

Paul tells us what this promise is. It was the promise to Abraham. And it was a promise that he said in verse 17 here. from God to Abraham. I have made you the father of many nations.

Romans 4:17 CSB

17 As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.

Now we're gonna come back to verse 17 because verse 17 is just loaded with teaching here about faith. But Romans 4:17 is referring back to Genesis 17:1-4. Now it says this.

Genesis 17:1–4 CSB

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and be blameless. 2 I will set up my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him: 4 “As for me, here is my covenant with you: You will become the father of many nations.

Filler.

So here Abraham is an older man. He's 99 years old. It's actually in this chapter that his name is changed from Abram to Abraham.

God starts this promise off to Abraham through referring to his power. He says that I am God Almighty. Everything that flows after this is based on the fact that God has absolute power. God is almighty.

Now, if you just think about that for a minute, a promise is only as good as the power behind it. A promise is kind of like. a $100 bill. you accept this $100 bill because of the power behind it. You know that the bank will honor this $100 bill that the power of the government is behind this bill that when you get this bill there is an authority behind it. There is a power behind it.

Now, when we say that God is almighty. he has absolute power and rules and reigns. There is no power greater than him. Therefore, when God. when God gives a promise, there is no promise greater than the promise that comes from the almighty God. There is no power that will. ever supersede God's power.

So God is setting up this promise behind the authority of his power. There's a reminder to Abraham to be to live in his presence and be blameless. We'll get back to that little later on.

But God then describes to Abraham a covenant. Now, what is a covenant? You have to understand that. when Paul is referring in Romans 4 about the promise to Abraham. this promise that he's referring to is the covenant from God to Abraham.

A covenant is like a contractual agreement. between God and a person. or between two people. and in a covenant one party often has a higher status than the other party.

1. covenant — a contractual arrangement between God and a person, or between human beings, which required binding action from one or both parties; one party often had higher status in the arrangement.

Now, a covenant can require an action on both parts. on both parties. Well, what's interesting about the covenant from God to Abraham? is that. this covenant. Is based on who God is. It's a one sided covenant. It is a covenant based on his authority, that he is God Almighty.

He says, I will set up my covenant between me and you. Here is my promise to you, Abraham. you will become the father of many nations.

Now the argument that Paul is making in Romans 4. regarding this promise. is one he's describing this promise as an inheritance. The inheritance of Abraham is that he will become the father of many nations. So in essence, Paul calls it a promise that he would inherit the world in Romans 4:13.

But the essence of this argument that Paul is giving is, what is this inheritance based upon? When God is making a covenant with Abraham what is his side of the what is Abraham side of the agreement? Why is God being so gracious to Abraham? What did Abraham do? to earn this inheritance?

Now the Jews might argue that Abraham earned this inheritance. through an obedience to the law But Paul's main argument is that Abraham never did anything to inherit this.

In fact, Abraham never did anything to earn. this inheritance from God. The Grace of God came to Abraham, not by the things he did. But by his willingness to believe.

This is why it says in Romans 4:13

Romans 4:13 CSB

13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

And he goes on to say in verses 14 to 15 this argument that he's been making through really up to this point in chapter 4. is it all the law does that the law is not a means of salvation. All it is is a judgment upon people.

The law exposes a heart condition in a person. Salvation could never be by doing good things because the standard for good only exposes the fact that we don't make it.

No one will be saved by being a good person because good is not measured from one person to another person. Good is measured from a person to God. And we always fall short. the purity and holiness of the almighty God.

So if salvation does not come from the law, how does one receive the inheritance from God, the promise of God, the. salvation and righteousness from God How is one able to? connect with the almighty God. It must be in a way other than the law.

Paul gets to that in Romans 4:16

Romans 4:16 CSB

16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all.

God's covenant with people is never earned. It is always a gift. It is always grace. One doesn't earn a gift. One is given a gift. A gift doesn't come based on who you are. It is based on the power and love of the one who gives it.

Now when one has the absolute power to give a gift. And one has the absolute love to give a gift. That gift is guaranteed, Because absolute power and absolute love. never disappoints.

And while Paul teaches that the gift of the promise to Abraham came not as a result of what he did, but came through his belief in the promise of God.

But Pauls whole point is that this is not just a history lesson about Abraham. But this is about people who have the faith of Abraham.

People of Abraham’s Faith

Now this is crucial and this is powerful because. the Bible describes 11 God who is eternal. The same God yesterday, today and forever. the same God who made the covenant promise with Abraham as the same God who makes the covenant promise in your life through faith.

Then if you're a believer in Jesus Christ to day. you believe in the promise of God. And as a believer in the promise of God. you are responding to God in the same way that Abraham responded to God in Genesis 17 You are a person of Abraham's faith.

So when God is making this covenant with Abraham. he is referring not only to the physical offspring of Abraham and the nation of Israel. but he is also referring to the faith of Abraham. God is saying I will multiply you. in your faith. will be the faith of many people in the world.

Now, what does it mean to be a person of faith? We see several descriptions of what it means to be a person of faith in Romans 4.

The first one is this,

A person of faith lives in the presence of God.

Paul borrows language from Genesis 17 in. Romans 4:17. I’ll show you both places. In Romans 4:17:

Romans 4:17 CSB

17 As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.

Paul is taking from Genesis 17. 2. where he says in the presence of God in whom he believed. Gen 17:1

Genesis 17:1 CSB

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and be blameless.

Now, what's interesting here is that God is using an imperative here. he's telling Abraham live in my presence. and be blameless. Now, how was Abraham able to live in the presence of God? Now, one could argue that we always live in the presence of God, since God is omnipresent, if God is presence everywhere, then aren't we always living in the presence of God?

Now, one could make that argument, but that is not the type of presence that God is talking about. Many of the translations translate Genesis 17 1 this way with God telling Abraham to walk before me. Now this word that the CSB translates as presence. Really means to. live or walk in front of God in his. in his face or in his and therefore in front of him you are in his presence.

Who got the same walking? front of me and be righteous? How can one do that? How can one walk in front of him and be righteous? You do it the way Abraham did. You believe.

Faith is living in the presence of God. Faith David described faith as living in the presence of God this way. Psalm 16:7-8

Psalm 16:7–8 CSB

7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me— even at night when my thoughts trouble me. 8 I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Now, David is saying that the Lord Councils him, and he lets the Lord guide him. Now, how is he doing that? He is living a life. before God in the presence of God. through faith. You have to believe in God to allow him to counsel you. You have to believe in God to let him guide you.

And notice what he says about a life that has lived in the presence of God. When you live your life before him, you live a life that is unshakeable. because you know of the presence of God in your life.

Now, many years of counseling have taught me that the. presence of people can be scary for some folks. People can say, you know what I don't like being around people. I would rather be alone. In fact, if you've noticed you walk around a neighborhood more and more people are staying in there. houses and staying in their silos.

But being alone can lead to feelings of loneliness. depression. It turns out that being around the right presence can be a. can be a very good thing for you. We need the presence of healthy people in our life

and the truth. is that you when you are in Christ, you are never truly alone. You live by faith every day. in the presence. of God. His presence is good and we need his presence in our life. And that happens through faith.

A person of faith lives in the presence of God.

Second,

A person of faith has a strong conviction because they know the power of God.

Faith in God is reasonable. It's an interesting thing when I became a Christian because. I had always heard of this saying, “a leap of faith.” Have you ever heard of that? And the basic. meaning of the statement is that one just needs to believe, even if all the evidence points the other way.

And I have found that not to be the case with Christianity. We have a reasonable faith. Faith in God is completely reasonable because it is based on his power. If God can create something out of nothing, if he could speak with his words and the world exists, then I know. he can speak into your life and make you new.

Take a look again at Romans 4:17

Romans 4:17 CSB

17 As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.

This is the argument from Paul. It makes sense to believe in God because God is the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. Can you make something out of nothing? God can.

I know it. I know there was no faith in my life. But God spoke into my existence. and call things into existence that do not exist. He took my dead spirit and resurrected me and gave me new life.

A person of faith has a strong conviction because they know the power of God.

Faith is always built upon knowing the power of God. Paul as an old man. He's likely sitting in a Roman prison, facing an imminent death. And this is what he tells. this young pastor, Timothy. 2 Tim 1:12

2 Timothy 1:12 CSB

12 and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.

Paul says I'm going through a lot of things I have been suffering. There are a lot of things out of my control. but that's fine. I don't have to have control. And in fact, it's better that I don't have control because I know the one who does have control. I know his presence in my life. I know who I have believed. And I know that he is powerful enough. to guard. the things. and the people I hold dear in my life. If he has entrusted them to me, it has always been his in the first place. My faith is built on his power.

Does the very argument that God give? God gives to Abraham. when he starts off his covenant and says I am God almighty. Have faith in me because of my power. And he says that to you to day. Have faith in him. because here's the power to do above and beyond anything, as it says in Eph. 3:20

Ephesians 3:20 CSB

20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—

A believer understands the limitless power of God. A power that says God. I can't do this, but I know you can.

Faith is always built. upon knowing the power behind it. Couple years ago, the Padres made it to the playoffs. and the Padres were facing LA. I don't know if you remember this. and La had a reason. Had a history of beating the Padres and it seemed tough. A one game follow the next and the Padres ended up beating LA. and the faith of people in that team grew as they said man, we beat LA. Maybe we could go all the way. and we won't talk about the rest of it. Unfortunately, that didn't happen

The power of that year ended up being limited. A power that has limits. can be frustrating.

but we serve a God with limitless power. and it is completely reasonable based on the fact that he spoke the world into existence. that I can trust in the power of God. to get me through in my life. and I can trust his promise. because I know that his power is. unstoppable.

A person of faith lives in the presence of God.

A person of faith has a strong conviction because they know the power of God.

And when a person of faith lives in the presence of God and has a. strong conviction of the power of God, it leads to this. ,

A person of faith is strengthened through faith.

Your conviction that God can do what he says he will do strengthen you. The first two points lead up to this last point. If you want to be strengthened in your Christian life, live your life aware of his presence before you live your life aware that you are walking before him.

Live your life with a good theology about God Understanding. his power. And listen, when those things are aligned. you will grow in your faith. And when you are. and when you hold this unwavering conviction within your life that God can do what he says he will do. You'll be unshakable.

Look at everything it says about Abrahams faith in Romans 4:18-21

Romans 4:18–21 CSB

18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be. 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do.

Abraham had a faith. I was hoping against hope that even though the things in his life didn't seem to be adding up, he still understood that God is in control and he is powerful.

Notice that once faith could be weak or strong. But his faith wasn't weakened. by the challenges that he saw around him. But look at this in verse 20 having a good understanding of who God is allowed him not to waver in unbelief. But instead through his ongoing belief, he will strengthened in his faith. I gave glory to God. in verse 21 he was fully convinced that what God promised he could do.

The Apostles heard a teaching from Jesus, and they were astonished by it. And they asked him a question about salvation. They asked him if. this thing that you're teaching is true, then really who can be saved and listen to how Jesus responds to them. This is in Matthew 19 26

Matthew 19:26 CSB

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus is basically telling them. do you know where salvation begins? Salvation begins and ends at the power of God. Salvation begins when you humble yourself and fall on your knees before the one who can do the impossible in your life.

Paul ends chapter Romans 4 by telling us about a God who can do the impossible. It says your faith is. built upon. the power of God. In Romans 4:24-25:

Romans 4:24–25 CSB

24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Ourr faith is built upon believing that God raised Jesus from the dead. God delivered him over on our behalf. He took on our sins and our salvation is built upon him.

We believe in a God that can do the impossible.

We sing a song earlier today that says there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain. And in my life, I have heard story after story after story. of the chains at the Lord breaks for people.

the chain of addiction. broken by the power of Christ in a life.

The chain of self righteousness and pride broken by the power of Christ and alive.

Marriages get restored because of the power of Jesus and lives.

Families and generations are changed because of Jesus Christ in alive.

There is so much evidence for the power of God to do the impossible.

Christian do you wanna grow in your faith? Know his presence in your life. Understand his power and And be unwavering in your belief in him.

Maybe you're not sure where you stand with him. Maybe you're not sure if there is. a god who can do the impossible. Let me tell you that the God who spoke the world into existence. wants to speak into your life.

and to listen to him You need to believe him. God is calling you to faith in Jesus Christ Believe him and watch him change your life. I know his power. and I know he can change you.

Conclusion

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!