The Promise that Comes Through Faith

Faith Verses the Law

Abraham in 17 is promised that he and his offspring would be heir of the world. This promise is not given in the context of adherence to the law, the law had yet to be given. It was always rooted in faith. For the patriarch it was always rooted in faith based righteousness. Anything else would have serious consequences. As Paul points out it would invalidate the principle of faith. What role would faith play if the promise of God to Abraham was contingent on obedience? It would rob the promise of meaning. The law is unable to produce a promise, the laws fundamental reason for existence in v 15 is to bring wrath. It’s ironic that the very thing the Jews were counting on to make them acceptable to God turned out to emphasize their sinfulness. In trying and failing to fulfill the demands of the law their pious efforts merely turned them into conscious sinners. The law did not mark the Jew off from the Gentile but put him right next to him. .

Paul then tells us that this is why it all depends on grace, that is the reason the promise could not come by the law. The promises depends on faith so that it is a matter of shear grace. Faith, wrought by the spirit, is what makes the promise of God effective in a specific case. It is not a meritorious act. Faith is the spirit moving you to reach out in helplessness and totally depend upon God. This makes the promise an act of grace. God’s promise reflects the goodness of His character .

14. Paul shows that adherence to the law nullifies faith. If we have to perfectly keep the law then there is no room for faith. Man’s inability, without God’s grace, would cause the promises of God to be null in void. God’s promise would never be fulfilled.

Paul again stress that the “offspring of Abraham” includes Jewish Christians and Gentile alike. Abraham is the father of all who live by faith. This accords with God’s promise to Abraham in .

14. Paul shows that adherence to the law nullifies faith. If we have to perfectly keep the law then there is no room for faith. Man’s inability, without God’s grace, would cause the promises of God to be null in void. God’s promise would never be fulfilled.

Then we see a description of God given in two ways by Paul. First, he is the one able to bring the dead to life. This is seen in God’s ability to raise His son, but also in His ability to quicken the hearts of spiritually dead men calling them to life. Second, God is seen as the one who calls things into existence that are not. He has brought into existence all that there ever has been as Creator, and done so from nothing. Anything less would be adaptation not creation.

15. The law imposes the penalties for those who do not keep it, which Paul has spent three chapters showing none of us can. Sin cannot be counted where there is no law, faith is now the perfect fulfillment of the law. The law shows our need, faith meets our need.

16. Faith makes sure that our just standing is resting on grace alone. God provides through His grace what can only be appropriated by man through faith. What is earned by works is our condemnation.

The Faith of Abraham becomes the theme of the final paragraph of chapter 4. We see the paradoxical quality of Abrahams faith as it is “against all hope” and “in hope”. From a human standpoint there would be no hope Abraham would have any descendants. Yet with God all things are possible . Abraham therefore believed what God said. The hope of Abraham was not in human ability, it was in the absolute confidence of God’s ability. As we read in verse 21 Abraham believed God had the power to do what He said He would do. This epitomizes what it means to believe in God. Faith is total surrender to the ability and willingness of God to carry out His promises. To fail to believe God’s in insignificant activities of daily life is to be guilty of a sort of practical atheism. Will GOd? is the question that drives us in prayer ever closer to His heart.

17 , Abraham is made a father of many nations because of his eminence spiritual posterity. God gave Abraham a heritage that extended beyond even the nations known in his day.