Romans 4.18a-Abraham Had Absolute Confidence That God Could Do What Was Humanly Impossible
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday February 17, 2008
Romans: Romans 4:18a-Abraham Had Absolute Confidence That God Could What Was Humanly Impossible
Lesson # 132
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 4:18.
This morning we will begin a study of the sixth section that appears in Romans chapter four, which is contained in Romans 4:18-22.
In this passage, Paul teaches that Abraham became the father of many nations as a result of his faith in the Lord.
This morning we will study Romans 4:18a, which teaches that Abraham had absolute confidence in the Lord that He could do that which was humanly impossible.
The Lord promised Abraham that he would give him and Sarah a child and innumerable posterity.
However, they were both advanced in age when they received this promise.
Yet, both Abraham and Sarah had absolute confidence that the Lord could do what was humanly impossible.
From the human perspective, the fulfillment of the promise was impossible but from the divine perspective, nothing is impossible with an omnipotent God.
The faith of Abraham and Sarah demonstrates the spiritual principle that you appropriate the omnipotence of God by operating in faith.
Romans 4:18, “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’”
Romans 4:19-21, “Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”
Romans 4:22, “Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
In Romans 4:18, “he believed” is the verb pisteuo (pisteuvw), which means to “to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance,” thus, “to trust, place complete or absolute confidence in” someone or something.
In context, the word indicates that Abraham made the non-meritorious decision “to trust” or “place his absolute confidence in” the Lord to deliver on His promise to give him not only an heir from his own body but also innumerable descendants even while he was yet childless when the Lord made the promise to him.
Abrahams’ faith in the Son of God to deliver on His promise that He would make him a father of many nations, even though he was childless at the time, appropriated the omnipotence of God.
The principle of faith operates quite simply: (1) God speaks and we hear His Word. (2) We trust His Word and act on it no matter what the circumstances are or what the consequences may be.
The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown but we obey God’s Word just the same and believe Him to do what is right and what is best.
The circumstances for Abraham were impossible in that he was sexually impotent and yet he had absolute confidence that the Lord would deliver on His promise to give him and Sarah a child and innumerable posterity.
Hebrews 11:1-3 gives a definition of faith and also a description of the nature of faith or in other words, what faith does and how it works.
Hebrews 11:1-3, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”
The object of the Christian’s faith at the moment of salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ and the object of his faith after salvation is the written Word of God.
In order for the Christian to please God and gain His approval he must trust in the authority of the Scriptures to govern his life (See Hebrews 11:6).
Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
The Lord will test the believer’s faith after salvation in order to produce endurance in them like He did with Abraham and Sarah.
James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
The Lord rewards the believer after his faith has been tested like He did with Abraham and Sarah.
James 1:12, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Romans 4:18, “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’”
“He believed” refers to Abraham’s absolute confidence in the Lord to deliver on His promise to give him not only an heir from his own body but also innumerable descendants even while he was yet childless when the promise was made to him.
This promise is recorded in Genesis 15:1-6.
Genesis 15:1-6, “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.’ Abram said, ‘O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.’ Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.’ And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
Romans 4:18, “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’”
“In hope” is composed of the preposition epi (e)piv) (ep-ee), “in” and dative feminine singular form of the noun elpis (e)lpi$) (el-pece), “hope.”
With the preposition epi, the noun elpis is used of the “object” of Abraham’s “confident expectation” of the preincarnate Christ fulfilling His promise to him of a son and innumerable posterity.
The context indicates that the verb pisteuo is obviously used of Abraham’s response to the Lord’s promise recorded in Genesis 15:4-5 that He would give Abraham a child and innumerable posterity.
Therefore, the prepositional phrase ep’ elpida, “in hope” functions as the object of the verb pisteuo since the verb is used of Abraham’s response to the Lord’s promise of innumerable posterity.
Therefore, this confident expectation of the Lord fulfilling His promise to Abraham was the object of Abraham’s absolute confidence since Abraham’s faith or absolute confidence was upon the Lord’s ability to deliver on His promise.
The prepositional phrase ep’ elpidi, “in hope” indicates that Abraham’s faith or absolute confidence “rested upon the basis of” the promise or in other words, the confident expectation of receiving the promise of a child and innumerable posterity was the “basis upon which” Abraham’s absolute confidence rested.
In Romans 4:17b, Paul identifies that the reason why Abraham had absolute confidence that the Lord could deliver on His promise was that he knew the character and nature of God, that He was omnipotent and thus had the ability to deliver on His promise.
Romans 4:18, “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’”
“Against hope” refers to the fact that from the human standpoint or expectations, it was impossible that Abraham and Sarah could have a child since they were advanced in age.
Human viewpoint would say that there was no chance whatsoever of this promise being fulfilled.
However, Abraham knew that since God is omnipotent, all things are possible.
Genesis 17-18 record Abraham and Sarah demonstrating absolute confidence in the Lord’s ability to deliver on His promise of a child and innumerable descendants even though they were advanced in age and sexually dead.
Genesis 17:1-8, “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.’ I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.’ No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Genesis 18 records the Lord prophesying to Abraham of the birth of Isaac for the benefit of Sarah.
Genesis 18:1-15, “Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, ‘My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant. And they said, ‘So do, as you have said.’ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.’ Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate. Then they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ He said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ And the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah denied it however, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’”
Genesis 21:1-4 records the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to give Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age.
Genesis 21:1-7, “Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ And she said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’”
Faith in the Lord permits the Lord to do what is humanly impossible.
Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”
Matthew 17:20, “And He said to them, ‘Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.’”