Romans 4: Abraham’s Faith – Scriptural Harmony
Key Verses:
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old- and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
“This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
Daily Message:
Chapter 4 is a very powerful theological chapter. In it, Paul recounts some sacred history to remind the Romans of a fundamental principle that was in place from the beginning but was easy to overlook: that God’s unmerited, undeserved gift of grace comes not from adherence to the law or from our good works but rather, simply, in response to our abiding faith.
In Romans 4:22–25, Paul begins to illuminate a clear nexus between the faith of Abraham and the new covenant in the atonement of Jesus by saying, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” The return to the Old Testament justification by faith reiterates that there is one God and that all Scripture is in harmony. Before and after Christ (God incarnate), justification is always based on faith.
Abraham was justified and declared righteous by faith alone. He possessed an unconditional faith in God’s promise to make him the father of many nations, despite seemingly insurmountable odds and being alive many centuries before the life, death and resurrection of Christ. He was reckoned righteous by God on no basis other than his faithfulness. Today our faith is founded on our belief in Jesus Christ as the risen Son of God.
A Moment to Reflect:
If by your faith you are justified (i.e., acquitted or declared righteous) by God, what does that suggest for how you live your life from this point forward? If you are declared righteous by your faith, does that necessarily imply that you will experience moral transformation as well?