Father of Many Nations

Prepare: Lord help us give glory to You, trusting in You.
Read: Romans 4:13-25

Without the law: Paul amasses all types of evidence to show how faith and faith alone is necessart for righteousness. He raises the question whether the promise to Abraham was given upon the Law. No. The promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations was given before the Law. Why? This is simply to show that all who are without the Law are also included in the promise to Abraham because it is faith that counts and not the Law. The Law only displays its violation. This point is picked up by Paul in chapter seven also.

Not weakening in faith: Paul emphasizes the fact that the promise to Abraham us for all his descendants through fatih and not merely for those with biological descent. Paul goes on to show how the promise of numerous descendants to Abraham was humanly and biologically impossible. This only underscores the importance of faith. Though Anraham and his wife Sarah were well beyond the child bearing age, they trusted in God's promise. Abraham believed that God could bring out what is humanly impossible and this trust or faith or believing in what God is able to do is counted as righteousness. This also brings us to the point that if believe that it was God who raised up Jesus from the dead which might have seemed a human impossibility, we also will be justified. Finally it is believing what God can do that saves us.

Respond: Lord help us believe.