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The Faith of Abraham
Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?
Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?
Abraham's Justification by Faith
What shall we say then that Abraham our father according to flesh has found?
What shall we say then that Abraham our father according to flesh has found?
If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way.
For if Abraham has been justified on the principle of works, he has whereof to boast: but not before God;
for what does the scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.
Now to him that works the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but of debt:
But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
but to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.
David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
Even as David also declares the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness without works:
“Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
Blessed [they] whose lawlessnesses have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered:
blessed [the] man to whom [the] Lord shall not at all reckon sin.
[Does] this blessedness then [rest] on the circumcision, or also on the uncircumcision? For we say that faith has been reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.
But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!
How then has it been reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous — even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith.
And he received [the] sign of circumcision [as] seal of the righteousness of faith which [he had] being in uncircumcision, that he might be [the] father of all them that believe being in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned to them also;
And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
and father of circumcision, not only to those who are of [the] circumcision, but to those also who walk in the steps of the faith, during uncircumcision, of our father Abraham.
Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.
Abraham Receives the Promise
For [it was] not by law that the promise was to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of [the] world, but by righteousness of faith.
For [it was] not by law that the promise was to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of [the] world, but by righteousness of faith.
If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.
For if they which [are] of law be heirs, faith is made vain, and the promise made of no effect.
For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
For law works wrath; but where no law is neither [is there] transgression.
So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.
Therefore [it is] on the principle of faith, that [it might be] according to grace, in order to the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that only which [is] of the law, but to that also which [is] of Abraham's faith, who is father of us all,
(according as it is written, I have made thee father of many nations,) before the God whom he believed, who quickens the dead, and calls the things which be not as being;
who against hope believed in hope to his becoming father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be:
And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead — and so was Sarah’s womb.
and not being weak in faith, he considered not his own body already become dead, being about a hundred years old, and the deadening of Sarah's womb,
Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.
and hesitated not at the promise of God through unbelief; but found strength in faith, giving glory to God;
He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
and being fully persuaded that what he has promised he is able also to do;
And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.
wherefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded
Now it was not written on his account alone that it was reckoned to him,
for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
but on ours also, to whom, believing on him who has raised from among [the] dead Jesus our Lord,