God gave a promise for the seed to believe as well!

Rom 4: 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

One thing is clear from this text, there was a promise to Abraham and to his seed. There was a promise that Abraham believed in resulting in birth, in life, and in the circumcision which is the seal of righteousness. Invariably, since Paul said or to his seed we know that the children of Abraham, would also have a promise to be believed upon that would enable them to exercise a faith that also resulted in life, resulting in righteousness.

We see further down in Romans that Paul reaches the very conclusion from this section. In fact, it is the object itself of this section to reach the conclusion:

Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification

It was not writen for Abrahams sake alone, but it was written for us also. Wow, a promise was written for our sake also! With that in mind, let us rejoice that such a promise was made that would enable us to exercise our faith, like believing Abraham. Let us not get ahead or ourselves, let us realize that there is a promise, an object of faith, and clearly it involves faith in the precious son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. However, before we prescribe the content of the promise let us digest the remaining text before we arrive at these precious truths 10 verses from now. The focus is to show that a promise was given to the seed of Abraham to enable them to believe in a promise of God that would enable them to be born as a child of God, like Abraham was, apart from the law and apart from any effort at keeping the law.

So we know that the promise was not through the law! So first off, law was not the source for where we find the promise that would enable us to believe upon! So God revealed a promise for Abraham to Abraham apart from the law on Sinai and seemingly, he gave a promise to Abrahams seed to be believed upon that also did not have its source in the law. So the promise we are looking for, is not in the law. Paul does not often repeat himself, but we see a repetition of the same point which should cause us to take note of the emphatic proclamation of the point. If it was needful to be emphatic to the Romans I am sure it is equally needful that we be the observer of the emphatacism!

Rom 4:13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”[d]) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

This is amazing, in the same way Abraham was given a promise, we are given a promise for the nations to believe upon! The promise is given and the means is repeatedly said to be, “therefore is it of faith.” In being an heir, we are born by one means, faith. Clearly the word promise is a component for Abraham to believe upon and in the same way, it is thru promise that all the seed should be made alive, be made heirs by faith in a promise, thru the righteousness of faith.

So what must I do to be born and be a child of God? What is the promise that was given?

1. Are we to believe that God will bring forth a child for us when we are old?
2. Are we to believe that God will bring forth life from our dead bodies?
3. Are we to use our bodies any more than Abraham anticipated using his body to attain the promise that results in righteousness?
4. Are we to get the law and try our best to keep it to be eligible?
5. Or perhaps we are to believe a promise and get the law and try and keep it in conjunction with looking for a promise to believe upon?
   

But lets make sure we summarize the intent of this section, we are to know for sure that there is a promise for Abraham and there is a promise for all his seed that will enable them to exercise faith and faith alone in God to bring forth heirs from all the nations among the world.

So if you have thought to yourself, you are not like Abraham, you never had a personal revelation of a promise from God, you are wrong! God provided a promise to you! Will you believe on it as Abraham did? Will you try and attain it with your morality at keeping the law? Or will you look for a promise and believe on a promise that like Abraham, by faith alone, you can be circumcised with the righteousness of faith.

We will press on, Lord willing, may we see these truths!

The Children, the Heirs, of Abraham

Rom 4:13 For the Promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Heir of the world - Last we looked at the reality that the promise to Abraham in Gen 15 really seemed to pertain to the supernatual giving of a son by the power of God. Here, the focus is on the second part, that the decedents would be as numbered as the stars of the sky and what the children all were:

Gen 15:3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

So we see that Abraham asked for an Heir. You give me no heir – Abraham’s use was that of an heir being a child. He was not only going to be an heir of a child named Isaac, he was going to be an heir of the entire world of children, spiritual children who were born again by God in the same manner that follows here in Gen, born of the covenant of imputed righteousness.

Look ahead to John 3 and realize that in order to be a child of God, Abraham had to be born again. So he first had to be born, born through faith, and in order to be born by faith, he would need to have a element of exercising his faith for God to make him a twice born child who was born of faith. To be born of faith, he would have to exercise his faith in something that God would give him to believe in, and to believe it, in order to be born by believing. Although Abraham asked for a child as it appears, it was actually going to be the means for God to make a promise for Abraham to have something to exercise faith in, in order to be born of Faith. Unless a man be born again, he will by no means, enter the Kingdom of God. So, in order to be born of God, he would need to have a faith object in order to believe and in believing be born of God.

In order for Abraham to first be born, he would have to have something to believe God for in order to be born of Faith. So God gave a faith mechanism of a child, and the means of becoming a child of God through faith was made to Abraham by calling Abraham to put his faith in a promise that God would give him a child and a father of many nations. Abraham became a child of God, by being born into the family of God thruough faith. In fact, he became the Father, or the first born of all who would ever be twice born. The faith was exercised in a promise of a child, the promise Abraham believed was unique to Abraham compared to the rest of the children of faith, but he had an opportunity to become a child of faith, by exercising a faith in God, and in so believing God, that faith/exercise of belief is the means that God made Abraham the first child that he created on earth, that I will call children born of Faith.

We have a series of births and children being born here. And everyone being referred to here, both Isaac, and all the children as the stars, where really referring to the children who were born like Abraham, not physically born of woman, but born thru a second birth by believing a promise of God. Abraham was born this day, as all children of God are born. We don’t often hear this, but Abraham was born this day, born of faith, and born as a child of promise, a child of God thru faith. He was born thru faith apart from any works or any acts pertaining to the law. Abraham, was the recipient of the sign of the circumcision (not physical, rather imputed righteousness), following his birth. His birth was that of a nature that he believed God. Abraham was born in that he believed a promise made to him by God. So it is with all who believe God for a promise, and are born like believing Abraham, born of a nature that they believe God. When one is born by believing, they are circumcised (not physically) just like Abraham with a seal of righteousness. Abraham would be the first born this way, and he would also be the father of all who follow that are born through this way of faith. The children who are born again, born twice, thru faith would be the descendants of Abraham, and he would be their father, regardless of the fleshly lineage, he would be the father of all those who are twice born, born again thru faith in a promise.

Now, you might step back and say, that is not gotten from Chapter 15 of Genesis, to which I would say, I agree, it seems pretty imposing to try and say that these truths are birthed in Gen 15. But when we go to Rom 4 and Gal 3, we learn that this is what Paul is telling us. Specifically for our study of Romans 4, we see that the first 15 verses have the purpose of explaining just these facts.

Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

Paul here in 4:12 is talking about children like Abraham, a new child of God, who walk in steps of faith like Abraham, to become children of faith. Apart from Abraham’s physical children, be it Ishmael’s sons, or Jacob’s sons or Esau’s sons, or the sons of Lot, Abraham would be the father of all the heirs who would be born thru the life giving channel that results in the second birth thru faith. This is not talking about the children of the physical covenant of circumcision, rather Paul says that the true circumcision is those who receive the sign of the circumcision, the seal of righteousness of faith (which Abraham was circumcised with long before he was given the physical covenant of outward physical circumcision). And Paul tells us in Romans 4:11, he received this circumcision (while still uncircumcised in the flesh), that he would the father of all those who would be circumcised with the circumcision or seal of imputed righteousness as children born thru faith, faith in a promise.

IN order to understand Romans 4:11 and 12, one must understand that there are two groups being referred to distinctly:
1) Children born by faith and receiving a circumcision of imputed righteousness
2) Children who would be born of physical lineage and who would have a physical circumcision of the foreskin of the male
Note the distinguishing quality of these two groups
a) Children born of promise
b) Children born of physical lineage
Note that there are two circumcisions:
i. Those who are circumcised with a seal of righteousness
ii. Those who are circumcised with a physical circumcision of the foreskin

Apart from seeing these two groups of children, this will be really confusing. But when you see these two groups of descendants, you will begin to see the light. And understand that group one, the children of faith, the children of promise are the only children of God. The children of group one are the children of God, they are the children of Abraham, and the are as innumerable as the stars of the sky and they are the heirs of the world, and heirs of the promise. There are some children in group 2 who are Group 1 children, but not all, and not all group 2 were intended nor entitled to be Group 1 Children.

So we can see that Paul’s intended use of the heirs that were the recipients of promise here in verse 17, we see that the are group 1) children born of group a) promise thru faith and are in the group i) circumcision group who are circumcised with a seal of righteousness.

As straight forward as that may seem, it is needful throughout the book of Romans to refer back to this, when Paul refers to children and born of flesh, or use of circumcision to see if he is referring to i) or ii).

The good news is that all who are born of God, are children of God, and we have the privilege of a promise to exercise our faith in that we may become Group 1) a) i) children. Praise be to God.

Through the Righteousness of Faith part 3

Rom 4:13 For the Promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

When we look at this we may affirm its truth visually and what we think is mentally. However, often we fail to realize that what we consider faith alone is not reflective of what it should be. So to further help us to see through faith, we will examine what is the opposite of "through faith."

Charles Spurgeon saw the immense concern and the significance over getting this wrong. He wrote a Gospel book called all of Grace that spelled out how the Gospel is through Grace alone. Often people today think they affirm grace alone, but impose what they think the bible adds to Grace alone. Some might say that you must do this, or you must do that. All be it they may be well intended in their direction, they are grievously imposing the requirement of action that conflicts with and actually nullifies the notion of grace alone.

1. To illustrate, let us look at what Abraham did not do:
2. Abraham did not pray a prayer
3. Abraham did not perform a religious ceremony
4. Abraham did not confess sins
5. Abraham did not "repent" of recent sins that he committed
6. He did not ask for anything from God, like forgiveness or contrition
7. He did not ask God into his heart
8. He did not utter some words to acknowledge God
9. He did not build a theology of faith
10. He did not put hope in his faith
11. He was not aware that the action of believing got him anything beyond the promise of an heir
12. He was not int iced to believe for man centered reasons
13. He did not believe in order to get righteousness
14. He did not believe in order to go to heaven when he died
15. He did not know that believing would make him an heir

Now, make sure I am clear on the fact that many (not all) of these are truly blessing and by-products that come from the promise. I am not belittling any of these truths, but simply illustrating that they were not part of what was sought, nor were they employed to encourage Abraham to believe.

Further, let's make sure we don't attribute something to faith, that Abraham did not have that many today impose on saving faith. Abraham did not have a seminary degree. Abraham did not have multiple theological facts in correct order or properly configured. To illustrate:

1. Abraham did not think that faith is what brought blessing
2. Abraham looked to God to fulfill a promise and not to the composition of his faith
3. Faith was exercised in a promise of God
4. Abraham's Faith is not an intellectual accumulation of truths to be understood
5. Abraham would not have "shared' his faith with someone else, the promise was to him to believe, if God were to make a promise to others to bring forth a child, God would need to author that.
6. Faith was not the vehicle that he would share with others to be the recipient of righteousness, rather others would need a promise and the need to exercise their faith in a promise;
7. Faith was for God to supernaturally put life, or bring forth life from their dead bodies.
8. Faith's substance did not play a role in the ability for God to accredit him, rather he believed.
9. The action of exercising faith in God to do what seemed impossible yet that God said he would do.
10. Faith was not in some past truth about God
11. Faith was not in some future truth about God
12. Faith was not that God did something in the past or will do something in the future
    

So Believing God, is the basis for Abraham's accreditation of righteousness. He did not have a number of truths figured out, nor did God require him to figure them out in order to receive the promise. He did not know many great facts about God's revelation, but he did know that it was outside of his ability to do what God said that he would do by Promise, and that he did not waiver in unbelief, but was strengthened in Faith believing that what God promised, he was able also to perform. That seems to be the heart of the composition of his faith. He knew his own vessel was not apart of the solution or object to fulfill the promise, and he was strengthened by the fact that he believed what God promised, God alone was able to do it.

So consider this in our composition of the Gospel if you will. Do we have a message of truths to be understood and believed upon accompanied with efforts at religiosity and morality? Do we have a promise like that of Abraham? That we must believe that God is able to do and we are to likewise be strengthened in faith in God being able to do what he said he would do.

Is there such a promise that comes from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit today to us? are we called to exercise faith in a promise? Later, we see that Paul says, now this promise was not written for Abraham's sake alone but for us also. Could the faith that results in righteousness for us require the same pattern as Abraham?

The Promise was through the Righteousness of Faith - Part 2

Rom 4:13 For the Promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

The promise was made by faith. What does this mean? The promise maker commended a promise and the promise receiver consummated the promise by only one event, faith in the promise maker fulfilling the promise. There was nothing required of the recipient other than faith. Faith was the means that Abraham employed to procure the promise that God conveyed. There was no criteria like, "if you will do this, or do that, I will fulfill a promise." Not at all! It was believed on, and when the faith was executed, the promise would be fulfilled, regardless of the action of the promise recipient and apart from any action on the promise recipient's part.

Like the accreditation of righteousness yesterday, it seems that the use of faith was not known nor explained to Abram. In other words, God did not say, if you will believe, you will get it, and he focused to believe in order to get it. Rather, the faith requirement/vehicle was not conveyed. A promise was given and apart from knowing that faith alone would procure it, Abram believed. In believing, Abram consummated the right to be the recipient of the promise from God, but it was not explained that it was by faith alone that he could have it.

A couple of observations of what are stated, Abram believed God. The writer of Genesis does not tell us that Abram believed that he would not help God. But Paul tells us later in chapter four of Romans, that Abraham, not considering his own body, already dead, and the deadness of Sarah's womb, did not waiver in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, believing that what He had promised he was able also to perform, and it was accredited to him as righteousness. So, even though we are not overly clear on the level of Abraham's belief or involvement in the fulfillment of the promise, Paul tells us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Romans 4, that Abraham understood that God was able to perform any and all necessary requirements to bring the promise to fruition apart from any action on his part.

It was faith alone. It was faith plus nothing. Nothing can be imposed that Abraham had to do or had to refrain from doing as a requirement. Even the sinful work of Abraham with Hagar, did not deter God from doing what he intended to do. Abram did not repent, he did not try and live more morally (in order to get the promise), he did not keep a set of rules by doing certain things or refraining from doing other things.

This sounds logical enough, but oh how we see this overlooked. Many will say or impose on the scriptures what they do not have. A man said to me recently, well we know that Abraham repented and turned from sin. What a grievous imposition on scripture. It is not stated in scripture that he did such a thing. More over, some of his actions until the birth of Isaac were quite the opposite of repentance. But after the fulfillment of the promise, we see a level of obedience that is unparalleled in scripture with the offering of his son on the alter.

The long and short of it; a promise was given to Abraham. Abraham believed God. Faith alone in the promise alone was the basis that God used to accredit righteousness. The components are simple, a revelation from God, to be fulfilled by God, apart from any action on man's part. Accompanied by a belief by the man, that the promise being made would be fulfilled. The man did not have to perform in any way for his receipt of the promise, simply to believe. Romans 4 reveals that Abraham did not believe that he was in any way to be used of God to fulfill the promise, since his own body, was already dead. So his belief was solely rooted in God performing what he promised he would do.

Oh the depths of riches of the wisdom of God, how unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out. To think that Abraham would receive a promise to believe would be the same means that his seed would be called to believe in the same glorious promise maker.

The Promise was thru the righteousness of Faith

Romans 4:13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Let's go back and analyze the account in Genesis:

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I [am] your shield, your exceedingly great reward." 2 But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house [is] Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" 4 And behold, the word of the LORD [came] to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Be clear on what Abraham knew. He knew the body of his wife was 40 or 50 years beyond child producing! He knew that God revealed that a child would come from his body and the body of his wife. He knew that this was unbelievable in the physical sense and that it was beyond his ability to act or do anything to accomplish it. He knew that God alone would have to cause a miracle to make this happen. He understood that God said that he would do it and he did not waiver in unbelief or ponder the questions that must arise with God. He did not question God, he believed that what God had promised, he was able also to perform.

Be clear on what Abraham did not know. He knew nothing about anything that God would give him by believing. He knew nothing about the result of believing this promise would result in the accreditation of righteousness. To this point in the account, God never once addressed anything with Abram about a righteousness from God that would be gained by faith. Verse 7 was the first reference to righteousness. The author of Genesis records for us that there was an accrediting but he does not even say that Abraham knew of the righteousness that was accredited to him. It was not part of the truths conveyed by God to Abram and Abram did not believe in order to receive righteousness. He was not aware of the accreditation of righteousness either before or after he believed the promise of God. Rather he believed a promise from God to do a life giving work.

To further examine this fact, Abraham knew nothing about any righteousness in believing to be credited to him by believing God. He was not influenced with anything that he would get by believing, rather he simply believed God. Out of no where does the statement come, that a righteousness was accredited to Abraham. It is not described that Abraham even knew about such an accreditation. Rather he was told something of dis believable proportions. He simply believed God would somehow bring forth life from the bodies of he and his wife. He exercised his faith in a promise from God without even knowing that such faith resulted in something such as the accreditation of righteousness. That is amazing to realize isn't it! The object of his faith was for God to do a supernatural miracle in the bodies of he and his wife to enable them to bring forth the life of a child. There was no enticement that by believing you will have righteousness, or you will be able to go to heaven when you die, there was a simple supernatural, seemingly unbelievable miracle that God would bring forth life in a non-life bearing body.

We clearly see that God conveyed a promise to Abraham, Abraham believed a promise from God and it was accredited to him as righteousness. Again, Realize that Abraham was not advised of anything about a righteousness from God. It was seemingly unknown to him, that his faith in God to give he and his wife a child was apart from any knowledge in accreditation of righteousness. Rather, he was given a promise of supernatural life, a supernatural working by God to do what seemed simply ridiculous and unlikely. God said he would cause life to come from the bodies of two that were well over 80! Not only would God tell this aged man that he would have a child, but that his children would number as the stars of the sky, innumerable!

So a question that arises is; Are we given promises that we must believe? Did God reveal a similar promise that we are to believe like believing Abraham, apart from an influence to attain righteousness, but rather to believe God for his promises?

Many today think that the object of our faith is the righteousness of God. In other words, believe that you are in need of it, God has revealed it, and by doing something, we can have it. But Abraham was not even aware that by believing he would have such righteousness. Rather he believed a promise of God, and unbeknown st to him, a righteousness was accredited to him. Should this cause us to pause and consider why we believe -or- what we believe that God would be so merciful as to accredit us with righteousness. Is it that we simply believe he dispenses that righteousness on some who believe it exists, and believe in Christ and try to live good lives?

Is their a promise like that of Abraham's for us? Are we called to believe a promise as well? Are we to believe a promise unrelated to righteousness in order for God to accredit us with just such righteousness?