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?