Romans 4:18-25 (NIV)
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.
What made Abraham’s faith so noteworthy was that when God promised that He would make his descendants as numerous as the stars, Abraham had no realistic path for that promise to come true. Indeed, he was one hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety and had been barren her whole life, when God finally fulfilled His promise though the birth of Isaac. And yet Abraham believed that what God had promised, He would be able to do.
But God did far more than just give Abraham Isaac, although Isaac was the son of the promise through whom the covenant was passed on. But, at Abraham’s request, God also made Ishmael the father of twelve rulers (Genesis 17:20). And after Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah, though whom he produced six more sons, each of whom became the father of at least one nation (Genesis 25:1-6). God was faithful in all that He promised Abraham, because it is His nature to keep His promises to all who meet the conditions to receive them.
Paul’s conclusion to the argument that both Jews and gentiles are justified by faith, not by works of the law, as exemplified by Abraham, is found in verses 23-25. Just as Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness, so we are justified, counted as righteous, through faith in Jesus, who not only died as a sacrifice for our sins, but whom God raised from the dead.
Ishmael, the son of human strategy and earthly methods, was not the fulfillment of God’s promise. But Isaac, the miraculous, supernaturally conceived son was. In the same way, trying to achieve salvation and justification by legalistic obedience to the law is not God’s way of being truly justified. Instead, it is only though faith in Jesus, the miraculous, supernaturally conceived Son, that true justification can be found.
Father, Your ways are definitely not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), but Your ways are so much better, so much more effective than anything that we could ever dream up. Help us to stay with Your way, faith in the completed work of Jesus, instead of futilely trying to come up with our own path to salvation. Thank You for Your love and grace, and for Your word, which guides us in absolutely everything that we need to know. Amen.