Against All Hope: Romans 4:13-25

It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

The promise came before the law. Four hundred years before Sinai, before the tablets were carved, before Moses descended the mountain with commandments in his arms—the promise was already given. Already believed. Already credited.

For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless.

If inheritance comes by law-keeping, then faith is emptied of meaning. Why believe if you can achieve? Why trust if you can earn? The promise would be worthless—a contract of works rather than a covenant of grace.

Because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

Law reveals sin. Law defines transgression. Law brings wrath by showing us how far we fall short. Before the law, there was sin—but not transgression, not the specific violation of specific commands. The law clarified our condemnation.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham.

Faith and grace belong together. If the promise comes by faith, then it can be pure grace—unearned, unmerited, freely given. And if by grace, then it can be guaranteed. Works-based promises fail because we fail. Grace-based promises hold because God holds them.

To all Abraham's offspring. Jew and Gentile. Law-keeper and faith-haver. Everyone who shares Abraham's faith inherits Abraham's promise.

He is the father of us all. As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations."

Many nations. Not one nation only. God told Abraham in Genesis 17: father of many nations. The promise was always larger than Israel. The blessing was always meant to overflow ethnic boundaries.

He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

The God Abraham believed. What kind of God? The God who gives life to the dead. The God who calls into being things that were not. The God of resurrection. The God of creation from nothing.

This is the God Abraham trusted. Not a small god of small possibilities. The God who specializes in impossibilities.

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."

Against all hope. The phrase catches in the throat. Against hope—humanly speaking, there was no hope. Sarah was barren. Abraham was old. The biology was impossibility.

In hope believed. Against all natural hope, Abraham believed in supernatural hope. He hoped in the God who gives life to the dead. He trusted the one who calls into being things that were not.

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.

He faced the facts. Faith is not denial. Abraham knew his body was as good as dead. Nearly a hundred years old. He knew Sarah's womb was dead—decades of barrenness had proved it.

He faced these facts without weakening in faith. He held both realities: impossible circumstances and an unfailing God.

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.

Did not waver. The promise was decades old. Year after year, no child. Year after year, the same barrenness. But Abraham did not waver.

Strengthened in his faith. Faith grew stronger with time, not weaker. The longer the wait, the more convinced he became that God would act.

Gave glory to God. This is what faith does—it glorifies God. It says: You are able. You are faithful. You will do what you said.

Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Fully persuaded. Not mostly convinced. Not hoping against hope in desperation. Fully persuaded. Certain. Settled.

God had power. Dunamis. The same word that will describe the gospel as the power of God for salvation. Abraham believed in God's power to fulfill God's promise.

This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

This faith—this fully persuaded, glory-giving, fact-facing, non-wavering faith—this is what God credited 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.

For us. The story of Abraham was written for us. The crediting continues. The same righteousness is available. To us who believe.

Believe in what? In him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. The same God Abraham trusted—the God who gives life to the dead—raised Jesus. The resurrection proves the power. The empty tomb confirms the promise.

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Two movements. Delivered over—handed to death. For our sins—because of our sins, to deal with our sins. Death was the penalty. Jesus paid it.

Raised to life—brought back from the dead. For our justification—to secure our justification, to prove that the sacrifice was accepted, to guarantee that the credited righteousness is real.

Against all hope, Abraham believed. Against all evidence, we believe too. The God who promised a son to the barren raised a Savior from the grave.

And to all who believe, righteousness is credited.

Still.