Abraham's Faith

Romans 4:1–12 (NKJV)

¹What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? ²For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

⁴Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

⁵But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ⁷“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; ⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

⁹Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. ¹⁰How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. ¹¹And 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, ¹²and 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.

The Father of the Jews was Abraham he was their hero, yet many looked at him as having kept the law and thereby attaining righteousness.  Paul clarifies the fact in this passage that Abraham was justified by faith.  For anyone who tries to attain to salvation through works only finds himself more wanting.  Our works cannot do any more than make us guiltier before a Holy God because we in disobedience are rejecting the salvation that He offers.  Paul reminds the Romans that Abraham was declared righteous by faith before he was circumcised.  If one looks back to Genesis one would find that it was at least 14 years earlier that Abraham “believed” the promise of God and “his faith was counted as righteousness.”

What a blessing to know that we too simply by putting our faith in Jesus Christ can be assured of the righteousness and blessing of God. “For it shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”  (Rom. 4:24-25 NKJV)

 For Abraham is not just the father of the Jews but the father of all who will believe!  Is he your father?