"As it is written I have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which are not as though they were." Romans 4v17
Justification, the way in which we can be right with God, has been shown to be not of works, not of circumcision, not by adherence to law, but all of faith in the spoken word of God. In the following verses, Romans 4 v 17-25 we have the main features of faith which is the subject of the chapter. In this chapter the word faith or believe is found many times; 4v3;4v5;4v9;4v11;4v11;4v12'4v13;4v14;4v16;4v16;4v19;4v20. So clearly this is the main subject matter. There appears to be three main points;
- THE OBJECT OF FAITH v17
- THE NATURE OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH v18 - 22
- THE FOUNDATION OF ALL FAITH v23 - 25
Today we will concentrate on the object of Abraham's faith, since the essence of all belief is a true appreciation of the One in whom our trust is placed. In this we will understand the entire purpose of the bible, which is to reveal God and we find in almost every narrative some further revelation of God, which subject is obviously inexhaustible. A true appreciation of the God in whom we believe will cause us to abandon all other options. Many times God appeared to our father Abraham, and each time in a different capacity. Just who is the God who invites us to believe Him?
1. He first appeared to Abraham as Elohim the glorious One, the supreme object of worship "the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was yet in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran" Acts 7 v 2. From Joshua chapter 24 v 2 - 3 we understand that Abram and his family were idolaters, whose manner of life was to worship other gods. The one true God , the only true object of worship appeared to him in an aura of glory.
2. At the command of this supreme God Abraham and his family moved into the land of Canaan and the Lord appeared to him again Genesis 12 v 7. The title used here is Jehovah which is a three part word," He who is, who was, and who is to the come"; the eternal ever existing God, the God who spans all time.
3. God appears to him a third time in Genesis 15 v 1 - 2, following the battle of the kings in Genesis 14, the title he uses is Adonahy which means sovereign Lord, the God who controls all earthly events.
4. He appears to him again in chapter 17 v 1 - 2 and presents Himself as El shaddai which means God almighty, the omnipotent God, the God to whom nothing is impossible.
5. There is a further appearance of God to Abraham, this time without a title, but incredibly God appears in human form Genesis 18 v 1 - 3. This surely prefigures the incarnation of Christ and the fact that in connection with the reconciliation of men, God would one day take human form.
All these different revelations of God serve to impress upon us the awesome nature of the supreme being and Abraham had clearly grasped this....... have we? Consider in this verse Romans 4 v 17 what is being said. God almighty - El shaddai appears to Abram in Genesis 17, which is the verse quoted here "I have made thee a father of many nations" . Notice he does not say I will make thee a father of many nations, he says I have made thee a father of many nations. This says that as Abram stood before El-shaddai, this promise was already a fact in the mind of God. At the point at which this promise was made, Abram had no seed, his wife Sarai was barren, they were both old and probably beyond bearing any seed yet the omnipotent God says to him "I have made thee a father of many nations". It is already done! We will look next time at the amazing faith of Abraham that he believed God in the face of human impossibilities, but for now we try to take in the awesome fact that something which is huge, namely the production of innumerable believing people from every nation under heaven was already a fact, when thousands of years later it is still not yet complete!! Paul uses the same language in Romans 8 v 30 "moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called them He also justified; and whom He justified them He also glorified." He uses
the past tense to describe things which are future. As yet there are no human beings who have been glorified, there will be, on the basis of justification, be millions who are glorified, but Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit puts it as though it is already a fact!! This is the God in whom Abram put his trust, and in recognition of his true heart belief in what God had said, God changed his name to Abraham "the father of many nations" "the father of all who believe." This change of name represents a legal change in the annals of heaven, which cannot be altered. This change places in Abraham's hand a title deed to the promise of God to justify all who believe, and this becomes our possession when we place our faith in God.
The God in whom Abraham placed his faith is described as "the God who quickens the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were." Romans 4 v 17 Compare this with Isaiah 41 v 4 and Isaiah 46 v 10 we begin to understand that this God can do anything, He is not limited by life or death or by time or eternity, He is the Omniscient, (knows everything) the Omnipotent (can do anything) Omnipresent (is everywhere at all times). Nothing is too hard for Him and He has called men into fellowship with Him on the same basis as Abraham. Abraham is described as "the friend of God", instead of this God being your enemy, He can be your friend.
Tomorrow d.v. we consider the nature of faith.
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