Romans 4:1-25

Introduction:

In the Old Testament, we read about the stubborn non-spiritual nature of the Jews.

• 1 ¶ "Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel- but not in truth or righteousness-
• 2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel-the LORD Almighty is his name:
• 3 I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
• 4 For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze.
  (Isaiah 48:1-4)

• 3 He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day.
• 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’
• 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious house-they will know that a prophet has been among them.
  (Ez. 2:3-5)

Paul, having been an ultra-zealous Israelite himself, was well aware of this stubborn hard-headedness of the Jews of his time. So he once again REPEATS his theme that being Jewish is not enough to make you one of God's chosen people. He says this over and over in Romans 4 (and later in Romans 9-11), in order to pound this into their heads: being a physical descendant of Abraham won't get you anywhere with God. We American Christians need to have this repeated to us many times, also; because we live in a time in which the false doctrine that a nation made of of people of Jewish descent is God's chosen nation today, just as it was 3000 years ago under King David. We are being told that having Jewish blood makes you special, and gains you some sort of favored status with God. This is wrong!

Romans Chapter Four is All About Abraham, and we will cover the primary thoughts of the entire chapter this morning. What can we learn about Abraham from Romans Chapter Four?

Today I have three points.

I. Abraham was the Father of Many Nations - physically

• 4 ¶ "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
• 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
• 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
  Genesis 17:4-6

"Abram" means "exalted father." "Abraham" means "father of many." (NIV Study Bible Note)

Quiz: How many sons did Abraham have? (Don't peek!)

Answer: Most people will say "two," thinking of Ishmael and Isaac. But eight are named. Many others are not named. We all know about Ishmael and Isaac. But how many of us know of the sons of Abraham's second wife, Keturah (Genesis 25:1-4). And how many concubines did Abraham, and how many sons did Abraham have via his concubines? Abraham had Isaac at the age of 100. He died 75 years later. How many sons did he have via concubines over those seventy-five years? An unknown number (Genesis 25:5-6). Abraham had twelve grandsons from Ishmael (Genesis 25:12-18). Abraham had many more grandsons and great-grandsons via Esau (Genesis 36). So, counting all Abraham's sons and grandsons, practically the entire Middle East was populated by the physical descendents of Abraham.

So, for the Jews of the First Century to get puffed up and say "We are Abraham's children," (emphais on WE) was ridiculous. MULTITUDES of people were Abraham's physical descendents. (The Jews came to be called "Jews," because the tribe of Judah became the leading Israeli tribe, and the land surrounding Jerusalem was their land, and was called Judea. So, eventually all the Israelites came to be known as Jews.)

II. Abraham is a strong illustration that salvation is by faith.

Abraham's salvation could not have been by his upright character, for he was sometimes very sinful. He was a bad husband, and he was a liar (See Genesis 12:10-13 and 20:1-2, 11-13).

Abraham's salvation could not have come through keeping the Law of Moses, because that came 500 years later. Abraham had never heard of the ten commandments. He had never heard of the Tabernacle, or the Aaronic priests, or the sacrificial system.

Abraham's salvation could not have come from his ancestry, because He was not Jewish. Abraham was a Babylonian (Ur of the Chaldees). Abraham was an uncircumcised Gentile when God gave him salvation!

And so Paul says over and over that Abraham's salvation was by faith (Romans 4:3, 9, 20-22).

• 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
• 9 ¶ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
• 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
• 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
• 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

III. Abraham's Covenant with God is for all believers, Jew and Gentile.

• 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
• 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
• 13 It was not through 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.
• 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless,
• 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
• 16 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 are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
  (Romans 4:11-16)

In other places in Romans, Paul makes emphatic statements that being Jewish does not make you an Israelite in God's eyes, and that Gentiles who have faith in Jesus ARE Israelites in God's eyes.

• 6 ...For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
• 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."
• 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
  (Romans 9:6-8)

• 17 If some of the branches (Jewish blood) have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot (Gentile blood), have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
• 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), but the root supports you.
  (Romans 11:17-18)

Gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ are a part of spiritual Israel, and spiritual Israel is all that matters. God's Covenants are not with unbelievers, but with believers. And it doesn't matter what your nationality is.

• 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
• 27 for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
• 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
• 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
  (Galatians 3:26-29)

So, then: learn these three facts about Abraham from Romans Chapter Four....Facts that the Jews of Paul's time needed to understand, and facts that Christians today, who place too much emphasis on Jewish ancestry, need to understand as well.

• 1. Abraham was physically the father of many nations.
• 2. Abraham was a terrific illustration to prove that salvation is by faith.
• 3. Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe, Jew or Gentile. The Abrahamic Covenant is for ALL believers. Being Jewish gets you nowhere with God.