The Faith of Abraham

The faith of uncircumcised Abraham provides an example for Jewish and Gentile believers who live from the faith of Jesus – Romans 4:11-17.

God began to implement His plan to redeem humanity by establishing His Covenant with Abraham, starting with the summons for the Patriarch to leave his homeland for the “land I will show you.” Yahweh would produce a “great nation” from the Patriarch, and the Covenant would bless all the “Tribes of the Earth.” The promise of territory was central to the Covenant.

In his Letter to the churches of Rome, the Apostle Paul presents Abraham as the great exemplar of faith, the model for every man and woman who chooses to live “from the faith of Jesus.” Paul also called Abraham the “Heir of the World.”

[Photo by Jingda Chen on Unsplash]

The original promise of territory finds its fulfillment in the coming resurrection of believers who will inhabit the New Creation. The Patriarch and those who live from the same faith as he did will inherit the “world” or ‘kosmos’ - (Romans 4:11-17, Genesis 17:4-5).

In the Book of Genesis, God declared Abraham “righteous” while he was uncircumcised. He was justified before God apart from the “works of the Law” or Torah that was given centuries later, and which required the circumcision of all males.

Because of his faith in the promise of God, Abraham became the “father” of everyone who is “from faith,” circumcised or not. All who are from that faith become heirs of the covenant promises along with the Patriarch.

Paul’s reference to believers emulating the “faith of Abraham” is a verbal link to his explanation in Chapter 3 of Romans on how men are justified before God - “The righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all those who believe.”

It is not generic faith or the exercise of faith by itself that saves, but the source, content, and target of that faith. Sinners are justified “from” (‘ek’ - εκ) the faith or faithfulness of Jesus, and they respond accordingly by placing faith in him and what God accomplished in his Death and Resurrection. It is his faithful act of “obedience unto death” that justifies and saves us. All we can do is respond in faith to God’s gracious provision of salvation - (Romans 3:22).

References to “promise” and “heir” in Romans point to future realities. For Abraham and his “seed,” the promised inheritance is the entire “world” or ‘kosmos’. The Apostle to the Gentiles has universalized the original promise of territory in Canaan to include the “world,” the Cosmos.

HEIR OF THE COSMOS

The promise was to Abraham and “his seed,” the group that includes all those who walk in the same faith that he did, the “faith of Abraham.” The inheritance is through faith and grace; therefore, the “promise is firm to all the seed.” God appointed Abraham to be the “Father of many nations,” not just of Israel.

The description of the Patriarch as the “heir of the world” and the “father of all who believe” anticipates the detailed discussion of our future hope in Romans chapter 8. We have received the “Spirit of adoption” and call God “Father.” If we are His “children,” then are we also the “heirs of God” and the “coheirs” of Jesus.

Regardless of the sufferings of this present life, the “coheirs” of Christ will be “delivered from bondage and corruption” when they receive the “redemption of their bodies,” namely, the bodily resurrection when Jesus arrives from Heaven – (Romans 8:15-23).

Abraham qualified for this inheritance because he believed in the promise of the same God who “raises the dead and calls the things that are not into being.” Paul applies this to the Patriarch’s belief that God would grant him “seed” as promised, namely Isaac, even though Sarah’s womb was “dead.” Central to God’s solution to humanity’s plight and our salvation is our bodily resurrection.

Paul finds the fulfillment of the promise of land to Abraham as men and women from every nation are gathered into the Assembly and the Gospel is proclaimed to the Nations. Like Abraham, the faithful followers of Christ will inherit the “world.” The Gospel is, in fact, part of the “Blessing of Abraham” promised for the Gentiles, and its proclamation will culminate in our resurrection from the dead and life in the “New Heavens and New Earth.”

The Abrahamic Covenant finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the “Seed of Abraham,” and in the Good News of the Kingdom proclaimed by him and his followers to “the uttermost parts of the Earth.” What God began when He first called Abraham out of “Ur of the Chaldees” finds fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth and his Gospel. All men who respond to the “faithfulness of Jesus” with faith in him become “children of Abraham” and, therefore, “heirs of the world.”

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SEE ALSO:

• The Gospel of God - (Paul presents his Gospel in Romans from humanity's plight due to sin to the resurrection of the dead and the New Creation)

• According to Scripture - (Paul introduces his ministry to the church in Rome and begins his exposition of the Gospel by identifying Christ’s qualifications to be the Messiah)

• Jews and Gentiles - (The equality of Jews and Gentiles before an impartial and just God is pivotal to Paul’s Gospel. They stand or fall before Him on the same basis)

• La foi d'Abraham - (La foi d'Abraham incirconcis est un exemple pour les croyants juifs et gentils qui vivent de la foi de Jésus - Romains 4: 11-17)