Abraham's Faith

1. Abraham’s Works Did Not Bring Him In

a. The work of circumcision had nothing to do with Abraham’s salvation—Rom 4:9-10
b. Just as some folks are today with baptism, it was a common belief among the Jews of Paul’s day that circumcision was a saving act.
(1) Rabbi Menachem wrote, “Our Rabbins [rabbis] have said that no circumcised man will ever see hell” (fol. 43, col. 3).
(2) The Jalkut Rubem taught that “Circumcision saves from hell” (num. 1), and the Midrash Millim that “God swore to Abraham that no one who was circumcised should be sent to hell” (fol. 7, col. 2).
(3) The book Akedath Jizehak taught that “Abraham sits before the gate of hell, and does not allow that any circumcised Israelite should enter there” (fol. 54, col. 2)

c. Some Jewish believers had a hard time parting with this tradition, and wanted to transfer it to Christianity—Acts 11:1-3
d. It required an associational meeting of all the churches to settle the dispute. Acts 15, but the circumcision issue kept coming up—Phil 3:2-3, Gal 5:1-6

2. The Purpose of Circumcision—4:11
a. Circumcision was received after Abraham’s justification—He was justified in Genesis 15, and not circumcised until many years later in Gen. 17.
b. Circumcision was a sign, a mark of identity of the people of God.
(1) It told everyone who they were
(2) It told them who they were
(3) It reminded them that they needed circumcised hearts.
(4) Circumcision was a seal, a witness, not a means, a reminder of who Abraham was, and who God was to him. The circumcision that counted was of the heart. Jer 9:24-26, Rom 2:28-29

3. Abraham, Our Father in Faith—4:11b-12

a. The Father of the Faithful.— Gal 3:1-29
(1) Gal 3:6-9 "just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."
(2) Gal 3:14 "that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
(3) Gal 3:16 "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ."
(4) Gal 3:18 "For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise."

b. The Circumcision of the Heart—4:12—Steps, faith and obedience


4. The Promise Did Not Come Through the Law—4:13-15

a. What Was The Promise?

(1) Land--Gen 15:18
(2) A People-- Gen 15:5-6
(3) A Blessing to the entire world—Gen 12:3, Gen 18:18 , Gen 22:18
(4) A Redeemer-- Gen 22:8 Gal 3:16
(5) Heir to the World—4:13—
(a) All the world is blessed in Abraham by the sending of a Savior:
(b) God’s people are heirs of all--Rom 8:17

b. The Promise Through Faith Alone—4:13

(1) Though faithful and called a hero of the faith in Heb 11, Abraham was not always faithful—he was a weak, sinful man at times.
(2) God did not evaluate Abraham by law, but pronounced him righteous through faith.

c. If the Law saved, it would nullify the Promise—Rom 4:14-15

(1) The Law cannot save, only convict—Rom 3:19-20
(2) The Law teaches us that we can only be saved through Christ—Gal 3:24

d. Abraham and his spiritual children were saved by Grace—Rom 4:16

5. The God of Abraham’s Faith—Romans 4:17
a. God Is the Author of The Promise—Rom 4:17"(as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations")
(1) The promise given to Abraham was sure—“it is written…”
(2) It was beyond Abraham’s natural abilities to complete any part of the promise—he and his wife were too old to have children.
(3) The promise was even greater in scope than Abraham could imagine at the time, because it included all of his Spiritual lineage too—Rom 4:16
(4) The Promise to Abraham was part of a greater promise made in eternity—Titus 1:1-3
(5) The promise was sure, definite, guaranteed— I have made you a father of many nations
(6) The Promise to Abraham was authored by God Himself—Jonah 2:9 “…Salvation is of the LORD."" 2 Pet 1:2-3
b. Abraham Had Faith In God—in the presence of Him whom he believed…..Gen 17:1-8
(1) Abraham in God’s presence
(a) The promise of a People
(b) The promise of a land
(c) The promise of an everlasting covenant.
(2) Abraham’s perception of God—One Abraham could believe in and depend upon IN ANY SITUATION—
(3) The God of Abraham’s Faith—“…God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did…”

b. The Source of Abraham’s Faith—Knowing God – First, as with all humanity, God knew Abraham
(1) But since Abraham was one of the elect of God, God knew him in a VERY special way—Jer 1:4-5
(2) The source of Abraham’s faith was God’s self revelation and Abraham’s understanding of the Attributes of God
(3) First, Abraham, like any other human had available to him the knowledge about God available in nature—Psa 19:1-3, Rom 1:19-20
c. Life Giver— God, who gives life to the dead
(1) God is the only source of Life—
(2) God can raise the Dead (and has, and will again).
(3) Don’t forget, this includes spiritual life.
d. God the Creative Speaker—Gen 1:1-3
e. God revealed Himself to Abraham from the start as Jehovah, the Covenant God—Gen 12:1-3
f. In Genesis 15, God revealed Himself to Abraham as Adonai Jehovah, and as Shield and Reward. GOD IS the Reward! Gen 15:1-2
g. God revealed Himself to Abraham as the God Who Justifies the UNGODLY. Gen 15:6, Rom 4:5
h. IN Genesis 17, God revealed Himself to Abraham as El Shaddai, the Almighty God, the “full breasted one” who can supply ALL our needs, and God called Abraham to live fully for God
i. God revealed Himself to Abraham on the plains of Mamre, face to face. This is a Christopany.—Gen 18:1-8
j. God revealed Himself to Abraham as the One for whom nothing is too hard—Gen 18:9-15
k. God’s plan: to test Abraham and reveal to Abraham God’s purpose to judge Sodom. Gen 18:17-19
(1) First, God makes the rhetorical question: “…And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing…” Not “what I might do?” But “what am I doing…” God is going to judge Sodom, and Abraham’s intercession will not change that—the prayer of Abraham, his bargaining with God, are a lesson to him.
(2) Second, God notes the certainty of the legacy of Abraham: Gen 18:1818
(3) Third, and most importantly, the real source of everything is the counsel and will of God: “…19 For I have known him…”
(4) Fourth, the purpose of God in this “training,” this discipleship by God is for him to train his own house

l. Other parts of God’s self revelation and Abraham’s knowledge, disclosed in this interchange
(1) Abraham knew God as the Judge of the Earth who will always do what is right
(2) Abraham knew God as the God who makes a distinction between the wicked and the righteous.