“July 25, 2024 - The Father of All Who Believe”

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

The Father of All Who Believe

Reading:  Romans 4:9-15
    
     Abraham and David confirm that God can save imperfect people by faith.  But what about Gentiles?  “Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?  For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.  How then was it counted to him?  Was it before or after he had been circumcised?  It was not after, but before he was circumcised”(Rom 4:9-10).  God declared Abraham righteous (Genesis 15) before his circumcision (Genesis 17).  This is not mere history.  It means that faith, not circumcision, is the key point.  Abraham was righteous without being a part of the Jewish covenant—and we can be too.  While people often focus on the external trappings, God is evaluating our hearts and seeking to know whether we truly love and submit to him.  

     So what was the point of circumcision?  “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.  The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well”(Rom 4:11).  Abraham was saved by his faith without circumcision, so now he is the father of all who believe, whether they are circumcised or not.  Paul makes the shocking assertion that circumcision actually meant that Abraham was already righteous.  This signals to the uncircumcised that they can be righteous too.  Of course Jews also can know the favor of God, as long as they “walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised”(Rom 4:12).  Truly faithful Jews are the genuine children of Abraham (see Rom 2:28-29).  Abraham was righteous before and outside the Law of Moses—and we can be too, provided we have faith like Abraham’s.

     Abraham is a figure of widespread admiration.  Jews, Christians, and Muslims honor him and imitate him.  But Paul points out that the outstanding feature of Abraham is his faith.  Abraham trusted God in extremely challenging circumstances, when given odd commands, and when all signs pointed against it.  We are not children of Abraham simply by sharing a bloodline with him, but by sharing an obedient faith with him.  It begs the question:  Is Abraham truly my father?

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One Thing to Think About:  Do I believe like Abraham?

One Thing to Pray For:  An appreciation for others’ faith, no matter what ethnicity or background
 

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