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 have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 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.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

In an effort to teach us how faith works, Paul recalls the birth of Isaac as one of the greatest miracles in the entire Bible. When the promise of a son was given to Abraham, he was 75 years old. However, when the promise was last confirmed in chapter 17, Abraham was 99 years old. The Bible tells us that Abraham "believed" God. This word is in a tense that suggests that he believed God when he received the promise and he kept on believing until the promise was fulfilled. Abraham had to have had his eyes on One greater than himself. If his eyes were on his circumstances, then he had every reason to doubt that the promise would be fulfilled. Faith focuses on God. God is the subject of justification, not mankind. Abraham believed that God was the creator of all the world. That means He is the One who can give life to the dead and call things into being that never existed. He can take nothing and make something out of nothing. That is faith in God.

Nothing is impossible for God to do if God wants to do it. How did Abraham come to believe that? Simply by learning about the God of the past. That is how our faith grows when we learn more about Him. The more you learn about God the more you trust Him and the more you trust Him the more you find He is who He says He is and is trustworthy and your faith gets stronger. Abraham was asked to go and leave the land of Ur. He believed and so he obeyed. God promised Abraham land and now he was in the land. God promised Abraham and Sarah a child, so Abraham believed God would do what He said because in the past he understood God could bring something out of nothing and what was dead He could make alive. Certainly, having a child was not a biggie for the God of creation. The facts were also not ignored. He didn’t deny reality here. Some think faith is believing in things that are not true or trying to convince yourself of things that are not real. He looked at the fact that he was 99 years old and he looked at Sara who was 90 years old.

Sara heard the visitors tell Abraham they were going to have a baby. She laughed. She doubted. She did not believe, but that didn’t change what God was going to do. Just because God promised a miracle in Abraham's life, doesn’t mean that is how God is going to do it in every life. He doesn’t work that way. Abraham functioned based on the promise of God, not on the problem or weakness of man. He gave glory and praise to the Father. He knew God meant what He said. The child of faith was born. Sara laughed once again, but hers was not laughter of disbelief, but of joy this time. They named him laughter - Isaac. He brought just such joy into their lives.

While we wait for the promise of God to be fulfilled, our confidence is that in His time He will do what He says He will do. He is the one who takes dead things and brings them into life. He takes nothing and makes something. When He says “Call upon me and answer me and I will show you great and mighty things you don’t know about.”, in His time - He will. Justification by faith is illustrated in the life of Abraham. Paul responded to this truth with such joy because it’s all about God. His glory does not depend on the weakness of man. Joy is available to everyone, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich and poor. God’s love is extended to the whole world.

When faith is based on God alone, there isn’t anything we can boast or brag about because it is a gift that is received. It is received while we are still ungodly, and it extends to everyone at any place and any time. We were put here to enjoy making much of God. We were not put here to be made much of by man. Joy is found in the very purpose of mankind, "To love God and enjoy Him forever".

We can love Him deeply, worship Him more joyfully, and serve Him more humbly because we are justified, He and He alone gets the glory!

Dale