Romans 4:1-25 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, has found?… I. WHOM did he believe? God, as infinitely powerful — who could quicken the dead, and who had merely to will that beings and events should be, and they immediately came into existence (ver. 17). II. WHAT did he believe? What God was pleased to reveal. What is mentioned here is that he should become the father of many nations; but that was only a small part of what was revealed and what he believed. He believed in effect — for this was the sum of what God revealed to him — that one of his descendants was to be the promised Saviour of men; and that both he and his spiritual seed were to be saved by faith in Him. The revelation was comparatively indistinct, but this was its purport. III. WHY did he believe this? Just because God had said it. He had no other ground for it. Everything else would have led him to doubt or disbelieve it. IV. What were the CHARACTERISTICS of this faith? It was — 1. Firm faith (ver. 21). 2. Hopeful faith (ver. 18). 3. A faith that no seeming impossibilities could shake (ver. 20). (J. Browne, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?WEB: What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? |
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