Rom 7:1-25, The flesh uses the knowledge of sin to increase sin

1. Introduction 1:1-17 (includes purpose, 8-15; and theme, 16-17)
2. The Need for God's Righteousness 1:18-3:20
3. The Imputation of God's Righteousness 3:21-5:21 (description, defense, proof, benefits, and restorative effects)
4. The impartation of God's righteousness 6:1-8:39
1. The believer's relationship to sin 6:1-23
1. Freedom from sin 6:1-14
2. Slavery to righteousness 6:15-23
2. The believer's relationship to the law 7:1-25
1. The law's authority 7:1-6
2. The law's activity 7:7-12
3. The law's inability 7:13-25
3. The believer's relationship to God 8:1-39
1. Our deliverance from the flesh by the power of the Spirit 8:1-11
2. Our new relationship to God 8:12-17
3. Our present sufferings and future glory 8:18-25
4. Our place in God's sovereign plan 8:26-30
5. Our eternal security 8:31-39


Rom 7:1-6 (NIV) Do you not know, brothers — for I am speaking to men who know the law — that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.


4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.


• In discussing the believer's relationship to the law, Paul starts with an example from natural law regarding marriage.  What is Paul's point?
• If the husband dies, the wife is not bound to the law of marriage.  She marries another without any consequences
• If she marries another while her husband is alive (not divorced), she is called adulteress
• How does it apply to the OT law?
• Paul says that we died to the law through the body of Christ, therefore we are not lawbreakers
• We are released from the law
• We serve God in a new way of the spirit and not in the old way
• So we still do serve God
• But it is not the same
• The term "written code" is a very clear description of the OT law
• Additionally, there is some linkage between our sinful passions and the law.  In same way, the law increased our passions (aroused) and controlled us, but not in a good way.  So release from the law is a good thing for us spiritually, although is hard to understand or even explain


Rom 7:7-12 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."  8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.


• The immediate thought then is that the law is sin since it increase our sinful passions.  But that is not entirely Paul's point
• The law made us aware of things that were not sin
• Covetous is an example.  It wasn't really a sin until the law told me it was a sin (that's the good thing).  But somehow that knowledge produced even more covetous behavior (the bad thing)
• Sin used the laws to actually deceive me.  Again the knowledge of my sin is good, but the result is that our sinful flesh used it to make our lives worse
• The law is not at fault for revealing sin to us
• Our flesh, which rebelled against God, rebelled even more when it understood what other areas were sin


Rom 7:13-25 (NIV) Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.


14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.


21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!


So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.


• So, did a good thing (originally) become death to me?
• No, death is caused by sin
• The commandment reveals sin (and also by that knowledge increased sin), but the commandments did not cause death
• The commandments helped me to see how utterly sinful I am
• I already was sinful
• To an extent, my body, seizing the opportunity afforded by the knowledge from the law, became more sinful (the bad)
• But I also became more aware of my sin (the good thing)
• Verses 14-20 reveal the real problem which was not the law but what?
• It is our sinful nature
• It causes us to do what is wrong
• Even when I know something is wrong (through the law) I still sin, because of my sinful nature
• So there is a principle (not law) at work in my body?
• I want to do what is right (I was created to do what is right)
• My flesh wants to do what is wrong
• My mind and my flesh battle (wage war)
• What is the answer?
• Jesus has rescued our mind, now we are a slave to righteousness
• Our body of flesh (sinful nature) remains a slave to sin
• IMPLICATION: previously, both were slaves to sin, but my mind has been released.  I will always struggle to wage war against my sinful flesh.  By the Spirit's power, I can have increasing victory, but I will never be perfect until I have a new body (occurs at glorification)

Rom 6:1-23, Obedience is the pathway to a full life, slavery to sin is a painful way to live

1. Introduction 1:1-17 (includes purpose, 8-15; and theme, 16-17)
2. The Need for God's Righteousness 1:18-3:20
3. The Imputation of God's Righteousness 3:21-5:21
1. The description of justification 3:21-26
2. The defense of justification by faith alone 3:27-31
3. The proof of justification by faith from the law 4:1-25
4. The benefits of justification 5:1-11
5. The restorative effects of justification 5:12-21
4. The impartation of God's righteousness 6:1-8:39
1. The believer's relationship to sin 6:1-23
1. Freedom from sin 6:1-14
2. Slavery to righteousness 6:15-23
2. The believer's relationship to the law 7:1-25
3. The believer's relationship to God 8:1-39
Review: Use chart of justification, sanctification, and glorification
Chapter 3-5 has described our positional justification, now Paul focuses on our progressive sanctification


Rom 6:1-7 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.


5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.


• Why does Paul ask a so obvious question in verse 1? (There are some 70+ rhetorical questions in Romans)
• In 5:20-21, he argued that the law was a good thing because it showed us our sin by increasing our definition of sin
• Our recognition of sin shows us our need for grace, that is, we are completely underserving
• It is a stupid argument, but one that others were making against Paul.  Recognizing our sinfulness is a good thing; being sinful is not a good thing
• When did we die to sin?
• At our conversion, at the point of our rebirth
• Constable (2010) writes, "Paul did not say that it is impossible to live in sin or that sin is dead to the Christian (i.e., that it no longer appeals to us). He meant it is unnecessary and undesirable to live in sin, to habitually practice it."
• Paul has already made the argument that we are justified by faith alone.  He now uses baptism to describe what happens to our life
• Note that other passages clearly show that baptism does not save or that one is not saved if they are not baptized, but …
• Clearly, Paul assumes that all the believers have been baptized
• Our baptism
• Identifies us with Christ' death (sin is paid)
• Identifies us with his resurrection (we are given a new life)
• Identifies us with our future life (we will be given a new body)
• Baptism shows
• Sin was crucified (our old self was crucified)
• Positionally, we are no longer slaves to sin
• We are free from sin
• What does it mean to be freed from sin?
• The "old man" is the person you were before you came to Christ
• That person is dead
• One can choose to adopt his characteristics, but you can never be that old man again
• The old man is not the same as the old nature
• The old nature remains with us until we die
• The old nature is the same as the flesh
• Constable (2010) writes, "I prefer not to use the term "new nature." It does not appear in Scripture. The New Testament presents the Christian not as a person with two natures warring within him or her. It presents the Christian as a person with one sinful nature (the flesh) that is in conflict with the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:16-23). It also speaks of the Christian as struggling with the decision to live as the new man that he or she now is. Our alternative is to live as the old man who we were but are no longer (cf. Rom. 7:13-24).
• Constable (2010) writes, "Death ends all claims."
• Two problems
• The unbeliever may not see himself as a slave to sin, but he is
• The Christian may not see himself as free from sin, but he is
• The chain has been broken -- we are free of sin's domination.  Its enticement will be our struggle until glorification


Rom 6:8-14 (NIV) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.


11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.


• What does Paul say about Christ and his death?
• Christ died to sin.  He cannot die again.  It is a once for all death
• Differs with Catholicism which has a perpetual sacrifice in the Catholic mass
• Jesus cannot die again.  Death's rulership is gone.  Death's mastery is gone
• How does the implication of Christ's death apply to us? ("in the same way")
• His death means that we will never have to come "under the enslaving, spiritual death-dealing power of sin (Constable, 2010)"
• "Since God has united us with Christ we should "consider," "count," or "reckon" ourselves as those who are not under the dominating influence of sin any longer. The verb is a present imperative in the Greek text indicating that we should definitely and constantly view ourselves this way. We must realize that we are free to enjoy our new relationship with God forever (Constable 2010)."
• Paul concludes that this knowledge should affect us how?
• Don't give into sin (you do not have to sin, sin is not our master)
• Don't give into lusts (you do not have to lust, sin is not our master)
• Offer the parts of our body to God as an instrument of righteousness (List from Constable, 2010)
• Eyes -- what we look at
• Ears -- what we listen to
• Mouth -- what we say
• Hands -- what we do
• Feet -- where we go
• Hearts -- what we love
• Minds -- what we think about
• Will -- decisions we make
• Interesting, Paul almost seems to blame the law.  What does he say in verse 14?
• When we were under the law, sin held a certain mastery over us
• When we are under grace, sin has no mastery
• Constable (2010) writes, "Sin will no longer master the believer. The basic reason for this is that we are not under the Mosaic Law as the authority under which we live but under grace. Satan can no longer use the Law to hinder the believer's progress (cf. 3:23). God has redeemed us, not by the Law but by grace. We now live under that authority. Paul [will deal] with the tension this situation creates for the believer in chapter 7."


Rom 6:15-23 (NIV) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.


19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


• Well if the law is not over us anymore, should we just go ahead and sin?  Obviously not (By no means!)
• We do have an obligation, but what is different?
• We are not obligated to the law
• We are obligated to righteousness.  Apparently righteousness is not the same as the law
• What is the benefit of living in sin?  What do people reap from sin?
• Shame
• Death
• The contrast to living in righteousness is what?
• Holiness
• Eternal life (which is often describes as a quality of life)
• "If our life sucks, maybe the problem is that we living for the flesh and not for God"
• APPLICATION: Constable (2010) writes, "Verses 15-23 teach truth by way of contrasts. Obedience to sin yields unfruitfulness, shame, and death. Obedience to righteousness results in progressive sanctification and the fullness of eternal life."

Rom 5:1-21, Faith is a better foundation than performance-based religion

REVIEW: We conclude chapter 4 with Abraham's example of hope and faith.  Abraham was justified by faith and not by what he did.  Paul now goes into the evidence for the results of justification by faith.


Rom 5:1-11 (NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.


6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.


• Note that the phrase "have been justified through faith" is in the past tense and looks back on an event that has happened, and not on something in the future that might happen.  Our position becomes a historical fact
• What are the results of justification through faith?
• Peace.  Why?  Justification by works would leave us wondering if we have ever done enough
• Access to God.  Why?  Our present position is the result of grace.  Paul says we stand in this grace.  It is an unmerited position, because quite frankly, we could never gain access to God if it depended on us
• Hope of Glory.  Why? Jesus did all the work for us.  Our hope is based upon him and not upon us
• Suffering has a positive impact.  Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope.  Why? Because if we suffer, it is not because we are cursed (OT Law: failure resulted in curses), but because we are loved.  It is the result of a Father who loves his adopted children and wants to see their best
• Verse 6-8 describe those for who Christ died
• Powerless.  There was nothing we could do to change our situation
• Ungodly.  We lived in rebellion to God.  We violated his rules of life
• Not good enough to die for.  We weren't even good enough to die for
• Sinners.  We were opposed to God.  We were wicked
• Paul continues the benefits of justification
• We are saved from God's wrath to come.  I think this is eschatological and refers to the tribulation period when God's wrath is poured out on the world first and then Israel specifically.  This seems to be an allusion, in my opinion, to a pre-tribulation rapture
• Also, we were enemies, but we are now reconciled
• But reconciliation was the hard part according to verse 10-11.  What does it mean we shall be saved?
• This refers to sanctification (the process of becoming more like Christ) and to our final glorification (when we will have our new body like Christ)


Rom 5:12-14 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.


• Now Paul comes back to the fall, which is where all this started, and also shows how justification by faith redeems us from its effects
• Many commentators see the usage of Adam and Christ as federal heads of two groups of people
• A federal head acts as a representative of the people
• Examples might be a king or president, or even a parent
• Interestingly, Adam is the federal head, not Eve.  The scriptures say that Eve was deceived but Adam deliberately sinned
• Where does death come from?
• It is a result of Adam's sin
• Gen 3:19c . . . for dust you are and to dust you will return
• People die because of Adam's sin
• People are judged because of their own sin
• But, how can there be sin, since sin is not taken into account when there is no law
• Since there was sin, there was some knowledge of God's law
• Rom 2:14-15 (NIV) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
• Gen 6:5-6 (NIV)  The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
• You do not need the OT law to be guilty of sin


Rom 5:15-19 (NIV) But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.


18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.


• Rob Bell has made a lot of new lately with his book "Love Wins." I believe Bell makes two major mistakes
• He is preaching a false doctrine of "universalism"
• He has created an idol of what he thinks God should be like
• Twice the author make a the statement "the gift is not like the trespass."  So how is the gift not like and how are the same
• One man in both cases
• Sin brought both death and ultimately God's grace
• One resulted in judgment and condemnation, and the other results in grace and the gift of righteousness
• So, is the difference only in the results?
• No, because in one case, the results are earned
• In the other case, the results are a gift
• Verses 18-19 would seem to suggest through parallelism, that just as everyone was condemned to death, not everyone is justified to life, but that violates quite a few of Paul's arguments, including the statement repeated twice, "the gift is not like the trespass"
• The trespass earns death
• Rom 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• A gift is not earned nor is forced upon the individual, a gift must be received.  Only then is it fully the person's right
• John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God


Rom 5:20-21 (NIV) The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


• So why add the law, if the purpose of the law was to increase the number of sins?
• Our sin reveals our need for a savior
• Since the wages of sin is death, and the gift is eternal life, the more wages earned would seem to make a person more aware of their need
• The law reveals to us things we might not even think our sin.  What are some examples?
• Lust
• Covetous
• Filthy language
• Sexual sins (today's culture bears this out--"what's wrong with sex before marriage?" or "what's wrong with homosexuality?")
• APPLICATION:
• Not everyone will be saved
• Sin brings death, but sin also shows us how desperately we need a savior
• Faith changes our relationship with God from performance-based to a family-based love relationship

Rom 3:27-4:25, Prayer is an evidence of an unwavering faith

Rom 3:27-31 (NIV) Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.


• What does it mean that we don't nullify the law but rather uphold it if in fact no one is made righteous by the law nor does it matter if you are under the law or apart from the law?
• Righteousness by faith fulfills the demands of the law.  The law is what made Jesus death necessary
• Without the law, Jesus' death would not make sense
• The law was required for Jesus' death in order to have a vehicle to express itself
• In fact, Jesus' death then cancels the law
• Col 2:13-15 (NIV) When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
• Uphold (NIV, ESV, RSV) can also be translated as "confirm (CJB), establish (KJV, NASB), fulfill (NLT), or place"
• Paul addresses the issue of nullification head-on, but he does not fully answer the question yet
• Grk is "histemi" and means to cause of make to stand, to make firm, to set or place in a balance.  A secondary meaning is to stand by or near


Rom 4:1-3 (NIV) What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."


• So what did Abraham learn?
• He had no basis for boasting
• His righteousness was based upon his belief
• Paul's point is that there is has always only been one way of salvation, and that is by faith


Rom 4:4-12 (NIV) Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:


7 "Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."


9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.


• Paul starts out by contrasting faith and works.  What is the contrast?
• Work results in wages which are the person's right
• Faith results in a gift of righteousness
• To stress the importance of this point, Paul points out that at the time of the verse in Genesis, Abraham was not circumcised
• Circumcision is one of the quintessential makers of the Jewish OT Law
• Galatians is primarily written in a response to Judaizers requiring new Christian believers to be circumcised as a necessary condition of their Christian life
• Paul has used Abraham from the patriarchal period. He now brings David from the monarchial period
• A common Jewish practice is to build an argument on the basis of verbal parallels.  In this case, the word reckon (or credits or taken into account) is the key
• Psalm 32 is one of David's penitential psalms which he wrote after a great sin
• Two points are made in Psalm 32
• David believed in the forgiveness of his sins (not on the basis of any work)
• Secondly, David's sin did not cancel his salvation
• Technically, while the sins are not held against the individual, the expiation does not occur until Jesus' death.  His faith makes him righteous, but only Jesus' death pays the penalty for sin


Rom 4:13-17 (NIV) It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.


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 are of 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 things that are not as though they were.


• Even the product or blessings of righteousness did not come from the law, but through Abraham's righteousness by faith
• In other words, it was not his obedience to the law that resulted in his being heir of the world
• The blessing was a result of faith not works
• Now, there is one distinction here.  There are specific blessings that come as a result of obeying the law.  They are summarized in Deut 28
• The major blessing, the promise of the future, came by faith
• The only promise the OT law offers is wrath
• Our inheritance in the future is guaranteed by our faith not works
• On the other hand, our position of service in the millennial is determined on our obedience to the law of grace (and no other)
• There is a distinction then between our inheritance and our reward
• One is by faith, the other is by service
• In the case of our inheritance, we are all children of Abraham, Jew and Gentile alike
• Rom 4:13-17 (CJB) For the promise to Avraham and his seed that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces. 14 For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless. 15 For what law brings is punishment. But where there is no law, there is also no violation.  // 16 The reason the promise is based on trusting is so that it may come as God’s free gift, a promise that can be relied on by all the seed, not only those who live within the framework of the Torah, but also those with the kind of trust Avraham had — Avraham avinu for all of us. 17 This accords with the Tanakh, where it says, “I have appointed you to be a father to many nations.”  Avraham is our father in God’s sight because he trusted God as the one who gives life to the dead and calls nonexistent things into existence.
• Also, there are two aspects of Abraham's faith (verse 17). What are they?
• Abraham believes that God can give life to the dead (which will be important later on when he heads up Mount Moriah).  This is a resurrection belief
• Abraham believes that God can create things from nothing.  This is a belief in God as a creator


Rom 4:18-25 (NIV) 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.


• Abraham had no cause for hope, but in hope he believed
• His body was as good as dead
• Sarah's womb was dead
• But God's promise was true
• APPLICATION: Likewise we are dead in our trespasses and sin, but God's promise of salvation is true and is our hope
• The passage says he did not waver
• To waver means to "pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness." Abraham was certain of God's word and he was willing to obey.  Consequently, he did not pause or hold back
• APPLICATION: It can be difficult to find a promise of God that is specific to ourselves and our situation.  I'm not referring to moral commands of God, but to the larger will of God issues that are not a point (only one course of action) but are represented by a circle (many possible options none of which are sinful).  On the other hand, even within the circle of God's will, we are told not to worry, not to fear, to pray, and to act prudently.  These are things I can do without pause or holding back.  And in fact, my faith is shown by my willingness to obey God in these tasks.  So, if I am exercising faith, am I praying?  If not, I am wavering.  Am I worried or fearful about the future?  Then I am wavering.  Am I acting not planning and acting prudently?  Then I am also wavering.  The latter actions, planning and prudent decisions, are usually not where we struggle, but rather with the former actions, praying and trusting (not worrying or fearing)