You are mighty, You are strong, yet You hold me like a song, in Your arms I become poetry – not forced into a mould but free to find my full potential, yet held firmly in your mighty arms.
”You are completely safe in your relationship with Me. I will never force you to do or be anything. Yet the power of My love for you is ultimately irresistible as I move you forward to discover new heights in our relationship and in My plans for you. While you hold Me in awe, nevertheless understand I want your freedom from being bound by the law, to develop into the person I created you to be. This gives Me great pleasure as I see you mature and discover more and more of Me and My ways.”
In today’s reading Paul continues and completes the argument from ch 3, where he showed how Jesus’ death imputed righteousness to all who have faith in that action. Then taking up the theme that this action was equally effective for Jew and Gentile, He has shown in ch 4 how faith alone is necessary to receive God’s promise and that neither circumcision nor the law give any person or group an advantage over others who have likewise simply believed.
In today’s reading, he rounds off and completes this argument. The key vs here is vs 17: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He (ie Abraham) 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 are.’ What Paul is saying is that we (ie all believers) are all equally, children of Abraham who believed God’s promises and who had righteousness credited to him and thus there is no advantage to any person or group.
However there is a subtle twist, which is revealed in vs 17. In that vs Paul shows that Abraham is actually not ultimately our father – God is. It is God who gives life cf vs 19 (Abraham’s) body was as good as dead,…..and Sarah’s womb was dead” and calls things that are not as though they were. What does this mean? Simply, God is telling Abraham stuff that has not yet happened in a way as if it has actually already happened. Here he is referring to the promise, once again, mentioned in vs 20.
It is only God who can give life to the dead. Commentators reckon that the birth of Isaac was actually more a work of creation than of fertility. God deliberately delayed the birth of Isaac so that when it did happen there could be no doubt that it was a supernatural act, almost like the conception of Jesus. Furthermore His promise to Abraham is so sure that, although we cannot see it completed yet, it is as if it has already happened. Compare that to Hebrew’s 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.
So while Abraham is a vital figure in God’s plan, and claimed by the Jews as the father that gives them their identity, God accepts all believers equally as children of Abraham, by faith. But Abraham still is only the figure through whom God launched His rescue plan. Ultimately it is God who is our real Father and who equally accepts all those who believe in Jesus’ atoning death.
Don’t miss vs 22 where he again emphasises the concept of righteousness being a free gift to all those who believe. Also making a point in reminding the readers that this promise is universal and applies to all of us who read this letter.
Paul then rounds off his argument at the end of the chapter vv 23-25 with a succinct summary of the gospel as he has explained it and discussed it up to now. It is worth noting these vv as they are an ideal description of the gospel, if one wishes to share that with someone else.
Being satisfied that he has dealt with this subject Paul will go on in ch 5 to show the implications of being justified (being given a righteousness from God) that he has been describing up to now. That is for next time. God bless you all till next week.