• :1 – “Abraham” –
    • respected as father of Jews (John 8:39a)
    • received God’s promises for Israel (Gen. 12:1-3,7; 13:14-17; 15; 17; 18:18-19; 22:17-18)
    • circumcision began in him (Gen. 17)
    • Warning: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39b)
  • :3 – “What does the Scripture say?” –
    • YES: “Abraham believed…accounted to him for righteousness,”
    • NOT: “Abraham worked….earned him righteousness” (see 4:3)
  • :5 – Not work but believe – we must rest in HIS work, not ours (see John 6:29; Heb. 3-4)
    • YES: “justifies the ungodly,”  NOT: “justifies the godly” (see Luke 5:31-32)
    • “faith is accounted for righteousness” – as was Abraham’s
  • :6 – David – King and leader of Israel; inherited promises from God
  • :7-8 – YES: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven…sins are covered…Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”
    • NOT: “Blessed are those who never committed lawless deeds…never sinned…Blessed is the man to whom the LORD doesn’t find sin.”
  • :9-10 – Abraham was considered righteous by faith (Gen. 15:6) BEFORE he was circumcised (Gen. 17:23-24) — Righteousness not dependent on circumcision.
  • :11 – circumcision is a “sign” and “seal” of already being righteous by faith (cf. Gen. 17:11).  It didn’t make Abraham righteous, but confirmed that he was already righteous (similar to baptism, see Luke 3:7-14)
    • Meaning of Circumcision:

Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:28-29; 1 Cor. 7:19; Phil. 3:3; Col. 2:11-13; James 2:26 – true circumcision is a crucifixion of the sinful “flesh” in our heart, testified by baptism (which is a burial of the old “flesh”), and is shown in those who walk by the fruit of the Spirit not the flesh (Gal. 5:19-24)

  • “Father of all those who believe”  – the uncircumcised (i.e. naturally-born Gentiles, see Gen. 17:5) and circumcised (i.e. naturally-born Jews)
  • :12 – Must follow Abraham’s steps to be his son (cf. John 8:39b)
  • :13 – God gave promises to Abraham before he was circumcised (Gen. 12:2-3; 15:5; 17:4-5)
    • :14 – if the promises depended on Abraham being circumcised, everything God promised before Genesis 17:24 is nullified
    • :15 – the law reveals sin
  • :17 – YES: “I HAVE MADE you a father of MANY NATIONS” (cf. Gen. 17:5) – NOT: “I WILL MAKE you a father of ONE nation.” 

Q: What did Abraham have to believe to be considered righteous?

A: See Romans 4:17-22

  • That God “gives life to the dead” (Rom. 4:17)
  • Specifically, that God would bring resurrection through Abraham and Sarah’s “deadness” (Rom. 4:18-19), even, and ultimately, the Seed of Christ (see Gal. 3:16)

Q: What do we have to BELIEVE to follow Abraham’s path, inherit his promises and become righteous?

A: See Romans 4:23-25

  • That God “gives life to the dead”
  • Specifically, that God brought resurrection to Jesus (Rom. 4:24; Gal. 3:16)…
  • And, that Christ’s death and resurrection brings life to us who are “dead in our trespasses” (Rom. 4:25; Eph. 2:5)