The Faith of Abraham

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DALE RATZLAFF

I’ll never forget the revelation I received that day. While it brought a rush of joy to my heart and a sense of God’s presence, I had no idea of the long-range results it would bring. It would enhance my teaching, empower my ministry but it would also drive me from the denomination I loved, cause me to lose many good friends and send me on a painful but joyous journey into the unknown future. Looking back from my current perspective, I now realize how important and valuable that revelation was. I’m sure many others had received it before me and many since. But for me it was a revelation. “For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” through my study of Romans.

Teaching at Monterey Bay Academy

It was a sunny fall day in 1974. I was one of the Bible teachers at Monterey Bay Academy, a boarding high school owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The school was located on a beautiful, green 300-plus-acre campus overlooking Monterey Bay in California. Attending the school were about 400 students. My assignment was to teach Bible Doctrines to three sections of Juniors as well as Sophomore Bible. The curriculum for one quarter of the Bible Doctrines class was based upon the first eight chapters of Romans. I had taken my Juniors through it the year before and was richly blessed by this most powerful book. I found that even though I had taught from this section of Scripture before, each time it seemed to be fresh with new insights that had been hidden the year before. I liked to teach inductively, helping the students to think and discover for themselves. Therefore, I was always making study guides with questions that, I hoped, would cause them to discover the gold that was hidden in this rich vein of truth.

I was revising a study guide for Romans 4. As I read verses 17–20 I began to question the choice of Paul’s illustration.

(as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. Romans 4:17-20

The more I contemplated this illustration the more it bothered me. I knew the context and that was part of my problem. In Chapter 3 Paul had, in the most majestic terms, described the gospel of righteousness by faith. 

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26

Then, Paul gave one of his most powerful statements:

“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Romans 3:28

The church at Rome, I knew from previous study, was a church which was comprised of both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. This is why throughout the book of Romans, Paul first addresses one group and then the other. Paul’s statement that a Christian is justified “apart from works of the law” would instantly raise questions in the minds of his Jewish-Christian readers who placed high value on the observance of the law. To keep his Jewish-Christian readers from rejecting his theology, Paul had to prove from the law that the Gentiles could be justified without the law. He must use their source of truth (old covenant) to prove his (new covenant) theology. I knew this was the context of Romans 4. Admittedly, I had not yet realized the future implications this truth would have on my own life. In Romans 4 Paul used two of the most revered characters of Judaism as illustrations of his doctrine of righteousness by faith: Abraham and David. 

There are only two simple requirements for salivation—simple not easy! One only needs perfect righteousness and no sin.

There are only two simple requirements for salvation—simple not easy! One only needs perfect righteousness and no sin. The problem, however, is that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) So all of us are in the same predicament. We are helpless and now keeping the law (if we could do that) won’t help solve our problem one bit. 

At this point, Paul uses two illustrations to prove his point. First, he sites that Abraham was not justified by works, but “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” It is important to note that the experience of Abraham, to which Paul alludes, is recorded in Genesis 15:1–6 when God took Abraham outside one night and compared the number of Abraham’s children to the stars.

Thrill of Good News

I can still remember the thrill I had when I realized the depth of good news in Romans 4:5! “But to the one who does not work, (I could qualify here!) but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly (I could qualify here too!), his faith is reckoned as righteousness.”

So Paul used the illustration of Abraham to prove that a person is declared righteous solely on the basis of his faith without any works. But does God’s declaration of righteousness also take care of the sins of the past? 

To answer this implied question, Paul brings David onto the witness stand. Everyone knows David sinned—big time. So from David’s Psalm 32 he quotes:

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.

By the end Romans 4:8, Paul has proved his point. He has shown that ungodly men (and women) who do not work can be counted righteous based solely upon their faith. He has also shown that sinners, even like David who committed adultery and murder, can be counted righteous. When these sinners are declared righteous by God their sin is no longer counted against them! That, my friend, is the good news of the gospel of justification by faith! That is the most profound truth, I believe, in the New Testament!

When these sinners are declared righteous by God their sin is no longer counted against them!

Thus far I could follow Paul and I was rejoicing in my understanding of righteousness by faith. But why, I had to ask, did Paul turn to the next illustration? Why would Paul choose this illustration to further illustrate the most profound truth of the New Testament—righteousness faith? What, you say, is this illustration? Come with me to the salient verses in Genesis 17 to which Paul alludes in Romans 4:17–21.

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless… “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

At this point, God gives Abraham the covenant of circumcision, which would become the entrance sign into the covenant community for the Israelites. Then we have this conversation between God and Abraham.

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. “And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!”

Try as I would, I could not find any evidence in this account that Abraham expressed any faith! I went to the commentaries. Some said it was the “laugh of faith.” But I ruled this out because Abraham said, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!” It appeared to me that Abraham had absolutely no faith that he, now 99 and Sarah, now 90, could have a child. The thought must have hit him like a joke and he laughed so hard he fell down. Some may think this is irreverent, but I believe we ought to take the Bible stores as they are and not varnish them up.

Why This Illustration?

Again, I had to ask myself, why this illustration? If Paul wanted to illustrate the nature of victorious faith and use the faith of Abraham as an example, why didn’t Paul choose Abraham’s offering of Isaac? That was real faith! Then, I thought—still hoping to find some sense in Paul’s choice—perhaps Sarah was the one who had the faith. So I turned to Geneses 18 were I read,

Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Behold, in the tent.” And he said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ “Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

I found no help here! If fact the picture only got worse. Not only did Abraham laugh and express no faith, but Sarah did the same thing and then toped it of with an outright lie. Further, I noted that if Sarah’s laugh was a “laugh of faith”, as some claim, then God would not have questioned her laugh and she would not have lied. So my conclusion based upon this record in Genesis was that both Abraham and Sarah and no faith in their ability to have a child—None, Zero!

Why, Paul? Why this illustration of “faith” to illustrate righteousness by faith, the most important truth of the New Testament? So with these conclusions and questions I went back to Romans 4, Then it hit me! Come with me now, back to Romans 4 for a revelation of good news! 

I Missed the Main Thing

My first time through Romans 4 with my Junior class I had missed it. Although, I vividly recall I had a sense that there was something more to this verse than I had yet discovered. 

(As it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls things which do not exist as existing (NASB Marginal Reading).

What does this verse mean? God called Abraham a “Father of many nations” before Isaac was even conceived! Interestingly, after the experience recorded in Genesis 17, Scripture never again refers to Abraham as Abram. God accounted Abraham a father before he was a father and treated him as such. The multitude of nations, or even Isaac, were there only by the declaration of God.

In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendents be.” And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. 

Now, I saw it! While Abraham had no faith in what he could do, He did have faith in the promise of God, being fully assured that What God had promised, God was able also to perform.

So Abraham’s faith was not directed to himself, rather it was centered only in God’s promise and God’s power!

Therefore also it [faith] was reckoned to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 4:17-25

Now I understood new dimensions of righteousness by faith that would alter the course of my life. I hope this truth will be as meaningful to you as it is to me!

  • When God declares us righteous by faith, He changes our name from “sinnerman” or “sinnerwoman” to “saint.”
  • As God changed Abraham’s name before he was a father and counted him as a father so God changes our name to “saint” and counts us as righteous before we are righteous when the only righteousness we have is the declaration of God.
  • We express “the faith of Abraham,” which is saving faith, not by our faith in what we can or will do. Rather, we are to react like Abraham and recognize the utter impossibility of our ever achieving righteousness. We laugh at the impossibility of the command, “Be perfect as God is perfect.”
  • Yet, because God declared us righteous, we believe it based solely on God promise and God’s power to full His own promise.
  • As Abraham accepted his changed name, so we should accept ours.
  • As Abraham was never again known by his old name so we should never again consider ourselves as lost sinners.
  • As God considers us righteous “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” We are to see ourselves as God sees us—in Christ.

Righteousness by faith is everything we need

Righteousness by faith is everything we need: It includes Christ’s perfect righteousness (Remember Abraham). It includes forgiveness for all sin (Remember David). And, it brings the Holy Spirit into our lives “who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” Eph. 3:20

Yes, indeed, God counts things which do not exist as existing! And therein lies our hope.

Thanks, Paul, for your careful choice of illustrations. †

Dale Ratzlaff
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