“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16).
Romans 4:16 stands out as a deeply personal verse that engages its readers on an individual level. For instance, consider the implications of this passage with respect to our relationship with God…
“Do you believe that God can be depended on to honor His promises? Abraham did (Rom. 4:20–21). All of us rely on the promises of others in our daily lives and work. Vendors promise to deliver products in specified quantities and qualities. Project groups promise to deliver results by certain dates. Companies promise to stand behind their products with ‘satisfaction guaranteed.’ If we can believe the promises of fallible human beings, how much more can we trust the promises of God, who never fails?” (1)
So, having established that we cannot earn God’s approval by adhering to a system of rules and regulations, Paul the Apostle turned his attention to the alternative: salvation by God’s grace through faith. That salvation is available to those who received the Old Testament Law and those who have not; everyone can secure right standing with God though faith, just as Abraham did.
This concept runs like a shimmering thread throughout our text from Romans chapter four…
- “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (verse four).
- “to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (verse five).
- Israel’s king David recognized this same truth in celebrating “…the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works” (verses six to eight).
- Finally, we’re told, “…faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness” before he received the ritual of circumcision so “…that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also” (verses nine through sixteen).
Here in Romans 4:16, Paul underscored that reality by identifying Abraham as “…the [spiritual] father of us all” (AMP). Regardless of their heritage, anyone can approach God through faith in Christ with the assurance that He will credit them with righteousness. In this manner, we can look to Abraham as a model of someone whom God accepts through faith. Those who follow that good example can trace their spiritual lineage to him as well.
(1) Word in Life Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996), Ro 4:16–25.