Promise Keeper: Abraham: Free gift by faith

Romans 4:13-17 | Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

• What did Abraham have to do to earn God’s promises? 

• God’s promises are kept because of who God is. We don’t earn them! Why would having to earn God’s promises be a problem? 

• Rather than earning God’s promises, we are supposed to put our faith in God and who He is. What does that look like? 

• When we put our faith in who God is, what promises can we be sure of?