Romans 4:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

NIV: Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

NASB: yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,

CSB: He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

NLT: Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.

KJV: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

NKJV: He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Abraham waited many, many years for God to keep His promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son. That promise wasn't given until Abraham was more than 75 years old, and wasn't fulfilled until Abraham was 100, some 25 years later! Paul wrote in the previous verse that Abraham's faith did not weaken. He held fast to his faith, even long after the hope of having a natural-born son became impossible according to human experience. Now, Paul writes that Abraham experienced no unbelief. He didn't waver in trusting God. Just the opposite: He grew stronger in his faith and continued to give glory to God.

Abraham's faith was undeniably remarkable. He was far from a perfect man. Abraham sinned, as all do. But He believed that the God who spoke to Him would do exactly what He promised even as year after year passed without that promise being fulfilled.

Romans 4:13–25 continues to focus on the faith of Abraham. God made promises to Abraham and his descendants, promises which Abraham believed. Those promises can't be received by keeping the law, but only by faith. God promised Abraham a son with Sarah, and Abraham continued to believe that promise would be kept even as it became less and less likely in human terms. We, too, can be counted as righteous by faith in Jesus' death for our sins and God's resurrection of Him for our justification.

Romans 4 is all about the faith of Abraham. God declared Abraham righteous because of his faith, not because of his works. A declaration of righteousness was God's gift, not a payment. This righteousness is available to everyone, circumcised or not. God declared Abraham righteous many years before he was circumcised, making him the spiritual father of all who believe, whether circumcised or not, whether Jew or Gentile. God's promises to Abraham and his offspring can't be received by keeping the law, only by faith. Abraham's faith in God's promise of a son with Sarah did not waver even as he grew older. God will declare us righteous, as well, if by faith we believe in the God who delivered Jesus to die for our sins and raised Him back to life for our justification.

So far, this letter has established that every single person is guilty of sin and does not deserve God's forgiveness. Whether we know God's law explicitly, or not, we still fail to obey. Only faith in Christ can rescue us from the penalty we deserve for that sin. Romans 4 explores the example of Abraham, and God's amazing gift of declaring Abraham righteous solely on the basis of his faith. This declaration was given many years before Abraham was circumcised, causing Abraham to become the father of all who believe God by faith. Abraham's continued faith in God is a model for us. Romans will continue by exploring how Christ brings us peace with God.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 12/21/2024 12:16:59 PM