The Book of Romans: “Faith Like Abraham”

The Book of Romans

Introduction:

Good morning brothers and sisters. Welcome to Eastern Shore Baptist Church. My name is Stuart Davidson. I am the pastor here. If you are visiting with us this morning or if you are watching online, we are so glad that you worshipping with us. 

I want to catch you up this morning. Over the last several weeks, we have been engaged in a series creatively titled, “The Book of Romans”. This morning we are going to be reading Romans 4:18-25. Today’s message is entitled “Faith Like Abraham”. 

Today’s Message: 

“Faith Like Abraham”

Still, maybe you’ve been visiting with us, or maybe today is your first Sunday at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. I want to take just a second and help you see where we have been. After all, you can’t funny understand what we are reading this morning without getting a grasp of what we have read over the past few weeks. 

First off, we know that Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome.  In Romans 1, he doesn’t pull any punches, he shows us a world that has rejected God, exchanging truth for lies and worshiping creation instead of the Creator. Paul provides us a very close, detailed look in the mirror. What we see staring back at us is brokenness and rebellion.  Maybe you are feeling a bit broken this morning. Could it be that you have see rebellion up close and personal? 

Your marriage is broken. 

Your job is busted. 

Your kids are in rebellion. 

If that’s you, which by the way, it is all of us, you are in good company. Paul was dealing with the very same subjects when we wrote this letter. 

Then we get to Romans 2. The second chapter reminds us that religion and morality won’t save us either. Whether Jew or Gentile, rule-follower or rebel, we all fall short. Paul is leveling the playing field, not to shame us, but to show us our desperate need for grace.

Then Romans 3 rolls around. You might say that Romans 3 delivers some bad news only to set up some good news. “There is no one righteous, not even one.” That’s bad news. We’re not saved by the law, by works, or by being “good enough.” We’re made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Period. That’s the good news. 

Then Paul gives us an example: Abraham.  That brings us to Romans 4. Abraham was not justified by what he did. Abraham was not found righteous in God’s eyes because he was just so special, or because he looked a certain way, or because he was more religious than anyone else. Long before religion, long before the law, long before outward shows of piety, Abraham just believed. He just trusted. It was his simple belief in God’s promises that became his justification. That’s where we land in Romans 4:18. Faith is not about perfection, it’s about believing in the promises of a perfect God. 

Think about this friends, if Abraham could believe when everything looked hopeless, so can we! 

Do me a favor this morning, fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. This will be our thesis statement this morning. This one statement gives us a roadmap for the entire message this morning. 

Abraham believed in a coming Messiah! He was blessed and God credited to him mercy!

Today’s Thought:

Abraham Believed in a Coming Messiah! He Was Blessed, and Credited Mercy!

Let me explain it a different way. You and I believe in a Messiah that has come. His name is Jesus. Jesus was born of a virgin. Jesus was wholly man and wholly God. He was the hypostatic union of perfection and flesh. Jesus took upon Himself the wrath of His Father’s justice on the cross. Jesus paid for our sin. It was our sin that killed Jesus Christ. It was our sin that kept Him on that cross. After six hours on the cross, Jesus gave up His Spirit. His body was taken, placed in a borrowed grave, and the placed was sealed. Upon His death, Jesus went to the right hand of the Father, also known as Paradise. 3 days later, Jesus was resurrected. He gave many convincing proofs of His resurrected life for 40 days whereby after that period, He ascended to the Father where He is our High Priest. Jesus rules and reigns today and forevermore. By the might of His power, He holds all things together. He is preparing a place for us according to the promises of Scripture. 

This is what we believe today!  

What about Abraham? What did he believe?

Abraham believed in a Messiah who was promised. He believed in a God who makes covenants and keeps them. He trusted that God would give him a son, even though his body was as good as dead. Even though Sarah’s womb was barren, unable to conceive a child. 

Abraham believed in the power of God to bring life where there was none. He believed that through his offspring, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. He believed that God could raise the dead, and if necessary, would raise Isaac to fulfill His promise. Abraham did not waver in unbelief. No! Rather he grew strong in faith. He believed that what God promised, God could perform. Abraham looked forward in faith to a Redeemer, even though he did not know His name. We know this future Savior to be Jesus. This future Savior and future Messiah was where Abraham placed His faith.

I found this quote while doing some research into Abraham’s faith. The quote comes from Ariel Ministries. Let me read it for you this morning!

Today’s Quote:

“When Abraham believed the LORD in Genesis 15:6, he wasn’t just placing generic trust in a distant deity—he was putting personal faith in the pre-incarnate Messiah, the very Word of the LORD. His righteousness was credited because he looked forward to the One who would fulfill the promise: Jesus.”

—Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Messianic Christology, Ariel Ministries

This morning we are reading from Romans 4:18-25. I’ve already given you the context and the background of our Scripture this morning. Let’s just jump right in. Before we do that, I want to remind you that…

Statement of Belief:

“We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.”

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 4:18-25 NLT

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping-believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!" [19] And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead-and so was Sarah's womb. [20] Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [22] And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. [23] And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded [24] for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. [25] He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Pastor: “This is the WORD of the Lord.”

Congregation: ”Praise His name. Praise His Holy name.”

3 Lessons To Learn From Abraham’s Faith!

Lesson One: Confidence in the Promise vs. 18–20

So, let’s look this morning at 3 lessons to learn from Abraham’s faith. Go back to verses 18-20 this morning. 

“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping…”

You might put it this way…

“Abraham believed God when every circumstance seemed to contradict the promise, showing that real faith stands on God’s Word—not what we see.”

Let’s talk about Abraham for just a second. 

Abraham is nearly 100 years old. Sarah’s womb is closed for business. Biologically, their family tree looked like a stump. And yet, Abraham believed God anyway. Not because it made sense, not because the odds were good, but simply because God said so.

Verse 19 says:

“And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.”

Now I don’t know about you, but I think that’s one of the funniest and most honest lines in the Bible. Abraham looked in the mirror, looked at Sarah, and said, “Lord… if this is going to happen, it’s going to have to be ALL You.” And that’s exactly the point. That’s when faith really becomes faith—when it stops leaning on what we can do and starts leaning fully on what God can do.

Verse 20 says:

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

Friends, here’s the truth: we are wired to believe. God made us as beings designed for faith. But so often, we put that faith in the wrong things. We trust the pilot we’ve never met, the chef in the back of the restaurant, and the dentist with a sharp metal pick. We’ll trust the car mechanic who barely graduated high school but look at the God of the universe and say, “I don’t know if I can trust You with my marriage, my finances, or my future.”

Let me give you a picture of faith: imagine a man standing at the edge of an airplane, 10,000 feet in the air. He’s got a parachute strapped to his back. The second he jumps, he is completely dependent on that chute to save his life. That’s faith. Not just saying the parachute works, but jumping out of the plane believing it’s going to open.

Abraham jumped. He believed that God could bring life out of a dead womb. Hebrews 11:11 (CSB) says:

“By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful.”

So let me give you 3 Reasons You Can Have Confidence in God’s Promises:

First, God’s Character Is Flawless – He has never broken a promise. Ever. Not once. He is faithful even when we are faithless.

Numbers 23:19 (NLT): “God is not a man, so he does not lie… Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Here is another reason…

God’s Power Is Unlimited – What He promises, He can perform. Abraham believed that God could do the impossible.

Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV): “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…”

Lastly, God’s Timing Is Perfect – He’s never early, never late—always right on time.

Galatians 4:4 (CSB): “When the time came to completion, God sent his Son…”

Abraham had confidence in the promise because he had confidence in the Promiser. And that’s what we need today, faith not in the odds, not in our plans, not in the latest political forecast or market prediction, but in the God who spoke the stars into being.

Let me challenge you this morning friends, have faith like Abraham. Faith that is confident. 

So, our first lesson to learn this morning is to have confidence in the promises of God. Here is our second lesson to learn. 

3 Lessons To Learn From Abraham’s Faith!

Lesson One: Confidence in the Promise vs. 18–20

Lesson Two: Credited with Righteousness vs. 21–22

Lesson Two: Abraham was credited with righteousness. Let’s go back and read verses 21-22.

Romans 4:20-22 NLT

Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [22] And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous.

Remember this friends…

“Because Abraham was fully convinced that God would fulfill His promise, God credited his faith as righteousness.”

Let that sink in—Abraham didn’t earn righteousness; it was credited to him. That’s a financial term. It’s like God looked at Abraham’s empty spiritual bank account and dropped in a deposit labeled “righteousness” with a note that said, “Paid in full—by faith.”

Paul is actually pointing us back to a moment in Genesis 15, where this all started. Genesis 15:6 (GNT) says:

“Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.”

Now here’s where we need to pump the brakes for a second. Because if you’re like me, you grew up thinking these Old Testament folks were spiritual superheroes. Right? Moses split the sea. David took down giants. Elijah called down fire. Daniel survived lions. Esther saved a nation. I mean, these people wore the capes!

But if you read their stories carefully, you see the real them.

•Moses had anger issues.

•David committed adultery and had a man killed to cover it up.

•Elijah got so depressed, he asked God to let him die.

•Jonah flat-out ran from God (and got swallowed by a fish for it).

•Sarah laughed at God’s promise.

•Abraham himself lied and doubted and had a child with Hagar because he and Sarah got tired of waiting.

These were not perfect people. They were deeply flawed, broken humans—just like me and you. And yet, what made them righteous wasn’t their track record—it was their trust in God’s track record.

Now let me be real with you, church. Sometimes pastors get mistaken for super-spiritual people. And while I love what I do, and I’m honored to serve, I’m just a man. Angela and I—we’re regular people. We have fussed. We’ve made mistakes. We’ve had those late-night, “I can’t believe we just said that to each other” kind of moments. We’ve cried over parenting decisions we wish we could rewind. We’ve both blown it more than once. And I’ve done my best over the years to make sure no one puts me or my family on a pedestal. Because the higher the pedestal, the harder the fall.

And here’s the truth: my justification before God isn’t based on how good a pastor I am, or how few mistakes I’ve made as a husband or a father. I stand before God righteous not because of my résumé—but because of Jesus.

Let me give you a practical picture of this. Imagine a guy standing in front of a vending machine. He’s hungry. He’s got nothing in his pockets. Not even lint. But someone walks up, swipes a card, presses the buttons, and hands him the snack. He eats and walks away full—not because he paid for it, but because someone else covered the cost.

That’s what God did for Abraham. And that’s what God has done for you.

Abraham’s righteousness didn’t come from within—it was credited to him by God. And that same credit is available to you and me when we place our faith in Christ.

Justification is not something we earn. It is something God gives.

So here’s the encouragement: you don’t have to have it all together. You just need to trust the One who does. The good news is that Jesus has already done the work. You don’t need to be perfect—you need to believe in the One who is.

3 Lessons To Learn From Abraham’s Faith!

Lesson One: Confidence in the Promise vs. 18–20

Lesson Two: Credited with Righteousness vs. 21–22

Lesson Three: Connected through Christ vs. 23–25

So, we have seen our first two points this morning: Abraham had confidence in the promises of God. Next, Abraham was credited with righteousness. Lastly, Abraham and all of us are connected for eternity thought Jesus Christ. 

Let’s look at how Paul wraps up this beautiful section of Scripture:

“And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, to…”

Paul is saying, “Church, this whole story about Abraham isn’t just ancient history, it’s your story too!” The same righteousness that was credited to Abraham is now available to all who believe in the risen Christ.

This is what makes Christianity so radically beautiful. We don’t follow a religion based on ritual, we follow a Risen Savior. And Paul’s message here is crystal clear: If you believe in the One who raised Jesus from the dead, you are connected…just like Abraham, to the righteousness of God.

Jesus said it like this in John 5:24 (NASB95):

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Did you catch that? That’s the gospel. Not might have eternal life. Not will one day avoid judgment. Jesus says you have eternal life. You’ve already passed from death into life! That’s the promise, the payoff, and the power of faith in Christ.

Let me make this plain:

•Abraham looked forward to the Messiah by faith.

•We look back to the cross and up to the risen Christ—and we’re all connected by the same faith.

If you’re wondering today, “Am I good enough? Do I measure up? Have I done enough to get to heaven?”—let me go ahead and lovingly answer that for you: Nope.

But the good news is Jesus was good enough for you. And because He was delivered up for your sins and raised to make you right with God, you don’t have to live in fear. You can live in faith.

I was thinking about this the other day when I watched my brother connect his phone to his truck with Bluetooth. Once his phone connected, everything changed. Music started playing. Calls went hands-free. Maps popped up. Why? 

Because the connection changes the experience.

That’s what Jesus does. He’s our connection to righteousness. 

To new life. 

To hope. 

To peace. 

And once you’re connected to Him through faith, you’re no longer living by your strength—you’re living by His resurrection power.

So here’s the final word:

The same God who credited righteousness to Abraham is still writing that same story today. And if you’re in Christ—you’re not only forgiven, you’re connected.

All you have to do is believe. Abraham believed. The big question today is this…do you?

Abraham Believed! Do You?

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the example of Abraham’s faith—a faith that trusted Your promises even when everything seemed impossible. Thank You that, like Abraham, we can be made right with You not by our works, but by believing in the One who raised Jesus from the dead.

Lord, today I know You may be calling someone to respond. Maybe it’s to trust Christ for the first time. Maybe it’s to be baptized, to follow through in obedience. Maybe it’s to join this church and find a place to grow and serve.

Whatever that next step is, give them the faith to take it. Help us not to walk away unchanged, but to walk forward in faith—just like Abraham did.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.