How Abraham Reverses the Degeneration of the Fall
… the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that are not as though they were.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Romans 4:17b-21
Everyone in Abraham’s world knew that if a couple were childless beyond the age of fifty, let alone one hundred, they were almost certainly going to remain that way. And it was then, to them, that the living God, the world’s Creator made the extraordinary promise: you will have children as numerous as the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore. This is the promise referred to in 4:18 in our text above when God says, “So shall your offspring be” (quoting Genesis 15:5). This is the promise Abraham believed and because of his faith the next verse in Genesis says ‘Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness’ (Genesis 15:6).
Paul’s description of Abraham’s faith though, goes deeper than simply an account of trust in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a deliberate reversal of his description of the degeneration of the human race in chapter 1. In Abraham’s faith and in faith of the same kind (Christian faith) humans are reversing the disintegration of sin’s slide and rediscovering genuine, God-intended humanity.
Humans ignored God the Creator (1:20,25).
Abraham believed in God as creator and life-giver (4:17).
Humans knew about God’s power but didn’t worship Him as God (1:20). Abraham recognised God’s power and trusted Him to use it (4:21)
Humans did not give God the glory He was due (1:21).
Abraham gave God the glory (4:20)
Humans dishonoured their own bodies by worshipping beings that were not divine (1:24).
Abraham, through worshipping the God who gives new life, found that his own body regained its power even though he was well past the age of fathering children
The result in each case is telling.
Humans dishonour their bodies by females and males turning away from one another into same-sex relationships (1:26,27).
Abraham and Sarah, through their trust in God’s promises are given power to conceive a child (4:19).
Deep within the heart of God’s covenant promise lies the fulfilment of the basic command back in Genesis 1, the command that goes with the creation of male and female in God’s image: be fruitful and multiply. As Romans 4 comes to an end we realise that Paul is saying that God’s original intent is being fulfilled. God called Abraham to undo the sin and resulting aftermath of the human race’s fall.