Informal thoughts on Romans 4:16-25
For your sake, God will call into being things that do not exist
God knew he needed to set up a path to get right with God that he could guarantee, that would not depend on our behavior, a path that was so certain, so secure, that not even we could screw it up –
This is why Paul says, 16 That is why it depends on faith, on order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring, to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all – as it is written, I have made you the father of many nations –
He describes God here as a God 17 who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist –
You know, a lot of times we find ourselves in big trouble, we don’t see a way forward, don’t see the resources we need to handle the problem we’re facing – but never forget we are dealing with a God who calls into existence things that do not exist – they don’t exist, we can’t see them, but when we call out, cry out to God, by the time he’s done, there they are –
I don’t remember exactly which Indiana Jones movie it was, but there was a vivid scene in of facing a ravine, an abyss – and his mission required him to cross that ravine – there was nothing nothing there, but he was told by Obi-Wan Kenobe to take a step of faith – sorry wrong movie – he was to told to take a step into the abyss, and when he did, and a footbridge appeared – the bridge would not appear at all until he took a step of faith, but the bridge never failed to appear when he screwed up the faith to take that step of faith – and one step at a time, he made it across the chasm to solid ground –
I’ll never forget when I was starting a new church, completely from scratch – my severance from my previous church had run out so I was completely dependent on this church startup to take care of my family – and I had moments of sheer panic as the enormity of what I was facing overwhelmed me – but God reminded me that what I was thinking we not in fact true – I was not in fact dependent on this new church, I was dependent upon God himself –
And he had never failed me yet – so I took the next step, it seemed like a step into the void, a step into the abyss, nothing there to support me, but God provided a building with an auditorium, a nursery, plenty of parking – so God reminded me that our job is simply to take the next step of faith –
18] In hope (Abraham) believed against hope that he should become the father of many nations –
In other words, with the eyes of the flesh, there was no way to believe it could happen, Abraham couldn’t see any evidence it was going to happen, had a tough time believing that it would happen even though God himself had promised –
Maybe right now you are praying for a prodigal – the more you pray, the less evidence you see that it’s working, and you have a really tough time believing that it will – what we must do is choose to believe that God will keep his word – when everything in you says it’s impossible, it’s not going to happen – that’s what it means, in hope (Abraham) believed against hope –
Never forget: our hope is never based on what we can see – it is always based on what we cannot see – we walk by faith, not by sight –
19] (Abraham) did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body which was as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness (lit. the deadness) of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised
Know I am talking to many in this listening audience today who long to have a child – you long to have a child of your own, and you’ve been doing everything you know to do, and nothing is happening – the word of Scripture is this: don’t give up on God, keep giving glory to God even when you can’t see a reason to do it – and never forget that his specialty is calling into existence things which do not exist – he can open a womb that has been closed, and he can call a child into existence and place him in that empty womb –