Romans 4:18-25
GERITOL, DIAPERS AND THE WORD OF GOD
Intro: As we have watched the progression of
Abraham's faith, I ma been amazed at this man's love
for God and of his faith in the Lord. It is no wonder that
Paul uses Abraham as the supreme example to prove
that salvation comes about simply because of faith.
These last few verses of chapter four teach us the
truth that we cannot depend on keeping the Law to
save us. We cannot depend on our good works to save
us. We cannot depend on anything external to save our
souls. Paul's point here, as it has been throughout this
chapter is that salvation is produced purely by faith!
In an effort to teach us how faith works, Paul is
going to recall one of the greatest miracles in the entire
Bible. I am referring to the birth of Isaac. What makes
his birth so special? Well, his daddy was 100 and his
mother was 90 when he was born. The Guinness Book
of Records tells us that the oldest mother on record is
one Ruth Alice Kistler. Mrs. Kistler gave birth to a
daughter at the spry age of 57. There is one report of
a woman named Ellen Ellis who was said to be 72 in
1776 when her child was born. However, compared to
Sarah, these women look like teenagers!
All through this chapter, Paul has been appealing to
the faith of Abraham to prove his point that men are
saved by faith. Now, he is going to tell us what kind of
faith Abraham had. It was faith in the promise of the
birth of Isaac.. It was simply faith in what God said. It
came down to faith in God that brought salvation to
Abraham!
There are lessons that we can learn from this story
concerning Abraham. Therefore, as we finish this
fourth chapter of Romans this evening let's spend some
time talking about Geritol, Diapers and the Word of
God.
I. V. 18-20 ABRAHAM'S FAITH WAS WELL
PLACED
A. V. 20 The Direction Of His Faith - Verse 20 tells
us clearly that Abraham "staggered not at the
promise of God." This simply means that
Abraham did not waver! He believed, without
reservation, in God's ability to keep His Word!
(Ill. What was the promise anyway? To answer
that, we need only turn back to the book of
Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-18; 15:2-6; 17:15-22; 21:1-8. When these verses are taken as a whole, they
teach the incredible truth that God supernaturally
caused Abraham and Sarah to have a son named
Isaac. Basically, Abraham directed his faith
toward God, even when it seemed that what he
had been promised was totally impossible!)
(Ill. This is the bottom line! It all boils down to
whether or not you want to believe God. Whether
it is in salvation, or in any area of life, the results
of your faith will always be determined by the
direction of your faith. Faith that is placed in God
is faith that will always be rewarded!)
B. V. 18 The Duration Of His Faith - When the
promise was first given to Abraham, he was 75
years old. Even then, it must have seemed
impossible. However, when the promise was last
confirmed in chapter 17, Abraham was 99 years
old. It must have really looked impossible by
then! Yet, his faith did not waver! The Bible tells
us that Abraham "believed" God. This word is in
a tense that suggests that he believed God when
he received the promise and he kept on believing
until the promise was fulfilled. That is the kind of
faith that sees mountains moved!
(Ill. Let me just encourage some of you who have
been waiting on the Lord to move in your life. He
hasn't forgotten about you! If He has made you
a promise, then you can count on that promise
being fulfilled in His time. Don't give up, don't
despair, but trust in the Lord and He will bring it to
pass!)
C. V. 18-20 The Determination Of His Faith -
There are three truths revealed about the faith of
Abraham that serve as an encouragement to
those who must live their lives in dependence
upon the Lord.
1. V. 18 He Refused To Listen To Reason -
Notice, "hoped against hope". Abraham had
to have had his eyes on One greater than
himself. If his eyes were on his
circumstances, then he had every reason to
doubt that the promise would be fulfilled. If
that we any of us, we would say things like,
"I'm just too old!"; "Sarah's all shriveled up
like a prune, she's just too old."; "We've
tries to have a baby since we were both
young, why should it work now?"; "I mean,
it's a physical impossibility!" Apparently,
Abraham refused to dwell in the negative.
God had given him a promise, and that was
enough for him! What a lesson for you and
me!
2. V. 19 He Refused To Look At Reality -
Abraham refused to look at his situation, his
eyes were on the promise of God. Can you
imagine this old couple as they prepared for
the birth of their son?
(Ill. Dr. Ray Pritchard gives this possible
chronology of the 25 years between the time
the promise was given and the promise was
received.
76 - Buys a crib
78 - Makes a list of possible boy names
80 - Orders a supply of super-absorbent Pampers
85 - Goes hunting while Sarah's friends give her a baby shower.
86 - Puts up wallpaper in the babies room
90 - Subscribes to New Parent magazine
93 - He and Sarah start Lamaze classes
96 - Drives a practice run to the hospital
98 - Packs the suitcase and sets it by the tent door
99 - Scratches his head and says, "I wonder if God was just kidding me."
(Ill. Did he doubt? Sure he did, he was only
human! In Genesis 17:17-18, Abraham
laughed when he heard the news that a baby
would be born. Surely he and Sarah felt that
the promise was more like a cruel joke being
played on two old people to make them look
stupid. Yes he doubted, but he acted on his
belief! Does that make sense? Faith is not
100% certainty! Faith is belief mixed with
unbelief, but action is taken on belief!
When we et the doubts win, that is not faith.
When we trust God's Word, in spite of our
doubts and act on it, that is faith! Abraham
was a man who believed and doubted at the
same time, but he acted in faith!
How was his faith revealed? He changed
his name! His name in the beginning was
"Abram" this name means "Exalted Father."
When he received the promise from God, he
changed his name to "Abraham", which
means "The Father Of A Multitude." Many
probably thought he just being a silly old man,
but God saw it as an act of the deepest faith!
Abraham certainly has his doubts, but he did
not let them sidetrack him. He kept on for
God and won the victory!
What does all that say to us? Faith is a
battle. Faith is a struggle. There will be
doubts and there will be times when we will
feel like giving up to those doubts, but real
faith never gives up. It always rests in the
knowledge that God will do exactly what He
has promised to do!)
3. V. 20 He Refused To Lose The Reward -
Abraham lived for 25 years with the
knowledge that one day God would give him
and Sarah a child. He knew it and he refused
to let go of that truth. He obtained that
promise because he responded to God's
promise with an attitude of faith!
(Ill. I don't know what you need from the Lord
this evening, but if you have His promise in
the matter, then I challenge you to act on
faith. Learn what faith is, Heb. 11:1. Learn
that nothing else pleases the Lord, Heb. 11:6.
Learn that anything less is sin, Rom. 14:23.
After those lessons are learned, simply take
God at His Word and hold on.)
I. Abraham's Faith Was Well Placed
II. V. 21-22 ABRAHAM'S FAITH WAS WELL PLEASED
A. V. 21a Pleased With God's Promise - His faith
was pleased with the promises of God because
he knew that they were as God as the God Who
had made them. What I see is a man who did not
look for reasons to doubt God. He simply took
the Lord at His Word and praised God for the
answer even though it was not yet visible. That is
faith an that pleases the Lord.
(Ill. All I can say to you this evening is simply trust
the Lord! He is as good as His Word. There was
day when a man's word was his bond. That day
is still here when it is in reference to the Lord our
God. He will do all that He has promised to do!)
B. V. 21b Pleased With God's Performance - He
knew that what God had promised to do, God
was able to do. He did not look at the problem
with one and downsize God with the other. He
simply took the Lord at His word and knew that if
God said it would be then God would see to it!
That is why Abraham could take his teenage son
Isaac to Mount Moriah willing to offer him as a
burnt offering before the Lord. He knew that even
is he did, God was able to raise him up again,
Heb. 11:17-19.
(Again, I am telling you this evening that you can
count on God! He is still as able to move in
power as He ever has been. He is still God this
evening, Eph. 3:20. Here is God's testimony to
Himself - Gen. 18:14!)
C. V. 22 Pleased With God's Plan - Abraham's
faith was well please with the Lord because the
Lord took the faith of this old man and credited
his account in Heaven with righteousness. Put
another way, God saved the soul of Abraham
because he took God at His Word!
(Ill. God's plan for Abraham is still God's plan for
you and me this evening. He just wants us to
take Him at His Word and act on His promises as
if they were real, which they are!)
I. Abraham's Faith Was Well Placed
II. Abraham's Faith Was Well Pleased
III. V. 23-25 ABRAHAM'S FAITH WAS WELL PRESERVED
A. V. 23-24 Preserved As A Promise - We are told
here that the promise was not just to impute
righteousness to Abraham, but also to everyone
who exercised faith. Not just any faith, but saving
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ill. There is a lesson here about salvation.
Abraham acted on the light he had received and
was declared righteous by God. He was saved
by faith, just the same as any person is in our
day. However, the object of our saving faith is
different than that of Abraham. Salvation has
always been by grace through faith, however,
Abraham took God at His Word concerning the
birth of Isaac, the future multitudes, and that
every family on earth would be blessed and God
accepted that as saving faith. Abraham believed
in the promises of God! For us to be saved, we
have to react to the light that we have been given
as well. However, it in not enough just to believe
in God or even in His promises. Now, the light we
have received has revealed that Jesus Christ is
the Way to God. If we are going to be saved,
then it isn't merely faith, but faith in Jesus and His
sacrifice that saves the soul, Acts 4:12; Acts
16:31; John 14:6. Your faith is in something this
evening. Is it in Jesus and him alone?)
B. V. 25 Preserved As A Person - The promise
boils down to one Man: Jesus Christ. He is the
central focus of every promise that has ever been
given. He is the One through Whom all the
nations of the world will be blessed. He is the
One Who dies on the cross and rose from the
dead. He is the One who paid our sin debt and
rose from the dead to be our Savior. He is the
focus of faith. If He is not, then that faith is dead!
(Ill. Our faith stands upon two great pillars of
truth. They are:
1. Jesus died for our sins.
2. He arose from the dead.
Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 15:3-4
If you can believe this, and can place the totality
of your faith in those truths, then you can be
saved! Otherwise, there is nothing but Hell for
you.)
Conc: With all the honesty that your heart possesses,
can you truly say that you are trusting the Lord Jesus
Christ alone for your soul's salvation? Paul's
conclusion to this section of Scripture makes it clear
that nothing else, or no one else will work. Salvation
must come through saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Abraham believed and was saved. It wasn't works. It
wasn't Law. It wasn't circumcision. It was faith then
and it is faith now. Therefore, where is your faith?
