Romans 4:16-25 – Abraham’s Faith and Universal Access

The 25-Year Wait

What would you do if God made you a promise and then asked you to wait 25 years for it to come true? Not 25 days or 25 weeks, but 25 years. That’s exactly what happened to Abraham, and his response reveals the kind of faith that God credits as righteousness.

Tonight we’re walking through Romans 4:16-25 verse by verse, where Paul uses Abraham’s extraordinary faith as the blueprint for how all believers—both Jews and Gentiles—receive God’s promises. You see, Paul isn’t just telling us a nice story about an old patriarch. He’s showing us that the same faith that justified Abraham 4,000 years ago is the same faith that justifies us today.

The context here is crucial. In Romans 3-4, Paul has been dismantling the Jewish assumption that salvation belongs exclusively to them because of their ethnic heritage and law-keeping. Instead, Paul argues that salvation has always been by faith alone—and Abraham proves it. Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised, before the law was given, and before he performed any religious works. This means that both Jews and Gentiles who put their faith in God are part of Abraham’s spiritual family.

Verses 16-17: The Promise Secured by Faith

Let’s begin with verse 16: “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”

Here’s the point: God chose faith as the means of salvation precisely because it ensures the promise reaches everyone. If salvation depended on law-keeping, it would be limited to those who had access to the law—primarily the Jewish people. But faith? Faith is available to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Faith levels the playing field completely.

Notice Paul says the promise is “sure to all the seed.” This isn’t just about physical descendants of Abraham. Paul is talking about everyone who shares Abraham’s faith. The promise is secured by grace through faith because that’s the only way it could reach both Jews and Gentiles equally.

Now verse 17 gets even more remarkable: “(as it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

This verse has a dual fulfillment. Physically, Abraham did become the father of many nations through Ishmael, through the children of his second wife Keturah, and through Isaac’s lineage. But spiritually—and this is what Paul is emphasizing—Abraham became the spiritual father of all who believe, regardless of their ethnic background.

But here’s what’s fascinating: Paul describes the God Abraham believed in as the one “who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” This isn’t just poetic language. This is the fundamental nature of how God operates. He spoke the universe into existence from nothing. He multiplied loaves and fish to feed 5,000 people. And He gave life to Abraham and Sarah’s dead reproductive capacity.

You see, this is exactly what God does in salvation. He gives spiritual life to those who are dead in their sins. He calls sinners righteous when they have no righteousness of their own. He creates faith where there was unbelief. The same creative, life-giving power that enabled Abraham to father Isaac is the same power that enables dead sinners to come alive in Christ.

Verses 18-21: Abraham’s Unwavering Faith

Verse 18 shows us the impossible nature of Abraham’s situation: “Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.'”

Think about this phrase: “contrary to hope, in hope believed.” Humanly speaking, there was no hope. Abraham was about 100 years old. Sarah was around 90 and had been barren her entire life. From a medical standpoint, having children was absolutely impossible. But Abraham believed “in hope”—he believed in God’s promise despite the impossibility of the circumstances.

This wasn’t a momentary decision. Remember, God first promised Abraham descendants when he was 75 years old. Isaac wasn’t born until Abraham was 100. That’s 25 years of waiting, 25 years of looking at his aging body and Sarah’s barren womb, 25 years of people probably asking, “So, Abraham, how’s that promise coming along?”

Verse 19 tells us exactly how Abraham handled this: “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.”

Here’s what’s interesting: Paul doesn’t say Abraham ignored the physical realities. The text acknowledges that Abraham’s body was “already dead” for reproductive purposes and that Sarah’s womb was dead. Abraham wasn’t in denial about their physical condition. But he wasn’t weak in faith either.

You see, Abraham had a choice about where to focus his attention. He could focus on his circumstances—his age, Sarah’s barrenness, the passing years, the apparent impossibility. Or he could focus on God’s character and God’s promise. Abraham chose to focus on God.

Verse 20 shows us the result: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.”

The word “waver” here means to doubt or hesitate. Abraham didn’t go back and forth, wondering if God would really come through. Instead, his faith was actually strengthened over time. How does that happen? By “giving glory to God”—by continually acknowledging God’s power, faithfulness, and ability to fulfill His promises.

And verse 21 gives us the foundation of Abraham’s unwavering faith: “and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.”

Abraham was “fully convinced” of God’s ability. This wasn’t wishful thinking or positive mental attitude. This was settled conviction based on God’s character. Abraham knew that the God who called him was the same God who created the universe from nothing, the same God who gives life to the dead. If God promised it, God could and would perform it.

This is the kind of faith that endures through 25 years of waiting. This is the kind of faith that doesn’t waver when circumstances seem impossible. This is the kind of faith that actually grows stronger through testing.

Verses 22-24: Righteousness Credited

Verse 22 gives us the result of Abraham’s faith: “And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.'”

Paul quotes from Genesis 15:6, where Moses records that Abraham’s faith was “accounted” or “credited” to him as righteousness. This is accounting language—like making an entry in a ledger. God looked at Abraham’s faith and credited righteousness to his account, even though Abraham had no righteousness of his own.

But here’s where Paul makes the crucial connection to us. Verses 23-24: “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.”

You see, the story of Abraham’s justification wasn’t recorded just for historical interest. It was written for us—to show us that the same faith that justified Abraham justifies us. The same God who credited righteousness to Abraham’s account credits righteousness to our account when we believe.

But notice the specific focus of our faith: we believe “in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Abraham believed in the God who gives life to the dead, and we believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. It’s the same life-giving power, the same God who calls things that don’t exist as though they do.

Abraham looked forward to the promise of a son through faith. We look back to the reality of the Son who died and rose again through faith. But it’s the same faith in the same God who has the same power to give life to the dead.

Verse 25: The Resurrection Connection

Verse 25 brings everything together: “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

This verse connects Abraham’s faith directly to the gospel. Jesus was “delivered up”—handed over to death—because of our sins. He took the penalty we deserved. But He was “raised because of our justification”—His resurrection proves that the payment for sin was complete and that righteousness has been secured for all who believe.

Here’s the beautiful parallel: Abraham believed in God’s promise of life coming from death—Isaac being born from bodies that were “as good as dead.” We believe in God’s promise of life coming from death—Jesus rising from the grave to secure our justification.

The same God who gave life to Abraham and Sarah’s dead reproductive capacity gave life to Jesus’ dead body. The same God who fulfilled His promise to Abraham fulfills His promise to us. The same faith that Abraham exercised is the faith we exercise.

You see, this isn’t just about individual salvation. This is about God’s faithfulness to His promises across thousands of years. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac. The world waited thousands of years for Jesus. But God’s promise never failed. What He promised, He performed.

Living by Abraham’s Faith

So what does this mean for us tonight? It means that when God makes a promise in His Word, we can have the same unwavering confidence that Abraham had. Not because our circumstances look promising, but because our God is faithful.

Are you facing an impossible situation? Abraham faced one for 25 years. Are you wondering if God’s promises really apply to you? Paul says they do—you’re part of Abraham’s spiritual family through faith. Are you struggling to believe that God can give life to dead areas of your life? Remember that you serve the same God who raised Jesus from the dead.

Here’s the challenge: Abraham didn’t focus on his circumstances; he focused on God’s character. He didn’t waver through unbelief; he was strengthened in faith. He didn’t doubt God’s ability; he was fully convinced that what God promised, God would perform.

The same faith that justified Abraham justifies us. The same God who fulfilled His promise to Abraham fulfills His promises to us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us who believe.

This is why Paul uses Abraham as our example. Not because Abraham was perfect, but because Abraham’s faith shows us what it looks like to trust God completely, to wait patiently for His timing, and to give glory to God even when circumstances seem impossible.