as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He 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 of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:17-22
This is a quote from Genesis 17:5. Here is some crazy awesome insight coming -> When Paul talks about giving live to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist, he is talking about justification again. God can declare believing sinners to be righteous even though they are not…by imputing His righteousness to them. Likewise, God made or declared Jesus to be “sin” and punished Him, even though He was not a sinner. Those whom He justifies, He will conform to the image of His Son (This again is a great way of stating these truths by the great John MacArthur).
Hope against hope is simply a reckoning of the human perspective that it seemed impossible to Abraham but he believed anyway. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation and this promise was given when Abraham was of great age (100 years old) and not only that, his wife Sarah was well beyond child bearing age as just 10 years younger than Abraham…meaning that Abraham believed what God had said even though it seemed impossible!
APPLICATION
Oh how I want the faith of Abraham! I can sometimes become weak…entertaining a doubt that erodes my confidence. BUT, through God’s power of sanctification, He has grown my faith in not only His presence but also in the promise He has given me that He is always working things out for His good, glory, and honor…when I believe that, then I also must believe that what God is doing is also for my good because I live IN His Son. When the pressures of life fall on me or the worldly culture and cursed earth sit present in front of me, I can rest in the faith that the Lord is in control. It does not mean He removes my suffering…not at all…in fact, it has been in that suffering that He grown my faith the most when I have leaned into Him for my strength that rests nestled in His promises. It is a freeing thing when you let go of the present and realize the good that God has planned beyond your suffering maybe something you don’t see in your lifetime.