6. King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed some people are. God makes those people right with himself. But they don't have to do anything in return. David says,
7. "Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven. Blessed are those whose sins are taken away.
8. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him." (Psalm 32:1,2)
9. Is that blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have been saying that God accepted Abraham's faith, and so his faith made him right with God.
10. When did it happen? Was it after Abraham was circumcised, or before? It was before he was circumcised, not after!
11. He was circumcised as a sign of the covenant God had made with him. It showed that his faith had made him right with God before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all believers who have not been circumcised. God accepts their faith. So their faith makes them right with him.
12. Abraham is also the father of the circumcised who believe. So just being circumcised is not enough. Those who are circumcised must also follow the steps of our father Abraham. He had faith before he was circumcised.
13. Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God.
14. Do those who obey the law receive the promise? If they do, faith would have no value. God's promise would be worthless.
15. The law brings God's anger. Where there is no law, the law can't be broken.
16. The promise is based on God's grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham's children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all.
17. It is written, "I have made you a father of many nations." (Genesis 17:5) God considers Abraham to be our father. The God that Abraham believed in gives life to the dead. Abraham's God also speaks of things that do not exist as if they do exist.
18. When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said, "That is how many children you will have." (Genesis 15:5)
19. Without becoming weak in his faith, Abraham accepted the fact that he was past the time when he could have children. At that time he was about 100 years old. He also realized that Sarah was too old to have children.
20. But he kept believing in God's promise. He became strong in his faith. He gave glory to God.