Heirs of the World

Heirs of the World | Romans 4:13-17 | Ian Goodman
With the whole world fixing its eyes on the conflict between Israel and Gaza it is timely to consider this wonderful passage that reminds us of the true hope of the children of Abraham. Here Paul reminds us of three important things.

1) The promise to Abraham and his offspring was not limited to one slice of land beside the Mediterranean Sea. This may have been in the initial promise, but it was clear that this was not the end of the promise, for Abraham was to be “the father of many nations” and in him “all the nations of the world would be blessed”. It seems clear that God’s ultimate purpose for His people was not restricted to that land, but that in time Abraham’s children would inherit the whole world. This is especially clear when looking at the promises made about the Messiah. For example Psalms 2:8 the Lord says to the Messiah “Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your position.”

2) The second thing Paul reminds us of (in many ways, this is the main thing he reminds us of) is the means by which this promise came. Not by works of the law but by faith.
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

3) The last thing we are reminded of is that this promise is not simply for the physical descendants of Abraham but is for those who share the faith of Abraham.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”
This means that the land God promised to Abraham is your hope and my hope also if we have his faith. But that land is not modern Israel; the land we have as our hope is the whole world in the new heavens and earth, the same land that Abraham himself looked forward to receiving!