4:1-5 Was Abraham who lived hundreds of years before the law also saved by Jesus' death?

Yes! The basis of salvation, whether of an Old Testament saint or a New Testament believer, under the law or outside of the law, is and always has been, the death of Christ as the atoning sacrifice for sin. God credited Abraham's faith in Him to perform His word as righteousness on the basis of Christ's future sacrifice of Himself for Abraham's sin. It was the death of Christ as full payment for all men's sins that made it possible for God to justify sinners and vindicate his righteousness, regardless of the biblical era (cp Mt 1:21; 26:27-28 (also Mk 14:23-24); Lk 1:68-79; Jn 1:29; Ro 3:23-25; 5:12-19; 2Cor 5:17-19, 21; Ga 3:22; He 9:15; 1Jn 2:2). Even Abel made a sacrificial offering to God which pointed to the future redeemer (cp Gen 4:1-4). See also comments on Ro 3:24-26 (B); He 9:15, 10:5-7 and 10:14

4:3 What was it that was counted unto Abraham for righteousness?

Abraham simply believed in God, personally and completely, and it was this faith that was credited to Him for righteousness (cp V5 and 9 with Ga 3:5-6). Abraham was not declared righteous for anything he did, but because of his absolute faith in God. Abraham believed all that God said, and he did all that God told him to do (cp Gen 12:1-5; 15:1-6). Abraham did not know where God was taking him when He told him to leave his home, his kindred, and his country in Gen 12:1-5, he just obeyed in faith (cp He 11:8-10).

By faith Abraham knew that he was only a pilgrim on earth and that he was only sojourning in Canaan, the earthly promised land. He knew that Caanan was not the end of his pilgrimage; that it merely pointed to "a better country, that is, an heavenly" where God had prepared a city for all those who would be justified by faith in Jesus (cp Ro 4:14-16; 13:14 with Ga 3:8). There are many more scriptures testifying to Abraham's faith in the Bible but those included here will suffice for the purpose of this exercise. Let us go back now for another look at Gen 12:1-5 (cp Gen 12:1-5; He 11:8-10). Christians should take careful note of how Abraham responded to God by faith here, because like Abraham, every believer in Christ is also called by God to leave their home, their kindred and their country, in the sense of being separated from worldly things, to follow Jesus (cp Mt 10:37-39; 16:24-25; Mk 8:34-38; Lk 14:25-27, 33).

The City of God is New Jerusalem, which is clearly identified in scripture as the Bride of Christ, where all the saints of God, Old Testament and New Testament alike, will go to live with Jesus for all eternity (cp Rev 3:12; 19:7-9; 21:2-3, 9-10, 22-27). This clearly refutes the teaching in the contemporary Church that the Church itself is the Bride of Christ. See also comments on 2Cor 11:2; Eph 2:15-16 (B), Eph 4:13, 5:25-32; Rev 19:7-9, 21:2 and 22:17 and author's study The Bride of Christ in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1).

4:9-10 If justification is by faith alone why did God command Abraham to be circumcised?

Abraham was justified by faith at least 14 years before God commanded him to be circumcised (cp Gen 17:1-19, 24-27). Abraham was 99 years old here, and Ishmael, his son from Hagar, his wife Sarah's handmaid, was 13 years old, which means that he was conceived approximately 14 years earlier (cp Gen 16:1-4). We see here that Abraham had been in Canaan 10 years when he and Hagar conceived Ishmael, and it was during this time that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (cp Ro 15:1-6). Abraham's circumcision was a sign of his righteousness, not a cause of it. It was an outward demonstration of the righteousness God had credited to him by faith while uncircumcised (cp Ro 4:11-12). It should be noted here that circumcision is not a prerequisite for New Testament Christians (see comments on Ac 15:1-29).

4:13 What does it mean that Abraham should be the heir of the world?

This refers to God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants (cp Gen 12:1-3; 18:17-18; 21:12; 22:15-18; Ro 4:16-18; Ga 3:8). Seed in Gen 21:12 refers specifically to Jesus, which Paul quotes in Ga 3:16 (cp Ga 3:16). Because of Jesus, Abraham, his descendants, and all who are justified by faith with him, will inherit the earth (cp Ro 4:11-12 with Psa 37:11; Mt 5:5; 25:34; Rev 5:10; 22:4-5).

4:18-22 Did Abraham's faith ever waver?

Yes, scriptures record that Abraham's faith did waver twice, but God did not reject him because of it (cp Gen 16:1-2; 20:11-18). Contemporary Christians who have also had faith lapses can take heart here from the fact that in spite of his lapses of faith, God still counted Abraham's faith unto him for righteousness (cp Ga 3:6).

,/div> 4:23-25 What do we learn from what Paul says here?

We learn from this that God's promise to Abraham has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Every repentant sinner becomes a child of God and heir of the promise through faith in Jesus (cp V11-13 with Ga 3:26-29). Christ's resurrection ensures our justification. If he had not been resurrected we would still be under condemnation for sin (cp Jn 14:19 with 1Cor 15:12-17).

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