God Keeps His Promises

Introduction

Don’t we all long for healthy, secure relationships with people we can truly trust? Most of us have felt the sting of a broken promise—someone who said they would do something and didn’t.

We know that pain.

And if we’re honest, we’ve all broken promises too.

But here is the good news that changes everything:

God is not like us.

God keeps His promises—always.

We may call it: promise-keeping faithfulness.

That promise-keeping faithfulness is at the heart of today’s passage in Romans 4.

The apostle Paul shows us that the righteousness we need—the right relationship with God, we cannot earn that on our own.

It comes as a gift through faith.

Let’s read the text together.

[Read Romans 4:13–25 (NIV)]

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵ because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²² This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” ²³ The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Expository Walkthrough

1. The Promise Comes by Faith, Not by Law (vv. 13–17)

Paul begins by clarifying how Abraham and his offspring received God’s promise.

It was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

“It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” (v. 13)

The law came centuries after Abraham.

If the promise depended on law-keeping, then faith would be pointless and the promise would collapse under human failure.

¹⁴ For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵ because the law brings wrath.

The law is good and holy, but it brings wrath because it reveals our sin.

It reveals our inability to live up to God’s standard on our own.

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

That’s why the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not just to those under the law, but to everyone who shares Abraham’s faith.

Abraham is “the father of us all” (v. 16).

This is radical good news!

God’s family is not defined by bloodline or religious performance.

¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

It is defined by faith in the God “who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not” (v. 17).

God builds relationship with us based on His promise and His grace—not our performance.

2. Faith Trusts God Even When Circumstances Look Impossible (vv. 18–22)

Abraham’s story gives us a powerful picture of what this faith looks like in real life.

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him…” (v. 18)

Abraham and Sarah were well past the age of having children. Paul says their bodies were “as good as dead.”

¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.

Yet Abraham did not deny the facts.

He faced reality squarely—and then chose to trust God anyway.

²⁰ he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

This is the heart of biblical faith: not blind optimism or denial of hard facts, but deep confidence in a God who is bigger than the facts.

Abraham trusted the promise-keeping God, and “it was credited to him as righteousness” (v. 22).

²² This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

3. This Same Righteousness Is Credited to Us Through Jesus (vv. 23–25)

Paul wants us to see that Abraham’s story is our story.

²³ The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Jesus was “delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (v. 25).

²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

On the cross, Jesus took our failure and brokenness.

In the resurrection, God declared that the work is finished.

Sin and death do not have the last word.

The same God who gave life to Abraham and Sarah’s “dead” situation raised Jesus from the dead.

When we trust in this God—when we believe in the One who raised Jesus—we receive the same gift Abraham received: right relationship with God.

Conclusion

God keeps His promises.

He promised Abraham a family that would bless the world.

Through Jesus, that promise reaches every one of us.

Righteousness is not achieved by rule-keeping or self-effort.

It is received as a gift of grace through faith—simple, trusting dependence on the trustworthy God.

Call to Action

Today, God invites you into the very relationship Jesus shares with the Father by the Spirit.

Will you trust Him?

If you’ve never placed your faith in Jesus, this is the moment to do so.

If you’ve been trying to earn God’s favor through performance, lay that burden down and receive His grace.

And if you’re facing impossible circumstances right now, hear Abraham’s story as encouragement: God is still the One who gives life to the dead.

Let’s become a community that reflects our promise-keeping God.

A people who keep our word.

A people who rebuild trust, and create safety for others because we ourselves are secure in Him.

Amen.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that You always keep Your promises. Strengthen our faith like Abraham’s. Help us trust You even when circumstances look impossible. We believe in the One who raised Jesus from the dead. Credit it to us as righteousness, and fill us with Your Spirit so we can live as Your faithful people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Go in peace, trusting the God who keeps every promise.

Click on link to see original sermon: https://equipper.gci.org/2026/05/sermon-for-june-7-2026-proper-5