And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them.And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
3 sermons cite this verse
produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. God demonstrates his love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from God's wrath through him? For if in our sin, not only is this so, but we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we have now received reconciliation. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men because all sin, for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but sin is not taken into account where there is no law. …
… It comes directly from Scripture, family. Paul says this in Romans 4, verse 11, signs and seals. It says that Abraham received circumcision as a sign and seal of the righteousness he possessed, already possessed by faith. Notice that. Okay? Sign and seal, sign and seal. Notice that Abraham already had a promise. He already believed, and he was already justified. So God could have simply spoken his promises and just left it there, right? His word is enough. It could have been enough. His promises are true. He speaks to them, yet God in his kindness does more. Why? A sign. Well, specifically because of what a sign does. What does a sign do? A sign points beyond itself to a greater reality. That's what it's doing. When we take communion, right, it's pointing to a greater reality. When you see you're driving down Fullwood and you make a, you know, after church, you make the right, you know, and you go down a little further, and you'll see the Matthews sign, the big Matthews sign there. …
7. By “the righteousness which is of faith” is meant, that condition of justification, (and, in consequence, of present and final salvation, if we endure therein unto the end,) which was given by God to fallen man, through the merits and mediation of his only-begotten Son. This was in part revealed to Adam, soon after his fall; being contained in the original promise, made to him and his seed, concerning the Seed of the Woman, who should “bruise the serpent’s head.” (Gen. 3:15.) It was a little more clearly revealed to Abraham, by the angel of God from heaven, saying, “By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that in thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed.” (Gen. 12:15, 18.) It was yet more fully made known to Moses, to David, and to the Prophets that followed; and, through them, to many of the people of God in their respective generations. But still the bulk even of these were ignorant of it; and very few understood it clearly. Still “life and immortality” were not so “brought to light” to the Jews of old, as they are now unto us “by the gospel.” 8. Now, this covenant saith not to sinful man, “Perform unsinning obedience, and live.” If this were the term, he would have no more benefit by all which Christ hath done and suffered for him, than if he was required, in order to life, to “ascend into heaven, and bring down Christ from above;” or to “descend into the deep,” into the invisible world, and “bring up Christ from the dead.” It doth not require any impossibility to be done: (Although to mere man, what it requires would be impossible; but not to man assisted by the Spirit of God:) This were only to mock human weakness. Indeed, strictly speaking, the covenant of grace doth not require us to do anything at all, as absolutely and indispensably necessary in order to our justification; but only, to believe in Him who, for the sake of his Son, and the propitiation which he hath made, “justifieth the ungodly that worketh not,” and imputes his faith to him for righteousness. Even so Abraham “believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6.) “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith, — that he might be the father of all them that believe, — that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.” (Rom. 4:11.) “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it,” i.e., faith, “was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed,” to whom faith shall be imputed for righteousness, shall stand in the stead of perfect obedience, in order to our acceptance with God, “if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered” to death “for our offences, and was raised again for our justification:” (Rom. 4:23–25:) For the assurance of the remission of our sins, and of a second life to come, to them that believe. …