In his sermon on Romans 4:18–19, Stephen Davey explains how Paul uses Abraham as the prime example of hope that looks past impossibility and clings to God’s character instead of circumstances. Abraham appeared to be a hopeless case—about one hundred years old, his body “as good as dead,” and Sarah long past childbearing—yet God spoke of his future descendants in the past tense, as though the promise were already fulfilled. Davey shows that Abraham’s hope rested on two ingredients: the resolution to believe without clearly seeing and the choice to trust without corresponding evidence. Though Abraham stumbled at times—most notably through the birth of Ishmael—God viewed him through the lens of grace and ultimately commended his faith. Davey contrasts this with the hopelessness that marks people who look only at unmet needs, unwanted circumstances, and unfulfilled expectations. But like Abraham, believers discover hope when they calculate life not by visible evidence but by God’s promises, trusting Him even when the odds mock their faith. Davey concludes that the God who gave life to Abraham’s “dead” situation is the same God who gives hope to His people today, filling them with joy and peace as they trust in Him.
The Hopeless Case
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