The apostle Paul writes about Abraham from the Old Testament. Abraham lived a long time ago and is considered an important figure in the Bible.
Paul explains that Abraham was justified or made right with God, not because of his good deeds, but because of his faith. Paul gives an example and explains that if someone works and earns money, their paycheck is not a gift but something they have earned. When it comes to a relationship with God, we can’t earn our way into His favor. Instead, it is through faith, like Abraham had, that we are made right with God.
Paul goes on to explain that faith is trusting and believing in God’s promises, even when we can’t see them yet. He uses Abraham believed in God’s promise of having many descendants, even though he and his wife were very old and didn’t have any children yet.
Abraham looks up and simply trusts God’s promise. God graciously responds by entering into a covenant with him, promising that Abraham will become a father of many nations, that God’s blessing may come to the whole world.
Abraham’s longevity along with others found in Genesis 5-11 can be explained in a helpful article from BioLogos –“Life Spans in Genesis – Literal or Symbolic?”
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