Jesus has accomplished what God has promised.

Romans 4:17 (as it is written, "A father of many nations have I made you") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. Today, we take more encouragement to live to love with Jesus from the story of Abraham. Paul quoted Genesis 17:5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” Notice the love of God for Abraham that had you and me in view. This verse tells us how Abraham became our father in the faith. Jesus did it! “A father of many nations, I have made you.” Let’s not miss who is speaking. It’s Jesus! Jesus made Abraham a father in the presence of God, the Father, whom he believed when God made the promise to him. Jesus accomplished what the Father promised to Abraham, and it is the same for us. If you remember, it was Jesus, the angel of the Lord, who came to visit Abram and told him Sarah would give birth to a son. He gave life to Abraham’s seed and to Sarah’s womb, then called Isaac into existence. That was a foreshadowing of salvation by faith in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus has accomplished our salvation for us by giving us life (for we were dead) and by calling into existence that which doesn’t exist, namely faith. If Jesus birthed faith in Abraham and also births faith in us, then he is our father in the faith. All of this happened because of the grace of God. To God be the glory, great things He has done. This should encourage us to love God all the more by loving others in His name. Let’s not forget that one aspect of loving them is to tell them the good news God has made a way for them to stand right before Him, not on the basis of their deeds, but on the basis of Jesus’ deeds on their behalf. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com