Romans 4:13
13 For [gar] the promise [epaggelia], that he should be [einai]
the [autos] heir [kleronomos] of the world [kosmos], was
not [ou] to Abraham [Abraam], or [e] to his [autos] seed [sperma], through [dia] the law [nomos], but [alla] through [dia] the righteousness
[dikaiosune] of faith [pistis]. KJV-Interlinear
13 For
the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did
not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ESV
The promises given to Abraham are all summarized here
as the sum total of the promises given not only to Abraham personally but to
His descendants or seed, as it is expressed here. For the promises to Abraham likewise belong
to his descendants as well.
But those promises were not made as dependent on
works, but were made as dependent on faith.
The promises came to Abraham long before circumcision
ever existed.
The summary of the promises are that God would make of him a great
nation, Gen. 12:2, that in him all the
families of the earth should be blessed, Gen. 12:3, that his posterity should
be innumerable as the stars, Gen.
15:5, and that he would be a father of many nations, Gen. 17:5.
But also in the New Testament this is extended to the Messiah, Gal. 3:16, as his descendant, and to
all his followers as the spiritual seed of the father of the faithful. When Paul
calls him, the heir of the world, he sums up in this expression, all the
promises made to Abraham, indicating that his spiritual descendants, i.e. those
who possess his faith, shall be so numerous that they will possess all lands,
namely the entire world, or all that exists.
This concept is extended to the entire universe and heaven combined when
the new universe is created to replace this one. And, whereas there will be only believers in
the new universe then by default they inherit it.
The final inheritance or reward, is synonymous with salvation, or
that which will be given to Abraham and to all believers in eternity, Heb.
11:10-16, Rev. 21-22.
