The Father of Faith By: Zach Collins In Genesis 17:4-8, God changed a name. He changed Abram’s name, meaning “exalted father”, to Abraham, meaning, “father of a multitude” (c.f., Romans 4:17). This is why he is often referenced as, “The Father of Faith”, as the faithful of old and new would be made justified through His seed, Jesus Christ (c.f., Hebrews 9:15). In this article, I want to explore a statement, found in Romans 4, which speaks of Abraham’s faith and righteousness.  Paul wrote, “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:4-5) Many have taken this verse by lawless hands, ripped it from its context, and used it as a weapon against God’s plan of justification by asserting the “alien sinner” is saved by “faith alone”, apart from any acts of obedience on the part of man. However, to undergo such an application with this revelation is to misuse and abuse the text itself.  Consider the evidence. This citation of scripture, from Genesis 15:6, has nothing to do with the salvation of Abraham’s soul from sin, as he had been a faithful and obedient servant of God by the time of this writing. In fact, this same verse is also quoted in James 2:23, where James is discussing the obedience of Abraham in following the commands of God. On two occasions, in v. 21 and v. 24, James repeatedly states that Abraham was, and we are, justified by faithful obedience. I would invite you to consider the …