Romans 4:13
Remember the context. The key word in the chapter is "faith" ("believe"). Abraham’s children are "all them that believe" (v.11). We need to bear the family resemblance! We need to follow in Abraham’s faithful steps (v.12). We need to believe like he believed! We need to take God at His Word like Abraham did (v.3).
Heir = possessor
The promise mentioned in verse 13 is not found anywhere in the Old Testament in these exact words. Nowhere in the O.T. does God say, "Abraham, you will be heir of the world." There is no such verse. This is Paul’s way of describing the blessings and the riches which would belong to Abraham and to his seed.
Notice that this promise is not to Abraham alone, but to all his seed also (see verse 13 and verse 16--"to all the seed"). Thus the promise is to Abraham and to all his spiritual, children ("all them that believe"--v.11). The promise is that Abraham and all believers will be heirs of the world and will possess the earth!
See Matthew 5:5--"the meek shall inherit the earth" ("meek" does not mean weak; it refers to a person who is broken and submissive to the will of God). See Matthew 25:34--when Christ returns to earth certain ones will inherit the kingdom. They will possess it and enjoy it! Certain others will be excluded (see verse 41).
See Luke 13:27-29. Some are in the kingdom (included) and others are out (excluded). Abraham and other believers are included! They shall possess the world and enjoy the kingdom. Those who are not Abraham’s seed (unbelievers) will not be heirs (they will be excluded from the kingdom).
Abraham’s true Seed is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ (see Galatians 3:16). It is Jesus Christ (God’s Messiah, God’s anointed King--Psalm 2:1-2) who will possess the earth according to Psalm 2:8 (compare also verse 12). The earth belongs to Him. It is His Kingdom! Abraham and all His spiritual seed (believers) will share in the blessings of this kingdom.
Thus the expression "heir of the world" essentially means "to be part of Christ’s kingdom." According to Romans 4:13, how does a person become part of the kingdom? How does a person become heir of the world? Not through the law but through faith! If it were through the law, then this would involve the following: works, seeking to meet God’s requirements as given in the law, trying to earn God’s favor by obeying God’s law, trying to earn God’s blessings, trying to make yourself worthy, looking to get a reward as payment for work done, striving, achieving, etc. Faith operates on another principle entirely: God gives and I receive. I’m not worthy of any of it but God gives me what I do not deserve (that’s grace!).
Romans 4:14
For the sake of argument Paul assumes something to be true which is not true. There are great contrasts here: law in contrast to grace; works in contrast to faith; a system of merit in contrast to God’s free gift and unmerited favor; fulfilling God’s Law in contrast to believing God’s promise. The law requires perfect obedience; salvation requires God’s mercy and grace. The way of the law is based upon man’s best efforts which are never enough; the way of faith is based on Christ’s finished work on the cross (Jn.19:30) which is totally sufficient. God’s holy law utterly condemns the best man; God’s amazing grace freely justifies the worst man. By the law the sinner is condemned and under God’s wrath; by grace the sinner is saved and under God’s wing. Law and grace are always opposing principles (see Romans 11:6).
If they who are of the law be heirs, then it is not my believing that counts but it’s my doing that counts! I must earn my way into the kingdom by my works and by my obedience to the law. Of course, the legal way of salvation is totally impossible (see Luke 10:25-28--"this do and thou shalt live!", but no sinner could ever do these things!). Thus the promise would be made of none effect! No one would be an heir and no one would make the kingdom! All unrighteous lawbreakers would be excluded (compare 1 Cor. 6:9-10 and Eph. 5:5).
Romans 4:15
The law produces only wrath. The law can only produce a curse, not a blessing (Gal. 3:10). Why? Because of my condition as a sinner. A sinner cannot keep God’s holy law and thus I am a lawbreaker. God’s wrath must fall on me! Lawbreakers deserve death! Law-keepers deserve life, but how many of us have really kept God’s holy law and kept it perfectly all the days of our life?
The law does not bring righteousness or blessing or an inheritance but it only brings God’s wrath. If man could keep God’s holy and perfect law, then the law would bring life and blessing (Luke 10:28). The law works wrath because of sinful man’s transgression of the law. Where there is law there is transgression, and where there is transgression there must be God’s wrath. The law worketh wrath, condemnation and death (compare 2 Cor.3:7,9). How foolish are those who want to put themselves under the awesome demands of God’s holy law. Paul says that such people do not even keep the law themselves (Gal. 6:13). Peter agrees with Paul (Acts 15:9-11). The Lord Jesus said, "None of you keepeth the law" (John 7:19).
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