14. If those who obey Moses’ Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless.
15. The laws in Moses’ Teachings bring about anger. But where those laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken.
16. Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift. Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses’ Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us,
17. as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.”Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don’t even exist.
18. When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: “That is how many descendants you will have.”
19. Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children.