Romans 4:18-25 (NIV)
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.
20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone,
24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
In Galatians Paul asked them do you receive His Spirit and see God work miracles because of the law or believing what you heard? The correct answer is because of the faith they had in what they heard. Abraham stands in that tradition of believing God's word. This passage says that Abraham did not waver concerning the promise but was even strengthened in his faith. Abraham had to have children in order to become the father of many nations. He had no children and his wife was beyond child bearing age. Abraham believed and God credited that to him as righteousness. How is your faith in the Lord Jesus coming along? Christ was crucified and rose from the dead for our justification. Do you believe you are completely forgiven by this Holy God? God has delivered us from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and one day from the presence of sin!! As Paul says in Galatians, "For this freedom you have been set free." You all have a great free day today!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Romans 4:16-17 (NIV)
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
For your information there is a whole theological system that is called promise theology. I do not want to get to technical, however I do think it is important you have some understanding of this system. Basically those that believe in this system see the Bible as one story and that story is connected to the promise that was given to Abram in Genesis 12.
1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”£
Notice the last phrase is, "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." God gave a promise to Abram and God has and is carrying out that promise to it's completion.
The problem with this system and there are problems with all the theological systems is how does the church fit in since this promise was given to Abram a Jew. I believe Paul is answering all those questions in Romans and in Galatians. Because the promise was given and Abram believed, then it is by faith. That is why Paul says, "He is the father of us all." Another problem is how is the promised carried out since the law came along and we have the church. In Ephesians we have this verse. Ephesians 2:12 (NIV)
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. The key phrase is, "...to the covenants of the promise." The covenants is what distinguishes how God worked in and through Abraham, Moses, and now through the Christ. The covenant is a special agreement between God and His people. In other words how do I know how to connect to Yahweh? The covenant gives the parameters of that relationship. Now what you have is the promise that is carried out by God and to his people through the covenants. There are three covenants and they are the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and the Christ covenant. Trust me this go on and on and on but that is it in a nut shell. I hope you all are have a great week and may God keep your family safe and in His will.
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
For your information there is a whole theological system that is called promise theology. I do not want to get to technical, however I do think it is important you have some understanding of this system. Basically those that believe in this system see the Bible as one story and that story is connected to the promise that was given to Abram in Genesis 12.
1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”£
Notice the last phrase is, "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." God gave a promise to Abram and God has and is carrying out that promise to it's completion.
The problem with this system and there are problems with all the theological systems is how does the church fit in since this promise was given to Abram a Jew. I believe Paul is answering all those questions in Romans and in Galatians. Because the promise was given and Abram believed, then it is by faith. That is why Paul says, "He is the father of us all." Another problem is how is the promised carried out since the law came along and we have the church. In Ephesians we have this verse. Ephesians 2:12 (NIV)
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. The key phrase is, "...to the covenants of the promise." The covenants is what distinguishes how God worked in and through Abraham, Moses, and now through the Christ. The covenant is a special agreement between God and His people. In other words how do I know how to connect to Yahweh? The covenant gives the parameters of that relationship. Now what you have is the promise that is carried out by God and to his people through the covenants. There are three covenants and they are the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and the Christ covenant. Trust me this go on and on and on but that is it in a nut shell. I hope you all are have a great week and may God keep your family safe and in His will.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Romans 4:9-15 (NIV)
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless,
15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
You has been blessed? Is it those that have obeyed the law or who believe? When the law came is a very important time period to know. The law came through Moses. Moses came after Abraham and therefore the law was after Abraham. When did Abraham believe? Did he believe after his circumcision or before? He believed before he was circumcised and he believed before the law was given. We are never referred to as children of Moses, but we are referred to as children of Abraham. Abraham is the paradigm under which we practice our faith. We believe and it is credited to our account. We believe and then we are baptized, not vice versa. Paul is still arguing from chapter one that the just will live by faith! If it is through faith, then it has to be of grace. The two go hand in hand.
Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.
John R. W. Stott (1921– )
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless,
15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
You has been blessed? Is it those that have obeyed the law or who believe? When the law came is a very important time period to know. The law came through Moses. Moses came after Abraham and therefore the law was after Abraham. When did Abraham believe? Did he believe after his circumcision or before? He believed before he was circumcised and he believed before the law was given. We are never referred to as children of Moses, but we are referred to as children of Abraham. Abraham is the paradigm under which we practice our faith. We believe and it is credited to our account. We believe and then we are baptized, not vice versa. Paul is still arguing from chapter one that the just will live by faith! If it is through faith, then it has to be of grace. The two go hand in hand.
Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.
John R. W. Stott (1921– )
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