2022 1218 Against all Hope, Hope

GOD IS FAITHFUL

GOD IS FAITHFUL

NO ONE RIGHTEOUS

THERE IS HOPE

RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH CHRIST ALONE

Faith leads to Righteousness

Romans 4:5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

Promise by Faith

Romans 4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace

Romans 4:18 NIV

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.”

Against All Hope

against all hope, hope

when you have learnt to stand firm, stand

have to forgive, forgive

kingdom principle

what is impossible for man

Luke 18:27  Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Role of Faith

against all hope, hope

faith through God is the point of this exercise

how would God establish faith as the benchmark

have a child when it is medically impossible

let us not deny the divine when the world says so

Romans 4:19 NIV

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.

Dead Man Breeding

Abraham and Sarah were both past it

her womb was dead

his body was old - 100 yo

by all natural or worldly reckoning, the time for a child was past

Persistence of Faith

the faith did not weakened

believing God is easy

hanging in there is a different proposition

Romans 4:20 NIV

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

No Waver

there would be times that doubt arose

Genesis 17:17 NIV

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

here is the human reaction - disbelief, shock, unexpected

the spiritual response must be allowed to take over

unbelief is the ongoing state not the initial reaction

Abraham held onto the promise

Romans 4:21 NIV

being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

God Promises

God is faithful - Romans 3:4

his promises are faithful

the narrative of Abraham is used as a template for faith

Jesus, Paul, Hebrews, James and Peter

Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah

Galatians 3:17-18

 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.

promise came before the Law

the Law does not negate the promise

promise relies on faith

 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

inheritance of many nations is dependant solely on the promise

God in his grace!!

grace is that divine favour

the law brought legalism

the devil uses the law because he is a legalist

God is faithful in all his promises