Fully Persuaded

Tonight we dive back into Romans, and I want to start off by reading what I will refer to as our main passage for the evening. That passage is Romans 4:20-22

Romans 4:20–22 NIV

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.”

Paul is speaking about Abraham… and he is continuing to build the argument that Abraham’s faith in God… was CREDITED as righteousness. Just how strong was Abraham’s faith? According to the passage we just read, Abraham was FULLY PERSUADED that God had the power to do what He had promised.

Now stop and think about that for a moment. We live in a world that is FULL of claims.

These claims are given so that consumers might choose to do business with whoever is making the claim. The companies want you to buy into their services based off their claim.

Not only do many companies make claims, but they often include testimonials of those who trusted the claim and found it to be true.

But with almost every one of these situations, there is something we have begun to expect called… the fine print. OR… the part where the narrator speaks so fast and too quietly that you can barely make out what is being said. The fine print… IS IMPORTANT! Why? Because it typically gives the conditions to the claim!

In Abraham’s case, Romans 4:21 reveals just how much he trusted God’s ability to come through on His promises.

I want you to ask yourself this question: When was the last time you were FULLY PERSUADED regarding anything?

I don’t know if I can think of one claim I have trusted outside of two instances:

One, my faith in God. Yes, there are times that I have questions regarding God’s timing, His plan, etc. But I have no doubts in my heavenly Father.

Two, my trust in my spouse. Kristy have never given me any reason not to trust her… or any reason that would cause me to question her love. I pray she could say the same for me.

Abraham knew that God could AND would deliver! That is truly amazing!

Do we display that same kind of faith? I sometimes wonder if we have more faith in Amazon and Wal-Mart then we do the Lord.

What do I mean? We trust that when we click the button and submit our payment that the items will arrive on time. If you’re like me, I don’t think about it… unless it doesn’t show up as expected.

With God, I fear sometimes that we wonder that if we pray, will He hear us? If we ask, will He respond? The answer is… YES HE WILL… but His response will be according to His plan, timing, and truth.

Imagine how different it would be if… when we prayed… we were FULLY PERSUADED that God will move!!!

Now lets get back to the topic Paul was dealing with here. Paul is trying to convince his audience that righteousness come not by the law, but by faith. Abraham’s faith was rock solid which is why it was CREDITED to him as righteousness.

So as Paul continues to look at Abraham as an example of righteousness by faith, lets break down the points he makes in the rest of Romans 4.

The VALUE of Faith.

Romans 4:13–17 NIV

13 It was not through the 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 depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 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 have 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 into being things that were not.

Paul starts off by bringing some definitions to some common terms. We’re going to work backwards from verse 15.

Verse 15 reveals two important truths regarding the law.

First off, the law brings wrath. Speaking of God’s law given to His people,how does this law bring wrath? Was it God’s intention for the law to bring wrath?

The law makes clear the consequences that come for those who break the law.

Think about it this way. If there was no law regarding how fast a person could travel on highway 36, there would be no reason to post signs nor would there be any reason to patrol the highway: because no law would be broken for driving 100 mph.

But the law sets boundaries. So long as you remain within those boundaries, you have no reason to worry about a law being enforced. But the moment you break that boundary chances are you will get a ticket!

The law sets the boundaries. Outside the law a person will find wrath. But without the law...

There would be no transgressions.

Wait… so why would God not just wipe out the law so everyone is good to do whatever we want, when we wanted it?

Because God is a righteous God… and He cannot fellowship with unrighteousness.

Imagine what the world would look like if no boundaries existed. At first, we might think of it as all good… until we were met with a confrontation of our convictions. No standard would exist… and the world would be a bigger mess than what it is.

WE NEED TO KNOW THE BOUNDARIES. It’s kind of like the guard rails on the highway. We don’t intentionally drive against the rail… we steer clear of that boundary. Why? Because we know what is on the other side!

If we cross the boundary, then we face the consequence of doing so.

Paul works to remind us of the rigidity of the law… he does this, I believe, for this reason:

Paul reminds us of how AWESOME the grace of God is.

Verse 16 makes this clear.

Romans 4:16 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 have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

Through grace, God offers us something that is far beyond what any of us deserve. For Abraham, it was a promise that would come through his offspring… even though Abraham had no kids at that time!

Abraham didn’t deserve this promise through his interactions with God’s law… he graciously received this promise because of HIS FAITH in the One who could deliver on it!

So backing up a little further we need to see one more thing: The value of faith over law.

Paul makes clear that IF we become heirs through the law, then faith has means nothing or has no value (other translations).

Yet it was Abraham’s faith that was credited to him as righteousness. What does the word credited mean? In money terms it means “to enter upon the credit side of an account”

So I see it this way:

If the law is our ledger (the accounting book) and sin was our debits… we would have a list of debts we would never be able to balance on our own against the books. BUT… when our faith comes alive in Jesus, it counts as a credit that cancels ALL debt and satisfies the needs of the ledger.

We cannot wipe out the red in our ledger on our own. Only the blood of Christ has the power to wipe out the red AND bring life to what was already presumed to be… dead!

THAT IS THE VALUE OF OUR FAITH!

And God is STILL doing this today!

God Wants to give Credit… to You.

Romans 4:23–25 NIV

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.

As Abraham believed… so should we believe. As Abraham placed his faith in God, so should we as well. For this is THE ONLY WAY for righteousness to become our reality.

It comes NOT for what we have done - for there is NO WAY we can wipe out all the red from our ledger. It comes through what Christ has done - He paid the price with His very life.

For those who believe… Jesus takes all our sin, all our red, and it was nailed to the cross with Him. In its place, we take on His righteousness. It is a HUGE act of grace and love. It is what we call, Justification - the process in which a sinner such as I, is made righteous in the eyes of our God.

Jesus did it… not me. He did it BEFORE I believed. And now, He has given us the opportunity to place our faith in Him.

So… are you fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised to do?

What has God promised us today?

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He has promised eternal life to those who believe… He satisfied our sin debt before we believed… He gave His Son in the greatest display of love this world has ever seen.

Will you believe in Him?

Call to Prayer