Rom 4-Faith & Joy
| Faith and Forgiveness! Romans 4:1-8
May 28, 2006 New Century Version So what can we say that Abraham, the father of our people, learned about faith? 2If Abraham was made right by the things he did, he had a reason to brag. But this is not God’s view, 3because the Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.”4When people work, their pay is not given as a gift, but as something earned. 5But people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him, who makes even evil people right in his sight. Then God accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him. 6David said the same thing. He said that people are truly blessed when God, without paying attention to good deeds, makes people right with himself.7“Happy are they whose sins are forgiven,whose wrongs are pardoned.8Happy is the personwhom the Lord does not consider guilty.” Pray. Scripture Memory: Romans 3:26 – God gave Jesus in order “to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Intro:Faith. What does a man/woman of faith look like? What traits would identify them? How many of us would consider ourselves man/woman of faith? How many of us would those who know us consider to be man/woman of faith?1. Faith that Saves 2. Faith that Frees 3. Faith that Fulfills 1. Faith that Saves (vv. 1-3)So what can we say that Abraham, the father of our people, learned about faith? 2If Abraham was made right by the things he did, he had a reason to brag. But this is not God’s view, 3because the Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.” New Century VersionReview:Defining “faith” – “Faith is believing that Christ is what he is said to be, and that He will do what He has promised to do, and then to expect this of Him.” Charles Haddon SpurgeonOur tendency towards pridePride looks around at others with an attitude of competition. It looks for those with whom I can compare favorablyIt is slow to deal with feelings of inadequacy or criticism by others and, at the same time, quick to criticize or find fault with others.v. 1 – Q: What did Abraham learn about faith? 2 If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story.
3 What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.” (The Message Paraphrase) v. 2 – He “learned” that there is no basis for the man (woman) of God to boast (be proud) – Why? Because the man/woman of God understands that life “is a God-story, not an Abraham story,” or a…“It’s not about me!” (have everyone say this) Faith and pride are incompatible. It is an “either/or.”v. 3 – His faith made Him right with God“Abraham believed God.” – Q: What did that look like? - “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him.” (The Message Paraphrase)He “entered into” it. He acted upon it. Faith means acting upon what God calls us to. – Think about what it means for our children to trust us…Abraham’s faith was a faith that resulted in his salvation…“He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.” (The Message Paraphrase)“Abraham believed God…, and that faith made him right with God.” (New Century Version) (quoting Gen. 15:6) 2. Faith that Frees (vv. 4-6)4When people work, their pay is not given as a gift, but as something earned. 5But people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him, who makes even evil people right in his sight. Then God accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him. 6David said the same thing. He said that people are truly blessed when God, without paying attention to good deeds, makes people right with himself. New Century Versionv. 4 – Receiving what is our due, what we deserve If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. (The Message Paraphrase)Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)wages vs. gifts – The problem which is often raised: If salvation is totally free, then that means I can do whatever I want, right?Gifts can be received with many different attitudes or responses:F Let me pay you backF It’s about time! / So what?Gifts which are received with an attitude of entitlement or any other lack of appreciation undermine the giver. F I love you! I want to be a blessing to you, too!When we do something good for another person, is it an expression of love or an attempt at manipulation? – loving my wife…We obey out of love and gratitude, out of a desire to be pleasing to one to whom we owe debt of love and gratitude. We don’t try to pay Him back, we try to be a blessing to Him – like a child giving a present to his/her parentv. 5 – Acknowledging what is our due v. 5 – People cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him, who makes even evil people right in his sight. New Century VersionThe 1st part of the equation is understanding, and then acknowledging what we truly deserve from God….Our problem is that we find it too easy to gloss over our own sin… (and yet we find it so HARD to overlook the sins of those around us!)v. 6 – Accepting what is by grace alone | | David said the same thing. He said that people are truly blessed when God, without paying attention to good deeds, makes people right with himself. New Century Version“…without paying attention to good deeds…”How would you feel if you worked hard for an extended period of time to please someone and they seemed to just slough off what you did, with little or no acknowledgment?It would take a sizeable amount of true humility to not be resentful.However, if we think of this in terms of attempting to EARN the love of one who already loves us…Most translations here speak God crediting righteousness to His people (vv. 3, 4, 5 & 6)The Greek word here has speaks of the act of putting something into someone’s account. Their account is credited…And in our case that crediting is TOTALLY undeserved and unearned. 3. Faith that Fulfills (vv. 7-8)7 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.8 Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord.” New Living Translation7 “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” New International VersionPsalm 32:1-2 – a psalm of David as he reflected on his guilt and God’s forgiveness…F The joy of forgivenessGuilt is a terrible thing to carry.Perhaps you are suffering from guilt for some past action. Perhaps your mind returns again and again to the wrong you have done. If guilt is an ever-present companion, then you need to experience what David knew as a result of God’s grace in reference to his sin.Guilt forms a barrier between us, between us and God and between us and each other…One of the ways the ancients sometimes punished the crime of murder was to bind the victim’s corpse to the murderer so that he was forced to carry about the decaying body of his victim. – a horrible picture…Assurance of forgiveness is the only true remedy for guilt. Oh what a relief it can be!!!My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!—My sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Horatio SpaffordF The Joy of reconciliationIt is truly a joyful occasion when two who were alienated from each other are reconciled!“There is more joy in heaven…” Luke 15:7 [I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.]Why? Because forgiveness leads to reconciliation and reconciliation results in great joy. – Think of any of a number of stories of parents who were estranged from their children, or couples who were estranged from each other, and then they made up…And here, the reconciliation is even more amazing and thence more reason to rejoice. It is the reconciliation of God with His rebellious children.F The joy of a clean slate Imagine being able to push a “restart” or “rewind” button anytime you wanted to in life – the video game Mark and I play…“Joy” is a fruit of the Spirit, and it is only experienced by those who are confident that their sin is not being counted against them.When we are free from the fear of failure and condemnation, then we are free to go forward boldly.When we are free from the fear of failure and condemnation, then we are free to forgive others.When we are free from the fear of failure and condemnation, then we are able to hear criticism.When we are confident in the fact that God does not hold our sins against us, we are free to try new things without fear of failure.Note the word: never8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” New International VersionFaith that produces this kind of joy is founded upon the object of our faith. That cannot be allowed to be our feelings or anything else in us. The object of our faith is God. Are we willing to take God at His Word this morning… A Promise to Remember: God will forgive, completely, any who will come to Him in humble faith.A Challenge to Consider: Are we living in the freedom of those who are secure in God’s matchless love for us? |