Romans Part 12 Keep the Faith

Romans 4:16-25.

Tonight we are going to pick right back up in Paul’s explanation of righteousness by faith

let’s start at vs 16

The New International Version Chapter 4

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.” o 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.

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.” t 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.

Promise comes by faith.

Paul continues to use Abraham as an example of the truth

Abraham’s act of faith didn’t have anything to do with the law and it didn’t have anything to do with circumcision.

It had to do with the trust in God who promised something that would have been impossible without God

vs. 20

The New International Version Chapter 4

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.

Abraham had great faith and hope

and he gave all the glory to where it belonged.

he didn’t waver in his belief

Now he wasn’t perfect, because through the process he made some questionable decisions at best

but he had faith

Have you ever had faith in God to do the impossible?

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking in the world of what we can see, touch, and smell, taste and hear

This is why so many struggle to believe in God.

The things claimed in Scripture and elsewhere that God has done, can do and will do are impossible by our human understanding of how the universe works

What we know of the universe is that it is made up of time, space and matter.

Now, we can break those down in a more scientific understanding by talking about normal matter, dark matter and dark energy

but most people don’t know anything about those and don’t want to know

So for the basic understanding, we will use time space and matter

the universe and everything in it can only function within the parameters of time space and matter

Therefore, things that claim power outside of those things, seem unreal or crazy.

However, in order for there to be a creator of the universe, that creator has to be outside of time space and matter.

If he is outside time space and matter to create, then He has power outside of those things.

This is how we know we can have faith in Him

So, if God says it, we know He can do it, we need to have faith and believe He will do it.

vs. 22

The New International Version Chapter 4

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.

Paul wraps it up in a clear understanding

Abraham’s faith was credited to him for righteousness

likewise, righteousness will be credited to us if we believe and have faith in him

Jesus is the object of our faith

For Abraham, he trusted the power of God to bring life from what seemed to be death from his age and Sara's baron womb

We have seen God’s power to bring life back from death.

We are blessed to have all the teachings of Scripture

The understanding of the past

the Prophecies fufilled

The miracles that have taken place

and the Prophecies yet to come

This is awesome for us, but why did Abraham have faith, what did he have to know God was real and true?

Not only did he have the word of his ancestors

But the word of those who have been there

Not to say that they knew each other, but Noah was still alive, well into Abraham’s adulthood

Shem, who was also on the boat during the flood, lived passed Abraham

One of the most spectacular events that we still talk about in today, the people involved were still living in Abraham’s time

There is also the little thing of God speaking directly to Abraham

We have no excuse not to have faith and trust him.

Have faith, keep that faith

Pray