Walking by Faith, not By sight

Leaning on God’s timing not our own

Romans 1:8-10 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.”

Today's Best Illustrations, Volumes 1-4 Fried Chickens Don’t Fly

If God did not bless, not one hair, not a solitary wisp of straw, would grow; but there would be an end of everything. At the same time God wants me to take this stand: I would have nothing whatever if I did not plow and sow. God does not want to have success come without work, and yet I am not to achieve it by my work. He does not want me to sit at home, to loaf, to commit matters to God, and to wait till a fried chicken flies into my mouth. That would be tempting God

The power of 2+1

Romans 8:11-13 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,”

The Word of God is for everyone

Romans 1:14-15 “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.”

Salvation by Faith

Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

The New Pilgrim Bible Romans 1

Salvation is in three tenses: past—every believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Romans 3:19); present—every believer is being saved daily from the power of sin in his life (Romans 6:14); future—every believer will be saved from even the presence of sin in his nature, so that in heaven he will be without sin and become more like the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:11).

In bestowing salvation on us, God uses the way of faith instead of the way of works. He offers His righteousness only to those who believe (Romans 3:22). Faith, in the cases of salvation and righteousness, is distrusting self and trusting another—in this case, God. It is believing that what He says is true before we see that it is.

Martin Luther calls himself a Good monk, if ever there was one.

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott Luther’s Journey toward Justification by Faith

But nothing pacified his tormented conscience until [he was] appointed professor of Bible at [the] University of Wittenberg and from 1513–1516 he studied and expounded first Psalms, then Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

From Psalm 22 Luther learned that Jesus was not only [a] terrifying Judge but [a] most merciful savior. [He was] godforsaken on [the] cross because of our sins. And from Romans 1 he learned that God’s “righteousness” was not his justice punishing sinners but his justification, pronouncing them righteous, and that by faith alone.

Today's Best Illustrations, Volumes 1-4 Out of the Rabbit Holes

Many believers are “rabbit hole” Christians. In the morning they pop out of their safe Christian homes, hold their breath at work, scurry home to their families and then off to their Bible studies, and finally end the day praying for the unbelievers they safely avoided all day.

Living by Faith

Romans 1:17 “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.””