August 9, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Romans? Here’s today’s reading:
Romans 4 (NIV)
Abraham Justified by Faith
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”........Continue Reading
“It was credited to him” and it will be credited to all that Believe! we do not earn our righteousness through our works it is a free gift, an undeserved present! Christ did the work…the God that can bring the dead to life and and speak things into existence that were not there did this for the likes of me! So beyond grateful for my salvation!
Romans 2 – 4
Romans 4
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. – Romans 4:4-5
The realization of our insufficiency leads us to understand that any payment for work we might do will gain us nothing; it will not please God. It is God and His righteousness which we have faith in, a gift of our trust in Him and who He is.
I missed the beginning of Romans. My favorite book and what a chapter to begin with Romans 1-20. Blows away any theory of how can a loving God condemned anyone. They condemn themselves. God had shown himself to everyone through the simple things we see each day. Evolution is the best man can come up with. Such a far cry from God’s invisible qualities!!! Verse 24 to the end. . Where we are today. God has given us over to our own desires, to a depraved mind, not knowing right from wrong any longer. This scripture has come alive before our eyes!!! Romans 2. Doesn’t matter. Jew or gentile. Everyone deserves Gods punishment for their own sins. Think he’s leading up to something? Maybe Romans 8-1!!!!!!
Paul continues to drive home being a Hebrew does not give a free pass to heaven. A huge hook inside Jewish people even today. Pride is such a weapon of the enemy. Humility is a tribute to a follower of Jesus. Love the end of chapter 4. Paul has hammered all of their arguments they could think of. Then comforts us with the fact that Abraham’s credit is not for him alone but for all of us who believe in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. We have been justified. Hallelujah
Romans 4
Romans 4
As Paul has been building a case that those under the law as well as those not under the law are all sinful and accountable to God and thereby God had to provide a salvation that is based in faith and not works, who better to turn to as an example of this than Abraham. Abraham was the top Jew and so if a point could be made about his life, it would have great influence over the Jews in the church at Rome. And Paul nails it, doesn’t he? Abraham’s righteousness was credited to him because he believed and this happened before he was circumcised. So he becomes the prototype for everyone who wants to be right with God. We can only be made right by believing, not by works. Now Abraham believed the promise of God around him having children. Our faith is based on the work of Jesus on the cross. And you can’t miss the concise gospel information in Romans 4:25….” He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
Praise be to God for so great a salvation so rich and free!
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 NIV
https://romans.bible/romans-6-23
Praise be to You, Lord Jesus Christ!
Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Paul layers the argument that he was credited with righteousness through faith even before he had obeyed through circumcision. There was no “work” that even demonstrated his ability to be even an ounce righteous. Abraham believed God. God told Abraham some fleshly impossible promises, and Abraham believed Him.
Similarly, we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead. Even that is not as hard to believe because we have witnesses and written records. I was listening to a teaching recently about truth and faith and a woman mentioned that the Christian faith and, the Jewish faith, are not without evidence. Made me think of Romans where God says that God is evident in creation, therefore man is without excuse.