Eternity Daily Bible Study: No. 517 Romans 1-8 - A Righteousness That Is By Faith Verses: Romans 4:14-22 Topic: Real Living Faith Date: 3rd October 2005 Romans 4:14-22 HCSB If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled. (15) For the law produces wrath; but where there is no law, there is no transgression. (16) This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants--not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of Abraham's faith. He is the father of us all (17) in God's sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. (18) Against hope, with hope he believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be. (19) He considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb, without weakening in the faith. (20) He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (21) because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (22) Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness. What is real, living faith and why does God so value it that He makes it the basis of our being with Him in Heaven for all eternity? The first reason is because of the strong connection between "faith" and "promise". If salvation was dependent on human performance (such as observing the Law) then salvation would be simply a wage paid to good humans. It would be an earned reward, instead of being a promised gift. Paul puts it this way: If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled. The law actually only gets us into trouble. It is not the way of salvation. Salvation is God's precious gift to fallen mankind. It comes straight from God's grace. It cannot be earned. For the law produces wrath; but where there is no law, there is no transgression. (16) This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, The second reason is because faith is available to everyone - even those outside the Jewish law. Having faith as the criteria for salvation makes salvation available to all true believers in God anywhere in the world, not only those who happen to be coached in a particular kind of religious ethical code. This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants--not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of Abraham's faith. He is the father of us all in God's sight. So anyone with "Abraham's faith can be saved even if they do not obey the Jewish law in the Old Testament. But what kind of faith was Abraham's faith? Lets look at four aspects of Abraham's faith: 1. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. 2. Against hope, with hope he believed, 3. He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 4. Because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Abraham's faith was not a lot more than a creed that he recited. It was deep practical trust in a good personal God. It was a believing "for" based on a believing "about". Firstly, Abraham believed certain things about the character of God e.g. That God could cause things to come into existence, and that God was capable of fulfilling whatever He promised. Secondly, Abraham believed these things would have certain tangible real world outcomes - e.g. Abraham would have numerous descendants. Thirdly, Abraham believed these real world outcomes would occur even when the circumstances were in total opposition and the situation seemed hope-less. This kind of faith believes God for solutions to "impossible" situations that really matter to you - like having an heir did to Abraham. I call this solution-focused faith (see http://aibi.gospelcom.net/eternity/sf_faith/ ) and define it as follows: Solution-focused faith believes that God will manifest His wonderful and holy nature in wise and perfect and good ways in the midst of our normal daily lives. Abraham believed that God had a certain nature (that God was a faithful promise-keeping God) and that this would have certain practical and tangible outcomes - a land and many descendants. And that kind of trust in His nature got God's attention. God might have said something like this: "Abraham really trusts Me. Abraham trusts Me because he truly knows that I am good. This implicit trust is a clear sign that Abraham knows right from wrong and good from evil and that he only follows that which is good. This is a sign of a true heart and a very good person, for few people think that way in their hearts. So I will declare that Abraham is righteous." It takes a very brave and good heart to trust God totally with that which is most precious to you. If you can do that, if you can really genuinely trust God's character, the way Abraham trusted God, then you certainly have the righteousness that is by faith. I am putting it this way in order to draw a contrast with substitute faith. Substitute faith says "If I believe concept W or creed X or doctrine Y or fact Z then I am saved." Or even "If I believe God exists then I am saved" . James knocks this on the head with one simple observation: James 2:19 HCSB You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe--and they shudder. The Pharisees knew their Bible and believed in God and the High Priests knew their Jewish history, Greek and Hebrew and I suppose that if we had given a Christology exam to Judas he would have passed with flying colors. But none of these had real living Abrahamic "I will stake my whole life on God" kind of faith. Blessings, John Edmiston (johned@aibi.ph) REFER OTHERS: If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving this daily bible study. 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