SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 4
ABRAHAM JUSTIFIED BY FAITH (vs. 1-25)
Circumstances why Abraham was justified by faith:
- Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. (v. 3)
- Abraham did not work but trusted God and his faith was credited as righteousness. (v. 5)
- While Abraham was still uncircumcised, he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness he had by faith. So righteousness was credited to him. (vs. 9-11)
- Abraham walk in the footsteps of faith (v. 12)
It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. Abraham was made the father of us all. God had made him father of many nations. Without weakening his faith, his body was about a hundred years old and Sarah’s womb was also dead, yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of his faith and gave glory to God. He believed and fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. That was why it was credited to him as righteousness. To all of us who believe in God, who delivered Jesus our Lord over to death for our sins and was raised t o life for our justification, righteousness will also be credited to us.
THOUGHTS:
Abraham was not saved by works but by faith. He was not saved by keeping the law because the law had not been given. He was not saved by obeying a religious ritual because he was not circumcised. It was all by His faith and God’s grace.
David was a murderer and adulterer, yet he was saved because he repented and turned to God and he was forgiven though the Lord allowed David to feel the bitter consequences of his sins.
Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation physically, but he is the father of all believers spiritually. By believing and trusting in Jesus, our sins are forgiven and God puts Christ’s righteousness on our account. Do you want to be saved? Now is the time to accept the free gift of salvation.