Day 165, Romans 4
The power of story:
In this chapter, Paul uses two famous ancestors from the Old Testament to further illustrate the truths he is teaching.
Truth is always powerful when it is wrapped in story: God is not a theoretical construct, He is an eternal being living in relationship with His created image (us).
Firstly, Abraham (who is revered by Jews as the father of their faith) did not receive righteousness through what he did in leaving his homeland and migrating to the land of promise. Instead, what Abraham did flowed from his faith in God. His actions demonstrated his trust, his belief in what God had told him to do.
Additionally, Abraham started to observe the laws and customs God gave to His people AFTER beginning his journey of faith. The circumcision followed the obedience, as a sign of it not the means.
And secondly, King David (Israel’s first and most famous king), declares God’s unilateral gift of righteousness after sin: he celebrates how much joy there is for those who hear the Lord speak over them, “I will never hold your sins against you.” Of course, David had every cause to be thankful for God’s kindness in this because he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband murdered! It was faith that made this possible too.
David was one of the notable examples of the promise to Abraham applying to future generations. Abraham’s faith gave us Isaac, and his faith led to the fulfillment of the promise that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. David’s faith in Abraham’s promise brought us Solomon and ultimately Jesus. Today there are billions who can be counted as Abraham’s children by faith, and the promise of God is fulfilled.
As the end of this chapter tells us: “When we believe and embrace the one who brought our Lord Jesus back to life, perfect righteousness will be credited to our account as well. Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that he had made us right with God!”
Who will you invite to be right with God today? It’s a free gift for anyone who accepts it!
Have a great day!
Mark.