JUNE 20 READING…ROMANS 4
Paul tackles a huge issue in today’s reading. His statements deal with the root of any claim the religious leaders had of being righteous before God, because they followed the way of Abraham. Yet, Paul would have them understand that they did not even understand about Abraham’s standing with God…how he received that standing, and even Abraham’s need to come to God the way we all must come to God. Paul wants us to know that Abraham was not justified by his works, but by the grace of God through faith…the same way we are.
Paul tells us first what Abraham’s righteousness is not from. It is not from the fact that he was circumcised. God did not justify Abraham because he was circumcised…Abraham was circumcised, because he was justified by God. In much the same way we baptize people to bring them salvation, but because they have been saved. For Abraham the sign of his righteousness was circumcision…for us the sign of our righteousness through Jesus Christ, is baptism. Abraham’s righteousness was not from the fact that he kept the law. The law could not save Abraham, the law cannot save anyone. The law shows us who we are…therefore the law will always condemn us, for we cannot keep the law perfectly. Nor could Abraham. So, in the law, all are condemned, except the One who could perfectly keep the law…Jesus.
How then was Abraham made righteous before God? The same way we are all made righteous by God. We are all made righteous by the grace of God, through faith. It has always been this way. Apart from the grace of God, no one has ever been saved…and no one could ever be saved. Faith is how we respond to God…Faith is how we come to God…Faith is how we receive from God. When anyone claims to be a “child of Abraham”, they are declaring to be a person of biblical faith. It has nothing to do with ethnicity before God…it has everything to do with like Abraham, by faith, being fully convinced that what God had promised He was fully able to accomplish. Do you have that kind of faith? Do you really trust God? Do you believe in every area of life that every promise that God gives, He is fully able to accomplish?
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW’S READING…ROMANS 5