Tag: Romans 4:18-22
Our God is able!
Scripture reading for November 18: Romans 4-5
Faith always has an object and that object is God! God alone is trustworthy and faithful to His word. If He said it, He will do it! He has the power to do whatever He says He will and the character of never lying! Paul writes to us today about Abraham and Sarah and what they discovered in their journey with God.
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it has been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead–since he was about a hundred years old–and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised. This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.'” Romans 4:18-22
Sometimes things look impossible to the natural eye. When Abraham and Sara left their home to go to Canaan, God told them that He would give them offspring. (Genesis 15:4-6) In fact, their offspring would number more than the stars in the sky! Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteousness!
Time passed and they tried to produce the offspring. Nothing happened and they were getting older. Sarah gave Abraham her maid and she conceived a son, Ishmael. They thought that perhaps this child was the promised seed, but God visited them again and told them that in their old age that they would have a son from their own bodies! This seemed so impossible that Sarah, listening to the angelic visitor, laughed out loud! (Genesis 18:10-15) However, God restored their bodies and they had the child, Isaac, whose name means “laughter’! God’s Word is good and He is faithful! He has the power to do whatever He says!
Faith is not difficult. It is simply coming to the point of being fully persuaded that God is faithful! What He has promised, He will bring to pass! If you have heard Him promise you a child, believe it and prepare for a child! If He has shown you it is time to move to a new city and preach the Gospel, pack up and head out! Your faith is counted as righteousness! How marvelous is the grace of our amazing God!
Unwavering faith of Abraham
Scripture reading for May 19th: Romans 4, Psalm 100, Proverbs 7
Romans 4: 18-22 “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.”
God’s promises are precious and should be treasured and trusted. Abraham was promised fatherhood of many nations. He was shown the stars of heaven and told that would be what his offspring would be like in number. Time and barrenness of Sarah, his wife, tested their faith in that promise. When God again reminded them of that promise, Abraham was near 100 years old and Sarah 90 years. Against human understanding, Abraham and Sarah trusted God and received the promise! His faith was counted as righteousness as a gift of grace. Their dead reproductive systems were made alive and Isaac was brought into the world. Faith in Jesus Christ brings eternal life to our dead-in-sin souls as well! Hallelujah!
Psalm 100:1-2 “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He Who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.”
Prayer: Father God, Hallelujah! I shout praises to Your Name and serve You with gladness because of Your promise of righteousness and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ! I am convinced that You have done and will do what You promise for me and all who believe by faith in Your Son. Fill me with your Spirit and empower me to share this Good News with those still in bondage to sin and self. Amen!
Proverbs 7:24-25 “And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her (the prostitute) ways; do not stray to her path, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng.”
Fully persuaded!
Scripture reading for June 17th: Romans 4
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Romans 4:18-22 “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead–since he was about a hundred years old–and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why “It was credited to him as righteousness.””
Abraham was known in Israel as the father of the nation. He took God at His word at a time when he was old and his wife was also old and their bodies beyond normal child-bearing ages. God promised him offspring–an heir that would come from his own body, through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed. Abraham would also be the father of many nations. After God spoke to him, Abraham was strengthened in his faith and became “fully persuaded” that God had the power to fulfill His promises, no matter what it looked like in the natural! This became a credit of righteousness before God!
Observations for over-comers: Believing God is the essence of all faith and true righteousness. Believing is the only way to please God and God will reward each person, who like Abraham is “fully persuaded” with eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ! We, like Abraham, will be credited with righteousness! “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright–but the righteous will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)