SCRIPTURE: and OBSERVATION:
Romans (NIV) 4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Here is the summation. Here is the heart of the matter. Here is where we have security. The promise given to us by grace is received by faith. It comes from the gracious hand of a loving Heavenly Father. It is received as a gift by the children of Abraham. They receive this gift through the hands of faith. They are assured of their possession because they have confidence in the One who made the promise! They are justified freely by His grace! It is guaranteed to them.
For a gift to fulfill its purpose it must be both given and received. God, the Giver, in grace gives His Word. Man, the receiver, in faith receives the gift.
Heaven’s righteousness is only available from heaven. It is only given through God’s grace. It is only received through faith. That is the way Abraham received justification. That is the way his children receive justification. Both those born under the law, and those born outside the law (of Moses), must come the same way. They must come in faith. Although Abraham is the physical father of the Jewish nation, he is the father of those who believe.
APPLICATION: When a person received Jesus as Lord, it is very common for them to experience great joy and peace. But it is not the joy and peace that saves us. They are common and logical responses to the presence of Jesus living within. What saves us is our faith in accepting the grace offered to us through the death and resurrection of God’s Son Jesus. We have faith that God accepts the death of Jesus as the payment for our sins. It is not that He will, but that He has! We are free from the burden of sin!
PRAYER: Lord, just the thought of what you have done for me makes my heart rejoice! The more I understand what you have done for me, the more I rejoice. May my life today be an expression of my gratefulness. Amen
Pastor Leon
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