Faith Series

Romans 4:1-25

Getting on the Same Page as God about Faith

Introduction

A. Last week we learned about how salvation works

B. We talked about how we had nothing to do with making salvation work

C. It was all God

D. This week we are going to discuss our part

E. What we have to do to obtain Salvation

F. To do so we are going to have a competition

G. For this completion we are going to have three matches

H. However, the one competitors will be involved in all three matches

I. That competitors is faith

J. We are going to have faith versus

a. Works

b. Signs

c. Man

K. Now I will make you a deal

L. The deal is if faith looses any of these matches, I will immediately stop.

I. Faith Vs. Works (1-8)

A. Explanation

1. Now as soon as Paul got finished writing the pervious section on Salvation, he knew that the Jewish community would have a problem

2. He knew that he had better do his homework

3. But Paul was ready, and ready was he ever

4. Knowing that the Jewish community would turn to Abraham he uses Abraham to prove his point

5. Every One assumed that Abraham was in heaven, because after all in the Old Testament it is mention that Abraham was credited with Righteousness

6. But Paul being the Biblical Scholar that he was explains the whole passage

7. He was credited righteous because he believed

8. Not on basis of what he did

9. See there is no arguing with the fact that Abraham did live a pretty good life

10. But rest assured that is not what saved Abraham

B. Application

1. What does that mean for our lives?

2. We have learned that the law has never declared anyone righteous

3. If you were to follow the law to the letter, you could be declared righteous

4. However, it is impossible to do so

5. Therefore, if Abraham, even though he was a great man, still did not follow the law completely, therefore, deserved to be punished

6. But as the scriptures says he was credited to him as righteous because of Faith

7. If works could save you, then men would have a reason to boast

8. But the cant. The only hope we have for salvation is by faith

C. Illustration

1. If you go to work, you expect to get paid. You get paid for what you work. That is how our society works. You don’t get paid as a gift you get paid because you worked. If we were to get paid for our “Works” that would lead to sin

2. But if by faith, we trust God, we then get credited righteousness

3. Faith win against works always

4. Works will never earn you salvation

5. Faith in God leads to Salvation

II. Faith Vs. Signs (9-16)

A. Explanation

1. Paul now moves on to argue faith versus signs

2. Understanding the Jewish point that everyone must be circumcised

3. In Jewish culture if you were not circumcised you were not a true Jew.

4. You did not belong, you were a heathen, all true Jews were circumcised

5. What Paul says about the whole circumcision would have split a lot of hair, would have created a lot of controversy, however, Paul again uses the Jews favorite example, and turns it against them

6. Paul points out that Abraham was credited righteous before circumcision

7. See circumcision was added to be a sign

8. Circumcision was never meant to be what created the righteousness

B. Illustration

1. Let me help explain this. What do we have today that can relate? Baptism. Baptism is not salivation. Baptism is an outward sign of salvation. Does that mean if you have been baptized you are a Christian? No. Does that mean if you have not been baptized you are a Christian? No. It is an outward sign of an inward change

2. The same is true with circumcision, circumcision is a sign

C. Application

1. What does that mean for us?

2. Jews / Gentiles

3. White / Blacks

4. Americans / Arabs

5. Circumcised / not circumcised

6. None of that matters

7. What matters is faith

8. Outward “sings’ do not matter

9. Faith wins over signs

10. Once again this means we can not boast

11. What did we have to do with this?

12. Nothing!

13. God did it. All we have to do is have Faith and accept what God did

III. Faith Vs. Man (17-25)

A. Explanation

1. By nature, humans do try to understand things. However by that same nature humans are limited in their comprehension

2. There are things that we can not explain, hey we do not know everything