Part Of The Family

Romans 4 Part of the Family

- Read Romans 4:1-25

INTRODUCTION

All of us have parts of the Bible that we really enjoy reading and others that are a bit more tedious for us. For instance, I just finished reading the Song of Solomon as part of my quiet time. Not one of my favorite books, with all of that back and forth between the love, and the lover and their friends. A little distracting.

Often we like the action parts of the Bible. David and Goliath, or Jonah and the great fish. We like reading the gospels where Jesus is performing miracles, walking on water, feeding crowds of people, raising Lazarus from the dead, and then rising from the dead Himself. We enjoy that.

We often enjoy reading the book of Acts where we see the church growing and expanding and the Lord adding to their number daily. We love seeing the heroes of the faith, standing up boldly to the politicians and such and proclaiming the gospel, even when they’re commanded not to.

We love seeing Paul and Silas singing in the prison after being beaten and because of their faithfulness under persecution, the jailer and his family being saved. We love seeing Peter imprisoned and because of a church prayer meeting, he being released from prison by an angel, and dream of having a prayer meeting like that in our church. Those are exciting things and exciting days.

As a result, we sometimes tend to muddle through or avoid passages like the one we have read this morning, because it takes thinking. It takes figuring. And as a result, we miss so much.

As we look at this passage this morning, I would like you to notice 3 great truths, gems which we will bring to light together, all of them ending with the word “Alone.”

We are saved by faith alone, based on the word alone, so that we are not alone. We are saved by faith alone, based on the word alone, so that we are not alone.

Say that with me please. We are saved by faith alone, based on the word alone, so that we are not alone.

Now, as we begin to uncover these gems, let’s think for a moment about where we are and how we got here. Paul, who has not yet been to Rome, wants to go there. He keeps hearing about the Roman Christians’ faith, and he keeps hearing about how faithfully they have been walking with the Lord.

So he writes the church in Rome a letter. In Romans 1 he writes,

> Romans 1:8-10 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

I’ve heard about your faith and I am excited to meet you. Can you imagine? In a pagan world, where there is no press, where there is no TV or radio where churches can advertise or their pastors broadcast their sermons, a church so alive and impacting lives so much that Paul hears about what’s going on there 930 miles away?

Paul says I’ve heard about what’s going on there and I long to see you.

In chapter 3 he addresses a problem all the world has. He writes:

> Romans 3:10-12 There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.

> Romans 3:23 -24 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

In chapter 3 Paul says, all the world has a sin problem. Nobody meets God’s requirements. They all fall short, and the only way to address that issue is by God’s grace.

Then he opens this portion of his letter by writing, Abraham believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness. In other words, we are saved by faith alone.

Saved by faith alone

Turn to your neighbor and tell them, “We are saved by faith alone.”

Oh my friend, there is nothing you can do, no money you can give, no people you can help, no church you can attend, no mission field you can go to, that is payment enough to take care of your sins.

- Read Romans 4:1-3

If a man were to cheat on his spouse, how many times would he have to mow the lawn before that breach of trust was healed in his wife’s heart? How many times would he have to pressure wash the driveway, how many rings would have to buy her, before her hurt would be gone?