Today our key passage is found in Romans 4:17.
The purpose of the message today is to remind us that God is not shackled by circumstances or natural barriers.
Quick back story as you get to Romans 4:17
• Apparently, Paul had finished his work in the east, and planned to visit Rome on his way to Spain.
• This week I took a close look at Paul’s journeys. I’m truly amazed he had time to sleep much less pen the epistles!
• Audience was both the Jewish Christians and gentiles in Rome.
• Somewhere between 55-57 years old when he wrote Romans.
Stand with me as we honor God while reading His word. Romans 4:17 (17-25)
---PRAY---
I’d like us to consider this today:
Can we count on God’s Word, and His promises, that our faith in Him, justifies us?
Read Roman 4:17 again. Ask others to read their version.
I realize that generally speaking, we cover a lot of scripture each Sunday. I don’t expect that you get to every verse each week. You might want to jot the verses down and go back later and read them.
Genesis chapter 1- highlight
V3 then God said-and there was light
V6 then God said-firmament
V9 then God said-waters flow together
V11 then God said-bring forth grass
V14, 20,24,26 then God said
He created EVERYTHING with His word.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This is one of the reasons we must be in Gods’ Word every day. The Word is God!
Not only did Gods word speak everything into existence, it will last forever.
• Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away”.
Not only will it last forever, it is powerful and living.
• 1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. You new life will last forever because… it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
• Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
o Read a 2nd time then say “try to wrap you head around that!” A discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
My NKJV heading for Romans chapter 4 reads
“Abraham justified by faith”
Let’s look at two Greek transliterations of these English words.
Justified-dikaioo (dee-ki-o)
• To render (i.e to show or regard as) just or innocent, to be freed, be righteous
The word justified is found 36 times in NT, 14 of which are found in Romans.
Faith-pistis (Pee-steec) Complete trust
35 times in Roman. More often than any other NT writing
To put Abraham justified by faith another way,
“Abraham was regarded as righteous in God’s eyes because of his complete trust in God.”
Caused me to asked this question “Am I justified by faith?”
The opposite of justified is condemned.
“Am I condemned by my lack of faith?”
Hebrews 11:16 tells us it is impossible to please God without faith.
Read this quote this week
“We don’t define faith, our faith defines us”.
Consider how Gods Word and faith tie together.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
So how do we “get” faith? Gain or obtain faith?
A similar question is “why do you believe in God”? We have to have an answer for that. It is an individual response.
One time after a Sunday service, the pastor asked a young boy, who was about 10 years old “Where is God?”
The young boy had a perplexed look as though why the pastor would be asking this question to him.
His response was “where ISN’T God?”
I believe one way we gain faith is by continually being in Gods’ word.
Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart…
Proverbs 7:2-3 Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Where did Abraham get his faith?
I’d love to hear what you discover as you dig deeper into scripture.
How strong is your faith?
Think about this. When we begin to trust people, it is most often because they do what they say they’re going to do. They keep their promises.
If you are having trouble trusting God, think about all the promises He has made.
Although I haven’t checked it out myself, I found several references that there are over 7,000 promises from God to mankind, found in the Holy Bible.
Search for, and stand on His promises.
For you, is it the promise of:
• Life abundant?
• Or that He will never forsake you?
• Or the promise of John 3:16?
So to repeat and hopefully, partially answer the question at the beginning of today’s message:
Can we count on God’s Word, and His promises, that our faith in Him, justifies us?
I believe this:
We must have faith in Him.
Ephesians 2:8 tells us this:
• God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this, it is a gift from God.
• Your faith in Him is a personal experience just as it was with Abraham.
You cannot trust something or someone you do not know.
In order to have complete trust in God (faith), we must get to know Him. We get to know Him, through His Word and praying to Him.
Then we become justified by our faith.
Our faith leads us to salvation, and through our salvation we are justified- (rendered free from our sin) thereby spending eternity with Jesus!
Romans 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Cling to:
• The power of God’s Word, by being justified in our faith in His promises!
