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
3. But because of our desire to understand everything we begin to think logically how things could happen
4. God promised Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son.
5. Abraham believed that.
6. Now that might not sound the surprising but you have to remember something he was nearly 100 years old
7. I am sorry 100 year old men rarely have children it does not happen
8. But God said and Abraham believed it
9. Sure enough you know Abraham did have a son Just as God promised
10. Abraham believed, had faith in, God so much that when God asked him to present his son Isaac as a sacrifice Abraham would of done
11. Abraham believed in God
B. Application
1. What does this mean for us?
2. If your car has broke down you have less faith in it
3. If someone has promised you something and has not done it you have less faith in them
4. If your computer crashed in the middle of writing and very important letter, you have less faith in it
5. If a plane falls from the sky and everyone dies, you have less faith in it
6. But what about God?
7. When has God ever let you down?
8. When has God ever not been faithful?
9. When has God ever not done what He said he would?
10. NEVER!
11. You have no reason in the world not to trust God
12. He does what he says he will do
13. Faith will beet man every time
14. Until God proves himself to be unfaithful there is no reason to doubt him
15. I challenge you to think of one time that God has not been faithful, Go ahead look back on your entire life and find a time
16. You will not honestly be able to do it. I know for a fact!
17. Faith always wins
C. Illustration
Conclusion
A. There you have Faith went 3 and 0.
B. We try to add all these requirements
C. But anything we add can not save us
D. Salvation is only gained through faith
E. So man can not boast
F. We have nothing to be proud about, God is the one that did all the work
G. Our sole responsibility is to have faith in God
H. To have faith in God that he will provide us with Salvation
I. There is not other way to obtain salvation other then faith
J. What about you?
K. Are there areas in your life that you have not been putting your faith in God?
L. Have you been putting your faith in your works, figuring if you do good you will go to heaven?
M. Have you been putting faith into signs, meaning you think because you are a member of this church that will give you a ticket to heaven, Because you are American you have a free trip to heaven?
N. Have you been putting faith into man, have you tried to apply your own logic to different situations rather then just putting it in God’s hands?
O. If any of those are you, and understand you are not the only one who has struggled in this area before, your pastor has goofed this up many times, if you need to get thing straight with God, now is the time, don’t delay you do not know what tomorrow holds, get things straight now
P. The Question is, are you on the same Page as God about Faith?
