February 14th ~ Romans 4

What an amazing passage of scripture is Romans chapter 4! So many great nuggets in this one. We learn that it was Abraham's act of believing God's promise (or we could say faith) which reckoned righteousness (or right-standing with God) unto himself. It was not according to any works, that he could then boast in himself. Our righteousness is based upon us believing that Jesus took our sin and shame, was punished with a death on the cross because of it and rose again victorious over it!

It is only by faith through grace that we, too, are justified (verse 16). When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, God was calling those things which be not as though they were! He was now referring to him as "father of many nations". Verse 17 says, "even God, Who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." Abram did something with what  God told him. He starting referring to himself as Abraham! This was his faith in action! Verse 18 says, "In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become the father of many nations. Verse 19..."Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was near a hundred years of age, and the deadness of Sarah's womb." 

Wow! SO Abraham was human just like you and me! He contemplated his own body. What does that mean? It means he faced facts. You might have to face facts today yourself. You might have to face that debt head on or that negative medical report that shows some 'facts' about the current condition of your body. It also said that in doing so, he did not allow himself to become weak in faith! Verse 20 says, "YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in faith (what he was believing...God's promise to him), but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. Verse 21, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform! Verse 22, Therefore it was also reckoned to him as righteousness."

We are made in the likeness and image of Almighty God! Therefore, we, too, are to call things into existence! Our main obstacle is the very same as Abraham's...being fully persuaded. What did Abraham do in the natural to become fully persuaded? Go back and read it again. 1. He contemplated or faced facts. 2. He gave respect to the promise of God. In other words we could say he went back to the Word that he heard and gave it first place. No matter how he "felt" about the circumstances he was facing, he CHOSE to only speak the Word. 3. He grew stronger in faith. We know that faith only comes by hearing and hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17) and by continually planting seeds (the Word) deep into our hearts. 4. He gave glory to God. This is how we water the seeds we have planted. We give thanks to God that the answer is on the way. That He is moving on our behalf. That He is our Strong Tower, our Deliverer, our Mighty God, All-powerful, Magnificent, our Healer, our Counselor, our Advocate, our High Priest, our Provider, EVERYTHING we need Him to be! When we give Him glory, it's not just to bless Him, but rather it increases our faith in His Never Ceasing Love and ability toward us! Then we will have those things which He promised to us, just like Abraham.