Romans 4:1-25 The Faith of Abraham

The Faith of Abraham
Romans 4:1-25

Intro Questions

 #God            #People     #Time         #Place        #Obedient faith  #Sin  #Key Idea 

Abraham Justified by Faith

1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 

4Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7“Blessed are those

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

8Blessed is the one

whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” 

9Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”  He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  19Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• 
  
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• 
  
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

https://youtu.be/kkJJqfilHUU

https://youtu.be/rQ0G7uNO1qU

Salvation By Christ Alone - Part 4 from North Boulevard Church of Christ on Vimeo.

Other Resources: 

There Are No Atheists in Foxholes Romans 4

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Document for DBS

Series: Connected “Abiding in Christ”

In a time of growing isolation and individualism, we are reminded of how important it is to stay connected to God and to each other. Jesus’ metaphor of the vine and branches calls us into a life of connection over production as we abide in Him.

Title: “Grafted & Growing” (Romans 4:16-25)

Bookmark: Click Here

Opening Thoughts: God specializes in giving life to the dead. When we lose our hold on the true vine, God can graft new life into our connection with Jesus.

v  Randy’s Cut finger.

o   It will either grow back or it won’t.

o   Doctors can reattach parts of our bodies.

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Text: Romans 4:16-25

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²² This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” ²³ The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

 

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Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the story in your own words.

v  Review and retell the story.

Reflections for applications:

v  John 15:5-6 John 15:5–6 NIV - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

o   We go from being a “branch” to quickly becoming a “stick”

·         Good to be put in a fire.

·         How strong is your connection to Christ? Are you a branch or a stick?

o   Storms have a way of making branches into sticks

v  Romans 4:18 NIV - Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

v  Romans 4:19–24 NIV - 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

o   There is always hope with God

v  Romans 4:17 NIV - As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

o   A dead stick in the hands of God can become a living branch!

o   God can graft you back on the Vine

 

1 Peter 5:8–11 NIV - Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

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Digging Questions:

·         How will you respond to making “Connection to Jesus”? What transformative move needs to be made?

·         What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?

·         What is God calling us (me and you individually) to do?

Take Away Challenges

·         What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?

·         Whom do you know who needs to hear this?

·         What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?

Hashtags #Connected #Grafted #

Sunday sermon link          https://youtu.be/dTCEzh00V8Y

Kevin’s Blog Link to more resources: Click here for Kevin’s Blog Notes

Comments and resources with some more resources:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12%3A4-13&version=NIV

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Romans 3:21-31 Christ Took Our Punishment

Christ Took Our Punishment
Romans 3:21-31

Intro Questions

 #God            #People     #Time         #Place        #Obedient faith  #Sin  #Key Idea 

Christ Took Our Punishment

21But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Mosesi and the prophets long ago. 22We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

27Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

29After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.j 31Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• 
  
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• 
  
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

https://youtu.be/MJEB4_kZnQE

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

Other Resources: 

God's Grace  Romans  3

Romans 3:1-20 God Remains Faithful

Romans 3:1-20
God Remains Faithful

Intro Questions

God Remains Faithful

1Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.a

3True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,

“You will be proved right in what you say,

and you will win your case in court.”b

5“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7“But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

All People Are Sinners

9Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,c are under the power of sin. 10As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—

not even one.

11No one is truly wise;

no one is seeking God.

12All have turned away;

all have become useless.

No one does good,

not a single one.”d

13“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.

Their tongues are filled with lies.”

“Snake venom drips from their lips.”e

14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”f

15“They rush to commit murder.

16Destruction and misery always follow them.

17They don’t know where to find peace.”g

18“They have no fear of God at all.”h

19Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• 
  
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• 
  
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

https://youtu.be/cE-nRL-Yxek

Salvation By Christ Alone - Part 3 from North Boulevard Church of Christ on Vimeo.

Other Resources: 

God's Grace  Romans  3