Thursday, July 18

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

1 Chronicles 26:1–27:34

Romans 4:13–5:5

Psalm 14:1–7

Proverbs 19:17

 

 

“It 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. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath.  And where there is no law there is no transgression.” (Romans 4:13–15)

 

In Romans 1:18–3:20, Paul systematically demonstrates that both the Jews (those under the Law) and the Gentiles (those not under the Law, but having received the revelation of God’s character through creation) have fallen short of God’s glory.  Here, Paul discusses how Abraham and his offspring alike will receive forgiveness of sin and inheritance of Christ’s righteousness through faith.

 

In Romans 3:20, Paul explains of the Law:  “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”  We may view in the previous readings in Romans and in today’s passage that we respond to reality by coming to trust Christ: in the reality of our fallenness and in the security of God’s promises.  While the world may jeer us for having “blind faith,” we recognize that our faith lies instead in the solid foundation of God’s character, promises, and sovereignty.

 

 

“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.  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 things that are not as though they were.” (Romans 4:16,17)

 

Abraham’s path of faith and its ultimate destination have a universal character.  Each person from eternity past to eternity future must grapple with God’s existence, the reality of sin, the due penalty for that sin, and his or her response to God’s invitation through Jesus Christ.  The response must come individually; while we may have experienced a taste of the Gospel through our upbringing, we may never inherit our faith.

 

In light of sin’s reality and its deserved punishment through God’s wrath, we all must trust in “the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were t.”  This description speaks to God’s redemptive attributes:  that He may obliterate the debt of sin and our brokenness because of it.  Many times, our human frailty will cause us to question God’s capability to intervene and redeem.  The Evil One would very much wish to destroy the rightful hope in God’s goodness and desire to redeem.

 

 

“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.’  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.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’  The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (Romans 4:18–25)

 

As we struggle through daily challenges, we often face the temptation to give up.  Perhaps this temptation involves a healthy or godly habit that we are seeking to instill or to trust God for our future.  The Bible contains many encouragements to “press on,” “continue,” and otherwise stay on course.  We remain incredibly vulnerable to defeat and surrender.

 

One phrase jumps out to me:  “[Abraham] was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”  Where did Abraham’s strength or the persuasion come from?  From what I may gather here and from life experience, Abraham did not self-originate his faith; rather, the Holy Spirit spoke into his heart and revealed His character to a receptive Abraham.

 

Perhaps this analogy of being “carried along” by the force of God’s character and the direction of the Holy Spirit will help.  I absolutely love bodysurfing:  feeling the power of the waves and the exhilaration of being just in the right spot.  To me, there are a number of parallels in walking with God.  When catching an excellent wave, the bodysurfer has to exert only a little effort in order to achieve the goal of a great ride.  The wave itself provides the power and guidance, while the bodysurfer needs primarily to find the timing and positioning required to capture all that the wave has to offer.  In the middle of the ride, the bodysurfer may sense the expected duration and smoothness of the ride and feel the awesome push of the water.

 

May we position ourselves at God’s feet and, in humility, receive the strengthening and persuasion in our faith that we need on a moment-by-moment basis.

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