Righteousness is through Jesus and not the Law.
Rom 3:22-24
This
righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who
believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus.No question here that ALL have sinned. Also, no question that we are justified freely by His grace!
Rom 4:3
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."Rom 4:10
Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
Interesting that the “son of promise”, Isaac, was conceived after Abraham’s circumcision. Ishmael was conceived before the circumcision.
Abraham’s
faith didn’t waver concerning the promise of an offspring. Sarah, on
the other hand, felt that she should offer her handmaiden, Hagar to
Abraham in order to fulfill the promise, since she was too old to bear
children (or so she thought).
Rom 4:20-21
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.Do we as
Christians waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God or are
we strengthened in our faith and give glory to God? Are we fully
persuaded that God has power to do what he has promised or are we like
Sarah and try to “help God out”?
Paul wrote about
the value of circumcision. Circumcision is like signing a document
you've already agreed to. Substitute the words water baptism for
circumcision. Water baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. A
person has already agreed to believing in Jesus as Savior and baptized
by the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is like signing the document for
all to see.
"And hope does not disappoint us."
Worldly
hope often disappoints. We "hope" that something will happen. It may
or may not happen. But God's hope on the other hand is GUARANTEED!
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase."
This can be a bit confusing at first. But look at it this way, the law was added so that we might know our trespasses.
We
had another "rhema" moment from the Lord today. (Rhema is a quickened
word from the Lord in which a particular passage of Scripture takes on
additional meaning).
Imagine that you died from a
heart attack. Medical personnel pronounced you dead. The time of
death was noted on your chart. The sheet was pulled over your head.
You were wheeled to the morgue. Then suddenly you came back to life.
How would you feel? You have been given a new lease on life. Would
you change anything about your life?
We, as Believers have been brought back to life. We were dead in our sins before Jesus. We are a new creation.
"...rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life..."
Rom 8:15
For
you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba,
Father."
Just before Jesus was arrested, He prayed this prayer in the Garden.
Mark 14:36
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."Abba
is a term of endearment, something like our English word, Daddy. As
we have watched Jesus repeatedly speak of the Father the closer He
gets to the crucifixion, it seems as if He hungers for the presence of
Abba, Daddy. Do we as Christians hunger to be in the presence of
Abba, Daddy?
Rom 8:37-39
No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Paul makes it pretty clear that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! Praise God for that!
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