RECOVERY BEGINS BY FAITH
Romans 4
Abraham Justified by Faith
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
Is 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. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he received the sign of circumcision, 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 also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
It was not through 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 live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
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 are of 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.
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.
When we realize that there is something in our lives that we want to change, we will try and try again using whatever power we have. Most of the time, our efforts become futile. This happens not because we really don’t want to change, but that we have not yet reached the point in our lives where we are fully ready to give up that behavior that has such a hold on us.
True faith works best when we have hit bottom and have run out of hand-holds. We then realize that the only way up is to give up and depend on our “higher power” to rescue us. Faith grows as we hear the stories of others who have traveled the recovery road for some time, and we can find encouragement and help from others. As they share their experience, strength and hope, our faith is built, and we move further along the road to recovery.
It is God who rescues us, and he chooses to use people in community for His purpose. Through a community of people of faith, help is realized, and lives are changed. When we isolate ourselves, help is fleeting.
Abraham did not really do anything except believe God. What has to happen in our lives to make us start believing God?
Have you ever experienced “The more hurriedly I go, the behinder I get”?
How do you feel when you hear about the experience, strength and hope in others?