November 14, 2014
Romans 4-5
Paul takes great pains to explain how a person is made right with God through faith. So, he goes back to the first Jew, Abraham, for his lesson. Some said that Abraham was made right with God by the obedience of circumcision. God had appeared to Abram, gave him the covenant name, Abraham (father of nations), and outlined how he was to keep the covenant: “Every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised.” (Genesis 17:12)
But circumcision is NOT how Abraham, or anyone else for that matter, is made right with God. Two chapters and some years earlier, God had appeared to Abram. Abram asked God about God’s promise to give him descendants. God took him outside, showed him the stars and said, “If you could count them, so shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5) And Abram’s response is described in the next verse: “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness!”
Paul reminds us in Romans 4 that Abraham believed God BEFORE he was circumcised (Rom. 4:10), therefore he was justified (counted righteous) by faith. And so Abraham is the father of all who believe!
In Romans 5, Paul celebrates this justification through faith, and the peace and hope and joy that flow from it. This salvation is the free gift that came to us in Jesus Christ, while we were still powerless (5:6), while we were yet sinners (5:8), and while we were yet his enemies (5:10). Jesus died to reconcile us to God! Spiritual death came through Adam, spiritual life came through Jesus!
Your fellow traveler through the New Testament,
Pastor Gary
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