Here’s how the study works: Read the chapter mentioned in the heading several times during the week and share any words, thoughts, verses that stood out to you. Having a week for a chapter creates the opportunity to reread it several times and make additional comments as you feel inclined as well as make comments on other people’s insights.
This is an amazing chapter because it explains what an amazing thing it is that God has done. Just a few of my favourite bits from the Message:
“If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, no matter how hard and long you worked – well, that trusting-Him-to-do it is what you gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift” v.4-5.
“We call Abraham ‘father’ not because he got God’s attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. … When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do” v.16-18.
I think this chapter points out two difficulties we humans have. One, it makes us feel dependent because we so desperately need God to make us right with Himself since we can’t do it ourselves. Mostly we don’t like feeling dependent. (Especially as independance is celebrated in the world.)
Secondly what we are required to do is trust God when all our circumstances scream out to us that it is crazy to trust God. Hopefully, like Abraham, we decided to trust Him anyway.
This is an amazing chapter because it explains what an amazing thing it is that God has done. Just a few of my favourite bits from the Message:
“If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, no matter how hard and long you worked – well, that trusting-Him-to-do it is what you gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift” v.4-5.
“We call Abraham ‘father’ not because he got God’s attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. … When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do” v.16-18.
I think this chapter points out two difficulties we humans have. One, it makes us feel dependent because we so desperately need God to make us right with Himself since we can’t do it ourselves. Mostly we don’t like feeling dependent. (Especially as independance is celebrated in the world.)
Secondly what we are required to do is trust God when all our circumstances scream out to us that it is crazy to trust God. Hopefully, like Abraham, we decided to trust Him anyway.
wow. what a long and thorough explanation of how abraham was the recipient of the first and true promise and that it was based on faith apart from and before the law. very important foundation to lay when trying to get this across to people in that time i am sure.
one tihng i have always thought about romans is that it was paul’s complete “gospel” that he shared with people. as far as i know, this is the only letter paul wrote of this kind. paul had not been to rome yet, and was sharing his message with them from afar.
wow. what a long and thorough explanation of how abraham was the recipient of the first and true promise and that it was based on faith apart from and before the law. very important foundation to lay when trying to get this across to people in that time i am sure.
one tihng i have always thought about romans is that it was paul’s complete “gospel” that he shared with people. as far as i know, this is the only letter paul wrote of this kind. paul had not been to rome yet, and was sharing his message with them from afar.
v.5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
"who does not work" God does not want us work for our salvation but rather to trust him for it.
But working is a whole lot easier than trusting…
v.5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
"who does not work" God does not want us work for our salvation but rather to trust him for it.
But working is a whole lot easier than trusting…
v.10-11 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.
This must have been a revelation to the Jews to consider that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcisied.
v.9 Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness
Paul emphasises again and again that we are not saved by our actions but by faith.
v.10-11 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.
This must have been a revelation to the Jews to consider that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcisied.
v.9 Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness
Paul emphasises again and again that we are not saved by our actions but by faith.
v.17 the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
We believe in a God who calls things that are not as though they were. That is why He is able to say, "Let there be light" and there was light.
We need to spiritually hear what God is calling into being.
v.17 the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
We believe in a God who calls things that are not as though they were. That is why He is able to say, "Let there be light" and there was light.
We need to spiritually hear what God is calling into being.
v.11 So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them
Abraham is our father too. Righteousness has been credited to us, not earned, not as a reward but because we accept it by faith.
v.11 So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them
Abraham is our father too. Righteousness has been credited to us, not earned, not as a reward but because we accept it by faith.
v.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.
Abraham's faith was strengthened as time passed, which is the opposite to what you would expect. The more he believed the more he was able to believe.
v.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.
Abraham's faith was strengthened as time passed, which is the opposite to what you would expect. The more he believed the more he was able to believe.