Our Turn

Romans 4

 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁴ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

⁵ But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶ just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

⁷ “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
⁸ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

⁹ Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. ¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, ¹² and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

¹³ For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, ¹⁵ because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷ (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; ¹⁸ who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. ²² And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, ²⁴ but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

The only way to break free of our world’s confusion, is to believe on the promises of God, in faith.  We can’t buy our way into heaven, nor can we work our way there.  God wants to show His magnificent powers in our lives and that can only be done to the extent of faith we have in Him to perform them.  God knows if we are trying to please Him or please our own fleshly desires.  The more we strive to accompany Him with righteous acts and deeds those that are spoken of in the bible, the more doors and opportunities will open to us.  We have to want to work our salvation out with fear and trembling to open up the heavens for God to rain down our blessings.  We have to want to stop being sick and tired of being sick and tired of all the proud, arrogant looks that pass us by on the streets each day.  We have to want to humble our way through to victory in our Lord.  There is a faith that we must build within ourselves to show God that we need Him to knock down any of satan’s walls he tries to build around us.  The more faith we build, the more grace God gives.  He says, we are more than conquerors, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and, the violent take it by force.  That is our peace of mind, our inheritance, our place in eternity.  Abraham our father believed in faith that God would give him a child and nations of children to carry his name on, so we would be able to experience the signs, wonders and visions God gave him, and now it’s our turn.

Bless us Lord as it's our turn to have total faith in You to conquer,

Vincent Young, Christian Analyst.