In closing out my time in chapter 4, there is a phrase that really caught my eye this morning. That phrase is found in verse 22 and states "That is why his faith was 'counted to him as righteousness.'" Then once again I had to go back and really look once more at what is the reason "why"? The reasons are the same that have been mentioned previously:
1. "He did not weaken in his faith" (v. 19)
2. "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God" (v. 20)
3. "He grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God" (v. 20)
4. "Fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised" (v. 21)
"THAT IS WHY HIS FAITH WAS 'COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.'"
There is one other verse that I must mention in closing this summary. In verse 17 (and 18 actually), God is referred to by Paul as "the God in whom [Abraham] believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." And concerning Abraham, "In hope he believed against hope..."
That gives me great hope! This is the only type of God I could possibly believe in. I was certainly one who was spiritually dead and even now, at times, I feel much less than fully alive. I want to focus far too much on what I think may be impossible to happen in my life. For Abraham it was a basically a "dead" body at 100 years of age, his wife Sarah had a barren or dead womb, yet God was calling them to be the parents of "many nations." My response probably would have been "yeah right!" But not Abraham! He believed in this God who gives life even to "dead" bodies or barren wombs. This God who calls into existence things that do not exist!
Right now is a time in my life where I have trials and tests immediately in front of me and I must not weaken, have distrust, but grow strong, give glory to God, be fully convinced that this God of the living is able to do all that He has promised for me as His kid. Now is the time for me to see that this righteousness that has been counted or credited to me is real and able to be exhibited through radical belief, just like Abraham!
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"Right now is a time in my life where I have trials and tests immediately in front of me and I must not weaken, have distrust, but grow strong, give glory to God, be fully convinced that this God of the living is able to do all that He has promised for me as His kid."
Thank you.....I needed to remember this myself today.....
Carlene
"This God who calls into existence things that do not exist!"
What an awesome God! So often we put restrictions on God based on our own limitations, at least I know that I tend to at times. If we could "let go and let God" I think many of us would be amazed at the things that He could do in us and through us.
It IS simply a matter of faith...thank you for reminding me.
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