Lesson 1991

(Lesson 1991)(04-15-17) Romans 4:14-25

"For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

Today's quote reaffirms that God made the promise of salvation by grace through faith from the very beginning. Even Noah and his family were saved by faith. Noah's faith was such that he built an ark to save his family from certain death knowing by faith that God would destroy every living creature, just as He had said He would do.

In the very first part of today's quote, Paul made it clear that if one could attain eternal salvation by obeying the law (being good), faith would be made of no affect. Since the purpose of the law was to assure utter righteousness ONLY to those who could, and would, obey it in its entirety. God, knowing that mankind was/is incapable of completely obeying any law, deemed it necessary to impute the necessary soul saving righteousness into those of us who believe in Him, and who accept His grace through Jesus Christ.

What this all means is that if one believes in the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, so far as his/her eternal soul is concerned, the acts of the flesh have absolutely no bearing at all.~