Rom 4:23-25 | KingComments | STEP | . From the reference verses, it is clear what Abraham believed. In Genesis 15 God called Abraham out of his tent at night to have him look at the sky. There he could see countless stars. Then God said to him: “So shall your descendants be.” Abraham believed what God had said. He was about 100 years old at the time and that is too old to be able to father children. Sarah was ten years younger, but much too old to get pregnant. Abraham didn’t shut his eyes to this. He contemplated his own body, but “without becoming weak in faith”. He didn’t stop at an impossibility for man. His faith looked up to God. What is impossible with men is possible with God. . Therefore, he didn’t doubt God’s promise. By his faith he was made strong. I presume you have experienced at times the faith that gives you strength. Faith is not a fuzzy notion that requires a lot of imagination, but faith brings God into view. This rock-solid faith in God’s power made Abraham overcome all his doubts. Abraham no longer looked at himself and his weakness. . When he learned to forget himself and look up to God in the strength of faith, he was fully assured that God had the power to do what He had promised. Anyone who sees the Almighty God in that way will stop doubting whether God is able to give life where death seems imminent. Such an attitude honors and glorifies God. . God then reckoned this faith to Abraham as righteousness. God saw that Abraham recognized, trusted and thought of Him correctly. The righteousness that God credited to Abraham meant that God from His perspective said to Abraham, as it were: ”If you think about Me in such a way, you belong to Me.” . In these verses follows the application that is very important to you as someone young in the faith. That which was said to Abraham was also said to teach you how to receive righteousness. Righteousness means that you, who used to be a sinner far away from God, now belong to God. There is nothing left to fear from Him. God needed a righteous basis to give you that wonderful position. He could not act as if you hadn’t sinned because God cannot act in conflict with Himself. Since you had sinned, God, being holy and righteous, would have had to punish you, but now He doesn’t. He provided the solution Himself. The Lord Jesus completely fulfilled all God’s holy demands and God raised Him from the dead. This is the basis for your justification: He has raised Jesus our Lord from the dead! The Lord Jesus was given up by God to fulfill the work of redemption on the cross for you. God’s righteousness has been fully satisfied for your sins in the Person of the Lord Jesus who bore them on the cross. God judged your sins in Him and the Lord Jesus died. But how could God leave Him dead when He had suffered for your sins to God’s fullest satisfaction? Therefore God had to raise Him. God had an obligation to Himself and to His Son’s work to carry this out. The raising up of the Lord Jesus by God is the firm and unchangeable proof that God requires nothing else concerning your sins. All His demands have been met. Your sins no longer exist according to Him. He no longer sees them; they are gone forever. The Lord Jesus is the eternal witness that your sins have been done away with. Never again will we have to fear that God will take back His provision. He has provided everything Himself for your justification. He no longer looks on you in connection with your sins, but in connection with a risen Christ. In the next chapter you will see the tremendous results this brings about for you. Now read Romans 4:18-25 again. Reflection: Keep short accounts regarding any doubts about the certainty of your faith that you may still have.

‏ Romans 4:23-25

The Absolute Certainty of Faith

Rom 4:18-19. From the reference verses, it is clear what Abraham believed. In Genesis 15 God called Abraham out of his tent at night to have him look at the sky. There he could see countless stars. Then God said to him: “So shall your descendants be.” Abraham believed what God had said.

He was about 100 years old at the time and that is too old to be able to father children. Sarah was ten years younger, but much too old to get pregnant. Abraham didn’t shut his eyes to this. He contemplated his own body, but “without becoming weak in faith”. He didn’t stop at an impossibility for man. His faith looked up to God. What is impossible with men is possible with God.

Rom 4:20. Therefore, he didn’t doubt God’s promise. By his faith he was made strong. I presume you have experienced at times the faith that gives you strength. Faith is not a fuzzy notion that requires a lot of imagination, but faith brings God into view. This rock-solid faith in God’s power made Abraham overcome all his doubts. Abraham no longer looked at himself and his weakness.

Rom 4:21. When he learned to forget himself and look up to God in the strength of faith, he was fully assured that God had the power to do what He had promised. Anyone who sees the Almighty God in that way will stop doubting whether God is able to give life where death seems imminent. Such an attitude honors and glorifies God.

Rom 4:22. God then reckoned this faith to Abraham as righteousness. God saw that Abraham recognized, trusted and thought of Him correctly. The righteousness that God credited to Abraham meant that God from His perspective said to Abraham, as it were: ”If you think about Me in such a way, you belong to Me.”

Rom 4:23-25. In these verses follows the application that is very important to you as someone young in the faith. That which was said to Abraham was also said to teach you how to receive righteousness. Righteousness means that you, who used to be a sinner far away from God, now belong to God. There is nothing left to fear from Him. God needed a righteous basis to give you that wonderful position. He could not act as if you hadn’t sinned because God cannot act in conflict with Himself. Since you had sinned, God, being holy and righteous, would have had to punish you, but now He doesn’t. He provided the solution Himself. The Lord Jesus completely fulfilled all God’s holy demands and God raised Him from the dead.

This is the basis for your justification: He has raised Jesus our Lord from the dead! The Lord Jesus was given up by God to fulfill the work of redemption on the cross for you. God’s righteousness has been fully satisfied for your sins in the Person of the Lord Jesus who bore them on the cross. God judged your sins in Him and the Lord Jesus died. But how could God leave Him dead when He had suffered for your sins to God’s fullest satisfaction? Therefore God had to raise Him. God had an obligation to Himself and to His Son’s work to carry this out.

The raising up of the Lord Jesus by God is the firm and unchangeable proof that God requires nothing else concerning your sins. All His demands have been met. Your sins no longer exist according to Him. He no longer sees them; they are gone forever. The Lord Jesus is the eternal witness that your sins have been done away with. Never again will we have to fear that God will take back His provision. He has provided everything Himself for your justification. He no longer looks on you in connection with your sins, but in connection with a risen Christ. In the next chapter you will see the tremendous results this brings about for you.

Now read Romans 4:18-25 again.

Reflection: Keep short accounts regarding any doubts about the certainty of your faith that you may still have.