Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Faith - Key to inheriting God’s promise

 Romans 4:13-22

“Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” - Romans 4:16 

In this portion, Paul is talking about how Abraham’s faith is the key to inheriting God’s promise. In Genesis 12, God made a covenant with Abraham that he would provide him with land, and descendants, and through him, people on earth will be blessed. Abraham left his comfortable lifestyle believing in the promise that God made to him. Abraham did not have a set of written laws that he adhered to. The law was not established until the time of Moses. Trusting God was the only way that he received the blessing. Abraham went through many tests and trials during his journey. He did things that will be considered unlawful and punishable in today’s times. If we look at his life from the perspective of law, he has definitely failed and he should have deserved God’s wrath. However, God saw him as righteous because he did not waver in his belief and simply trusted that God will keep his word however long it will take. He gave glory to God in midst of his circumstances and he lived a life that God deemed as faithful. God provided him with everything that he promised him. He is still remembered as one of the forefathers of our faith.

We live in a world where we have forgotten to trust God’s promises. We are not able to fully accept that God can perform on his promises. We sometimes tend to believe that these things have happened in the past and that it does not affect us. We believe in our gut instincts and what the world teaches us. We would put more faith in what people tell us instead of seeing how God has kept on fulfilling the promises he made. God’s relationship with Abraham shows that it is only by God’s grace that we are saved. We need to have this inextinguishable hope that God’s promise to his children is still relevant and is not forgotten. God sent his son as a promise he kept to the descendants of Abraham and through his death and resurrection, we received salvation. We are not bound by the shackles of law but we are to keep reaching out for God’s grace so that we may be deemed faithful in the eyes of God. 

Prayer

 Dear God, we know that we are sinners and have fallen short. We are thankful that you are a God who keeps his promises even if we have not put our trust. Shower your grace upon us that we will be faithful. May our lives be a living testament to your will and purpose. In your name, we pray, Amen.

Thought of the Day

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” - Martin Luther King Jr. 

Sherin Abraham
St. Andrews MTC, Yonkers NY

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