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SSS4 : Epistle to the Romans : Lesson 16

Text: Romans 4
23 July 2017

STEPS OF FAITH II

OTHER STEPS OF FAITH

1. God’s revelation (vision) to Abram

I am Your shield, your exceeding great reward (Genesis 15:1)
a) Abram’s query about being childless
b) The possibility of making Eliezer of Damascus his heir (Genesis 15:2)

2. God’s Word to Abraham

Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them
So shall your descendants be (Genesis 15:5)
a) Abram believed in the LORD (Genesis 15:6)
b) And He accounted it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6)

3. God’s Covenant with Abram

The LORD made a covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:18)
To your descendants I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-
The Kenites, the Kennezites, the Kadmonites,
The Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
The Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites. (Genesis 15:18-21)
a) Abram’s worship of the LORD (faith) (Genesis 15:7-11)
b) God’s Presence (faith honoured) (Genesis 15:17)
i) A smoking oven
ii) A burning torch

4. God’s Appearance to Abram again (Genesis 17)

a) I am Almighty God
i) Walk before Me and be blameless
ii) I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly
iii) You shall be a father of many nations
iv) No longer shall you be called Abram, but your name shall be called Abraham
v) I have made you a father of many nations
vi) I will make you exceedingly fruitful
vii) I will make nations of you
viii) And kings shall come from you
ix) I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant
x) To be God to you and your descendants after you
xi) Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God
b) Abraham’s response of faith
i) He believed God (Romans 4:17)
ii) Who gives life to the dead
iii) And calls those things which do not exist as though they did
iv) 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” (Romans 4:18)
c) Further expressions of faith
i) 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.
ii) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief,
but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God
iii) And being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform,
And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. Romans 4:19-22

IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

1. It was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him

2. But also for us, it shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
Who was delivered up because of our offense, and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:23-24)

a) Faith in the Lord to be established
i) Believing that God raised up Jesus from the dead
ii) Jesus was delivered up because of our offense (sins/ iniquities/ transgressions)
iii) He was raised up because of (for) our transgressions
b) Check faith (against that displayed by Abraham)
i) Certain (fully convinced)
ii) Strong (did not waver)
iii) No unbelief (What God has promised He is able to deliver)