the sufficiency of faith

today i'm reflecting on Romans 4. i think this is such an important piece of Scripture to share. i'm realizing so much about my own faith just by reading about the faith of one man. i'd like to invite you to follow along as my post today will be more of a bible study than a weekly update.

this section of Paul's letter to the Romans is sometimes referred to as "the sufficiency of faith". in other words, "faith is enough". just my research on different titles this passage has been given by scholars reminds me of the promise in 2 Corinthians 2:9-10. if our Father's grace is more than enough to cover our past, present, and future sins; our faith in our Father is enough to live on.

i really enjoy how Paul starts off this section of the letter talking about works-based faith (v.2). we know that our faith doesn't come from our own works, but it is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). and Paul shows that of Abraham in verse 3, when he quotes Genesis 15:6. in verses 4 & 5 Paul explains further; "now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. however, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness." this means that applies to all of us.

verses 6-12 talk about who exactly God's blessing is for. Paul quotes David from Psalm 32:1-12. blessing is clearly for those who give themselves fully to the Lord. so is blessing for the circumcised or the uncircumcised? Paul defines circumcision as "a seal of righteousness." let's refer back a few chapters to Romans 2:28-29. Circumcision isn't just an outward act. It represents how we must circumcise our hearts and cut out the parts of us that are evil. God doesn't desire rituals, He desires our full devotion to Him. our full surrender to Him is imperative.
now in verses 13-15 we explore what was promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:1-5. this promise was not God's obligation to Abraham, as if He owed something to a man that He had created. but, rather, this promise was made through Abraham's faith. and this promise of righteousness is guaranteed to all of Abraham's offspring. "he is the father of us all...he is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed..." (v. 16-17)

this may seem like a lot up to this point, but i truly think that this last paragraph trumps the rest in impact. verse 18 starts off saying that "against all hope, Abraham in hope believed..." stop there. time for a self-check (and some healthy conviction). how many times a day do i doubt? how many times a day do i think that i have enough strength to make it through on my own? who am i kidding? i need to keep my faith and hope strong, just as Abraham did. continuing in verse 19: "without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead." right now i have a bum knee and it hurts to walk or ever bend it in the slightest. will i have faith that God can heal my knee? because all of the odds were against Abraham. he was old and his wife couldn't produce children. yet God promised to make him a father of many nations, that he would have offspring of his own. verses 20-21: "yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." somehow, when all of the odds were against him, his faith GREW! his faith was made stronger and he praised God. he believed 100% in God's words. maybe this wouldn't be immediate (25 years passed before his son Isaac was born) but God did follow through.

verses 23 and 24 cap off the chapter perfectly: "The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." our belief and faith in Jesus' resurrection is our ticket to righteousness. God, through Jesus, has promised us that we will do even greater things (John 14:12)!

challenge: can you live everyday having complete faith in what our Father in Heaven has promised us? that's my challenge to myself today. will i give God even a fraction of the glory He so deserves today? i'm gonna give it my all, that's for sure.

make sure to find my instagram too! @mabeljean (: