“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 are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all” Rom. 4: 16.
In Romans 3 Paul says Jews and Gentiles alike have been rebellious and have failed to earn God’s approbation. However, they are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. The miracle of grace is that God credits righteousness to the ungodly. This amazing grace is the focus of Paul’s presentation in Romans 4 where he references Abraham, the father of Jewish nation who was justified, not by being circumcised or by keeping the Law but by faith alone.
In developing his argument Paul contrasts Abraham’s and Sarah’s hopeless inability to conceive with God’s promise and mighty power to give life to the dead and call into being that which does not exist (4:17). Abraham and Sarah believed and trusted God in what had become a laughing matter (Gen. 18:12). The same is true for all human beings.
There are no works that can secure eternal salvation because all of our works are tainted by sin. The only righteousness that gains entrance to heaven is the righteousness of Jesus graciously imputed to all who believe in Him. The faith that saves is the faith that relies on God’s power to keep God’s promise, not on any human ability. Christian faith is based upon God's faithfulness to God’s promises, rather than feelings or things visible.
You may have heard of the elderly lady who was to fly in an airplane for the first time. She reluctantly agreed to board the plane after her grandchildren convinced her that the plane was safer than riding in a car. When she returned safely, the family met her at the airport and asked, “How did it go, Granny? Did the plane hold you up?” She reluctantly agreed, “Yeah.” But then she added, “But I never put my full weight down on it!”
Salvation by grace through faith requires that we put all our weight on Jesus Christ because “On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand” Edward Mote (1797-1874). This salvation is available to all who have faith in Jesus.
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