God's Promise and Our Faith

Bill White | Aug 29, 2021 | Watch in español

Study Guide

Paul continues undermining the overconfidence of the Jewish believers in Rome, showing them through Abraham’s example that saving grace comes through faith alone. Just as the Jews cannot trust in circumcision or the law, so we also must abandon any form of false righteousness. Instead, like Abraham, our faith in Christ should be personal, contrary, and unwavering.

Application

Genuine faith is personal. We should obey God because we know him, not because we know information about him or what he’s asking us to do. Can you think of a time when you responded to God’s prompting in faith even in the midst of uncertainty and lacking information?
Abraham’s faith was also contrary. In the same way, we must be able to trust God when our circumstances don’t make sense. Why is this both challenging and important?
Our faith should be unwavering. Although men like Abraham and Peter had moments of sin and weakness, they clung to God. How is this encouraging to you?

Key Points

As Paul continues to deconstruct the Jewish believers’ overconfidence in their holy history, he appeals to Abraham. It is clear that Abraham was made righteous before God through faith alone—not because of his circumcision or the law.
In fact, Abraham is considered the father of all believers, both Jew and Gentile, because of his faith in God’s justice and mercy.
Like the Jews, we must be careful not to add anything to our faith. Only faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection brings saving grace.
It is vital that our faith be personal and not based on knowledge. Knowledge can give the illusion of control, while personal faith prompts obedience even without full knowledge.
Our faith should also be contrary. Even when the world around us is disruptive and difficult, we can have confidence in God’s ability to bring life out of death.
Although we all have moments of weakness, the trajectory of our faith should be unwavering.

Other Scripture References