Romans 4 Against All Hope

Romans 4

Against All Hope

Faith never gives up

Faith overcomes all odds

You may not always get it right, but what you do in faith of God’s promises

Will always be credited for righteousness

You see it is not the work that is done that carries the greatest weigh

  It is believing in God’s Word

This does not mean there will not be consequences

As Abraham experienced when he took Hagar to be his wife

All action has consequences, but for the one who acts in faith, will find grace

We are all waiting on the Lord for His return and the Scriptures says

“Occupy till I come” Luke 19:13

 

 

Against All Hope

 

Abraham was given a promise from God…

 

No longer will you be called Abram;

your name will be Abraham,

for I have made you a father of many nations.

Genesis 17:5

 

Abraham and Sarah were about 100 years old

with no children to fulfill this promise.

 

Sandy and I are not 100 yet,

 but we have celebrated our 50^th wedding anniversary.

 

 Sandy in October of 2021,

 went into the hospital for surgery.

 

After the surgery was over…

 

 Sandy was taken to her room in “Labor and Delivery”.

 

We were shocked to be married 50 years

and be in the Labor and Delivery area of Flower Hospital.

 

It must have been “false labor”

 because when they found she was

to have a chemo pill,

 they moved her to 7^th floor for cancer patients.

 

I don’t know which was worse,

 labor pain or surgery pain.

 

 

 Abraham against all odds believed God.

 

I am so glad for this account in the Bible.

 

There have been many times in my life,

 I felt the odds were against me of seeing God’s promises.

 

There were like Abraham times when I took matters

into my own hands to see the promise fulfilled.

 

Not sure where this quote started, but people have said…

 

“Even when I am wrong, I am right.”

 

I have had a hard time figuring this quote out

but I do see it with Abraham.

 

He never stopped believing in God’s promise

even when he took Hagar to be his wife in order to have a son.

 

Abraham was wrong in trying

to fulfill the promise for God.

 

Yet, Abraham never lost faith in God’s promise.

 

Abraham…

 

 “Even when he was wrong, was right”.

 

Therefore the Bible says… 

 

Yet, he did not waver through unbelief

regarding the promise of God,    

 

Like Abraham, you and I will find times

when it seems the odds are against us.

 

There will be times when we take action

in faith and do the wrong thing.

 

I knew an owner of a construction company

who would say to his employees...

 

“If you don’t know what to do,

do something even if it is wrong.” 

 

As you and I move forward in our faith,

 we will find times when we do not know what to do.

 

Walking by faith means…

 

 Putting one foot in front of the other.

 

 Abraham did not know where God was leading him,

 but he kept putting his foot out for another step.

 

Faith never gives up.

 

Faith overcomes all odds.

 

You may not always get it right…

 

 But what you do in faith of God’s promises

will always be credited for righteousness.

 

You see it is not the work that is done…

 

That carries the greatest weigh, it is believing in God’s Word.

 

This does not mean there will not be consequences…

 

 As Abraham experienced when he took Hagar to be his wife.

 

All action has consequences…

 

 But for the one who acts in faith, will find grace.

 

We are all waiting on the Lord

 

For His return and the Scriptures says…

 

“Occupy till I come”

Luke 19:13

 

    

 

Scripture Reading

 

Romans 4:18-25 NIV

 

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."   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. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.