Today’s passage: Romans 4:1-12
Helpful thoughts:
- Salvation is a gift. If our eternal life was a resulting obligation due to our good works, there would be no need of salvation and Christ died for no reason.
- If all God did was fulfill obligation based on our works, everyone would go to Hell. Praise God for His gracious love!
- Not only are we forgiven of our sin, but righteousness is also credited to us. We are considered both “Not guilty” and “Righteous” before our holy and just God!
- Abraham’s circumcision was not a path to righteousness, it was the fruit of his faith.
- Baptism works the same way. We are not saved because we got baptized. We get baptized because we got saved. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Questions to consider:
- What danger do we fall into when we start to decide whether how God shows grace and mercy is “fair”? (Exodus 33:19) If we are comparing ourselves to others and deciding who is “good enough” or who doesn’t deserve God’s wrath, what have we done to the Gospel? Whose view of people is accurate and truthful? Who was the right and authority to give grace and mercy?
- How does this passage help us better understand the significance of baptism? Why is it so important? What doesn’t it do? Why would it be wrong to whiplash to the point of thinking baptism is insignificant?
- If you are a follower of Christ, why does God consider you righteous? What has He done with your sin? Why can you have access and boldness in drawing near to God? How does this truth rightly humble us and cause us to worship the Lord?