Today’s passage: Romans 4:13-25
Helpful thoughts:
- In the same way that Abraham and Sarah had no natural chance of having a child together in their old age, people have no chance of successfully living a life of righteousness.
- Our God gives life to that which is dead and calls into being things that did not exist.
- In my sinful natural state, I had no faith and was dead in my sin. Salvation is by grace alone.
- Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty of our sins. He was raised to life for our justification.
- He is our substitutionary sacrifice.
- His resurrection vindicated Him. He is our sinless savior. His death was a suitable and sufficient sacrifice.
Questions to consider:
- Given the context of this passage and what we know from the rest of Scripture, in what ways does God give life to the dead and how has He called into existence things that did not previously exist?
- If Jesus had stayed in the grave, what should we be doing still? Since Jesus rose from the dead, what do we know has been settled once and for all?
- How could this passage minister to a person who is continuing to work to try to be “good enough” to be saved? In what way does this news of our inability bring freedom from our hopeless efforts to achieve righteousness on our own?