February 23rd, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

The Great Picture

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Opening Prayer

Lord, I am Your willing servant. Speak to my heart now and let me, Your servant, listen and obey.

Read Romans 4:1-12

[1] What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? [2] If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-but not before God. [3] What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” [4] Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. [5] However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. [6] David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: [7] “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. [8] Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” [9] Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. [10] Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! [11] And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. [12] And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“Ceremonies and rituals … are not important in themselves but are outer evidences of an inner change of heart and attitude” (Life Application Bible).

Think Further

Luther’s reading of Romans puts the emphasis on how the individual is saved by grace, an emphasis which is still valid. But once we see that the overriding concern of Paul in writing this letter was to address the relationship of Jews and Gentiles within the covenant, the point of ch. 4 is clear. The argument goes right back to Abraham, before the covenant of circumcision. The Jews were relying on God’s favor, on the grounds that they were circumcised children of Abraham. In addition, they were despising Gentiles who were, as they thought, outside the covenant. Not so.

To counter their error, Paul takes his readers through a careful reading of Genesis 15, with an emphasis on v. 6, which we might translate: “Abraham believed God, and it was calculated in his favor, indicating that he was in the right.” Circumcision was a sign of membership in the covenant (“righteousness,” v. 11) which he had already received. In other words, the covenant was made not for the Jews only, but for all who believe.

At this point I need to make two personal statements. I came to faith in Jesus Christ as a teenager, as a result of hearing the gospel explained in terms of the need for personal faith in Jesus. It was this that brought me to Christ, and Christ to me, but as the years have gone by I have been dissatisfied with a gospel that stops there. Where is our vision of what God is doing in history and in our world? Rereading Romans in this light gives the answer. It is invigorating and challenging to discover that I am a part of God’s whole purpose, from Genesis to Revelation.

Apply

What were some moments of your spiritual formation as a Christian? How do you see your part in God’s whole purpose for the world?

Closing prayer

Lord, help me to grow in my faith, and to understand how I can serve Your purpose for the world.

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