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Ambassador Baptist Church
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   You Are Here: Bridge / Galley / Pastor's Pen / Pathways Through Paul
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Pathways Through Paul Daily Devotional
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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional

February 5
Click on verses for Full Scripture
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Today's Pathway:


 Romans 4:13-25
  1. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
  2. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
  3. Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
  4. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
  5. (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
  6. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
  7. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
  8. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
  9. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
  10. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
  11. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
  12. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
  13. Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

His Majesty's Service

 In today's passage Paul continues his discussion of Abraham being the father of those who believe. In verse 13 he is referred to as the "heir of the world", which simply means that those who possess Abraham's faith will receive the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant, which included that God would make of Abraham a great nation (Gen. 12:2); that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed (Gen. 12:3); that his posterity should be as the stars for multitude (Gen. 15:5); and that he should be a father of many nations (Gen. 17:5). In verses 14-15 Paul again states that salvation is not for the Jews only, and can not be obtained through the Law. He gives several reasons for this. First, if salvation came through keeping the Law then faith has nothing to do with salvation (faith is made void). Since Abraham's salvation came because "Abraham believed God", faith is necessary for salvation. Second, if salvation comes through the Law then there is no "promise" (vs 14). Galatians 3:18 states,

"For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise."
God promised salvation by faith. To add the law in order to be saved nullifies that promise. Plus, if salvation were promised to those who kept the law, the promise would be of no effect because no one can keep the Law. According to verse 15, all the Law does is produce the wrath of God because the Law reveals man's sinfulness against God. Verse 16 summarizes the entire situation. Salvation is given by the grace of God to men who choose to believe. Those who believe receive the same promise that Abraham received, and he becomes their spiritual father.

 In verses 17-22 Abraham's hope is delineated. Abraham's faith was in God: the God who quickens the dead and Who makes promises that will always come to pass (vs 17). According to verse 18, Abraham had hope when there was no logical reason why he should have hope. This hope was in God's promise that he would be the father of many nations. He did not waver in his faith even though it became biologically impossible for him and Sarah to have children of their own (vs 19-20). He chose to believe that God could do whatever God had promised to do, and because of that faith God imputed righteousness to him.

 In verses 23-25 Paul says that this story is given to us not just so we can read about what God did with Abraham's faith, but so we can understand that God will do the same thing with our faith. If we choose to believe what God has said about His Son Jeus Christ, then we will have righteousness imputed to us as well. We must believe that Jesus is Lord, and we must believe that His death on the cross paid the price for our sins, and that He rose again from the dead so that we could be justified. When we have chosen to place our full faith in Him, and not in anything or anyone else, then we have eternal life, and we receive the blessings of Abraham.

 Have you made the choice to believe?

Pastor Mark J Montgomery

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1926 Babcock Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15209
(412)477-3210
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